UFC 141: MMA Needs Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem to See 2nd Round

If MMA really wants to enter the mainstream sports world, it needs to shed a stereotype: The fights are too short. 

No, that's not always true. As a matter of fact, when the fighters in question aren't heavyweights, a fight generally gives viewers plenty of action to stay entertained. But in a heavyweight fight, that stereotype rings true. 

To break that stereotype and encourage people to buy future fights, something needs to happen. A high-profile heavyweight fight needs to last a couple of rounds. We can't have a fight where viewers won't sneeze for fear of missing the entire fight. 

That's not the problem of the fighters. When they're in the ring, their goal is to beat the guy across from them as quickly as possible. That's fine. But if you're asking me to buy a fight, I need to have some confidence that the fight will last more than a few minutes.

And here's the other problem. I know that non-heavyweight fights bring a lot of action. But when something happens in a niche sport, it's going to impact the entire sport. So, even if a short fight is a heavyweight fight, that stereotype is going to run to all divisions.

I know, you buy an event, not a fight. But let's not kid ourselves here. If you're going to buy UFC 141, you're buying it for Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem. That's the case when you buy an event for any combat sport. Sure, there is an undercard, but you're buying the main event. 

On Friday night, the main event of UFC 141 will give us a heavyweight clash. On paper, you have a lot to sell. In Lesnar, you have a polarizing figure. People want to see him fight. Some people want to see him get his face caved in, but they want to see him fight. 

It's all great, except for one problem. I am paying to see action, and a lot of it. Heavyweight fights in MMA don't deliver enough of that. At least that haven't yet. That's why MMA remains a fringe sport. 

Yes, heavyweight boxing fights don't generally see a decision, but they generally do get to the middle rounds. You can expect to see a good 15-20 minutes of in ring action before the fight ends. It's not 36, which is what you will get for a fight that goes the distance, but it's not two. 

The winner of the Lesnar vs. Overeem fight is not nearly as important as what happens. The sport will never grow if its most high-profile events deliver little to no action. Heavyweight fights are always going to be high profile. 

This fight needs to get to the second round, if not more. A short fight will do nothing more than build a stereotype. 

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