UFC 96: Lackluster

This weekend marks for the first time in one month that fight fans will have no Zuffa-promoted mixed martial arts on the fight docket.  In times like these, I like to see how long until my MMA thirst will next be quenched.

In the coming weeks, we’ll be treated to another free UFC card, a 15-fight marathon masked as the M-1 Challenge, another WEC event in mid-March, and World Victory Road will grace the HDNet waves for the first time ever.

Sandwiched in there on Mar. 7 lies the next near-$50 offering from the UFC—“UFC 96: Jackson vs. Jardine."

Maybe I’ve been spoiled by the UFC over the past few months. I’m thinking it all started with UFC 91, and how any fight fan with a pulse could find some intrigue in Randy Couture’s title defense against Brock Lesnar.

UFC 92 only heightened expectations with its jam-packed triple main event.  I found myself eager to see the return of Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and the headline clash between Rich Franklin and Dan Henderson at UFC 93.  Getting amped for UFC 94 required no explanation.

Maybe I’ve been spoiled when I can’t exactly break out the UFC pom-poms and get rowdy in anticipation for a card headlined by Keith Jardine and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.

This isn’t an editorial boycotting the fight card, as I fully intend to be stationed at my nearby sports bar on Mar. 7 for what I hope to be another terrific night of fighting.

But at first glance, there’s a lot left to be desired with the current UFC 96 headliner, and I’m sure I’m not the only one thinking this.

The UFC struck gold with its last few pay-per-view events, as UFC 91, UFC 92 and UFC 94 are poised to be some of the promotion’s most-watched cards in history.

Lost in the shuffle is UFC 93, which according to early reports, is estimated to have drawn somewhere in the range of 325,000 buys—an impressive figure for an overseas UFC card.

At this stage, I think the aforementioned 325,000 range is a solid gauge for UFC 96. Looking over the card, this will definitely test Jackson’s drawing power, who could be supplanted by an undercard advertising the likes of Gabriel Gonzaga, Matt Hamill, and Gray Maynard.

While Jackson does have a strong track record for drawing viewers, his headlining PPV bouts have come against the likes of Chuck Liddell and Forrest Griffin – two of the UFC’s most marketable fighters.

Sure, Jackson’s title unification bout with Henderson at UFC 75 was at one time the most-watched MMA fight in the U.S., but it’s one thing to tune in and watch “Rampage” fight for free, it’s another to shill out $44.95 to see him fight Jardine.

The UFC isn’t doing Jackson-Jardine any favors by supporting it with a cast of fighters who mainly teeter between the promotion’s B-and-C-list. Hamill is set to square off with undefeated WEC-export Mark Munoz, Maynard meets Jim Miller in a bout of rising lightweights, and Gonzaga meets heavyweight wrecking machine Shane Carwin.

I won’t deny my personal interest in Carwin’s litmus test against Gonzaga; but, it’s a different story for the casual MMA fan, whose last televised exposure to Carwin was his 44-second knockout of Christian Wellisch last May at UFC 84.

Tack on the fact that when Jackson-Jardine was announced, it could only be greeted with a feeling of surprise. Or confusion.

Besides seizing the opportunity to play spoiler, Jardine has little to gain from this fight. He’s already stated that he has no interest in a bout with light heavyweight champion, and fellow Greg Jackson-trained teammate, Rashad Evans.

In fact, Jardine was low on the list of rumored opponents for Jackson following the former champion’s first-round knockout of Wanderlei Silva in December. Jackson was initially slated to receive the first crack at Evans, but Evans said he wouldn’t be ready to fight Jackson in March.

Griffin, the other popular choice to fight “Rampage,” is currently sidelined until summer with a hand injury; therefore, Jackson finds himself in a contendership bout with someone who, well, isn’t a contender.

Jardine, last seen winning a forgetful split decision over Brandon Vera, is probably better recognized for his 36-second mauling at the hands of Wanderlei Silva in May. Yeah, the same Silva who Jackson just knocked out.

Now, by no means do I think Jackson-Jardine will be a boring fight. It’s just simply the fact that compared to what the UFC has given fans recently, this choice for a headliner falls a bit shy of the bar.

Could Jardine play spoiler? I’m sure we’ll all hear plenty about his upsets over Griffin and Liddell, but it’s only fair to point out that Liddell is on the decline and Griffin is tenfold the fighter he was back then.

I can’t convince myself that Jardine has the tools to spoil Jackson’s hopes to reclaiming his title, but I’ll still watch it.

Probably not with the same intent or intrigue as Evans, or top contender Lyoto Machida, but I’ll still watch it.