Spike's "Countdown to UFC" Tapped Out a Long Time Ago.

Trees rustle in the wind, the crisp, cool, mountain air is the only taste the fighter has. He yearns for the smell of blood; the feeling of his opponents crumpling bone under his clinched fist. Until then, he runs up and down the mountain roads of Big Bear.

Tito Ortiz came from humble beginnings.. blah, blah, blah. Is anyone else laughing at Spike's attempt to rip off HBO's Emmy Award winning series, 24/7? Spike's "Countdown to UFC .." is ridiculous. Filled with cliches, and corny analogies, this series tapped out the minute it hit the airwaves.

If Spike truly wanted to vault the UFC to a status far above prized boxing matches it would pick and choose what matches it covered carefully.

We don't need a countdown show for a meaningless fight. I say meaningless because the "main event" of Tito Ortiz vs. Forrest Griffin is not a championship bout. It's not even a bout that will decide the challenger for Machida. Why are we paying 50.00 to see this again?

Don't get me wrong; I think Countdown has potential. My only suggestion is that they only cover marquee bouts. If they do that, then thier writers will have plenty of preparation to see if they can truly compete with thier counterparts at HBO's "24/7."

If you have never seen an episode of 24/7 then I would strongly recommend that you visit HBO.com/boxing, and watch the first episode of the Cotto/Paquiao series. It's free, and I guarantee you will automatically become not only a boxing fan, but an HBO fan as well.

My other suggestion would be for Countdown to take a different approach the months in between a title bout. They should follow a marquee fighter while they are training for their title bout that is months away.

How great would it be to have had a camera crew with Lesnar when he fell ill training for Carwin? How great would it have been had we seen Silva's reaction when the doctor told him he couldn't defend his title just yet.

If Spike truly wanted to be pioneers in documentaries, then they would think outside the box, and pick and choose who they follow. I swear, if I hear one more stupid analogy about Tito Ortiz running up a damn mountain then I just might pull the chute, and become a disgruntled boxing fan again.

As it is, I'm a disgruntled MMA fan hoping that a channel will step up and give the sport we love more attention, and better writing. Spike, if you're reading this, call HBO!