UFC 147: In the End Was It Worth Your PPV Dollar?

Simply put, UFC 147 was one of the weakest pay-per-view lineups in UFC history.

Many would agree that Friday night's UFC on FX 4 card was much better on paper, and it was free.

Fortunately for past UFC events, a weak lineup has never completely doomed a fight card. In some cases, the fighters rise to the occasion and actually surprise fans with stellar performances.

Could UFC 147 do the same?

The crushing reality is that UFC 147 was doomed from the start.

The only bouts fans generally cared about was the main-event rematch between beloved former champs Rich Franklin and Wanderlei Silva and the heavyweight tilt featuring Fabricio Werdum and Mike Russow.

As tough as it is to admit, names hold tremendous value in MMA, especially when you're asking a person to shell out 50 bucks an event. UFC 147 wasn't necessarily a bad fight card, but it was a tough event for fans to rally around and get emotionally invested in.

Outside of the pair of marquee bouts, the rest of the card felt much like watching prolonged Strikeforce prelims. It was a major event that greatly consisted of local talent getting an opportunity to compete on the big stage.

Despite doing its best to promote the event, the UFC had to be aware of the lack of overall excitement surrounding this fight card. During the UFC 146 pay-per-view, the promotion opted to jump ahead and start promoting UFC 148.

UFC 147 has only served to bridge the gap between the two.

In the end, the card certainly wasn't worth the money, unless you were lucky enough to have a few friends split the bill.

Fans can only hope this is the last time they'll be asked to pony up cash for a "The Ultimate Fighter Finale" disguised as a pay-per-view event.