The Duality of Mayweather vs Pacquiao and Saint-Pierre vs Silva

After dismantling the Tijuana Tornado with his usual flair and panache, Pac-Man served to further peak demand for this century's dream fight. The classic showdown the world wants to see more than anything else: Floyd Mayweather versus Manny Pacquiao.

Collectively, both fighters have dominated six divisions—super bantamweight (122 lbs.) to welter (147)—in unprecedented fashion over the past 10-plus years; Manny may set siege to yet another at 154 where he won his last fight. Mayweather is 41-0 (25 KO) and Pacquiao is 52-3 (38 KO). 

However, despite public pressure, mediators, infinite amounts of money, agreed upon testing, and intense demand, it appears this fight will not happen. Instead of these two mega stars fighting one another, they fight much lesser opponents.

Mayweather came out of a 21-month retirement to fight a much smaller 36-year-old Juan Manuel Marquez. Marquez, who had been fighting at 135 pounds, jumped up to an agreed catch weight—which Mayweather missed (Mayweather came in two pounds over at 146 pounds).  Mayweather then fought an aging Shane Mosley; Mosley was approaching 39 years old.
 
To his credit, Manny fights top guys and has made concessions to Floyd's demands and has done his part to make this dream a reality. Hopefully, Manny knows his legacy is contingent on vanquishing the unblemished  record of the Pretty Boy. This situation is indicative of what is wrong with boxing and vociferously speaks to boxing's macabre demise. The caveat is clear, make the fight happen or taint the sport and risk legitimacy.
 
Here are U.F.C. president Dana White's thoughts on this:

“The best example is, ‘How long have fight fans wanted to see Mayweather versus Pacquiao?’” White rhetorically asked. “Forever. That’s the fight everyone wants to see. That’s the fight I want to see and it’s just not happening. These guys are being offered crazy amounts of money and the fight just can’t be made."

White has also aptly made astute comments that boxing gives the fans the fights they don't want to see and attributes that to what is hindering the sport of boxing.
 
Many pundits agree wholehearted with Dana. Classic boxing fights that never were: V. Klitschko-Lewis II,  W. Klitschko-Lewis, James Toney-Roy Jones II, James Toney-Bernard Hopkins II, R. Bowe-Lennox Lewis, Sugar Ray-Hagler II etc.

Many fights did come to fruition, but when it was no longer relevant: Bernard Hopkins- Roy Jones II (both were in their 40s ), Tyson-Lewis (Tyson was in his mid 30s and well past his fighting prime). All of these factors, and PPV, have contributed to the great decline in boxing and bolstered the ascension of  MMA; specifically, the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
 
This season of the Ultimate Fighter is being marketed as "The perfect good guy verse the perfect bad boy. " One could argue that Manny Pacquiao, who is  a sitting Philippine congressman and adored by hundreds of millions across the globe, would better fit that bill with Mayweather—and his domestic abuse allegations—more aligned with the "bad boy" role.

Regardless, after an exciting season of the Ultimate Fighter, TUF coaches, G.S.P and Koscheck, shall meet in a highly anticipated battle on December 11/2010  while number one contender Jake Shields waits in the wings with the next shot at GSP. It was recently announced that B.J. Penn will face off against Jon Fitch (02/27) and that the winner will be awarded the subsequent title shot.

My first thought was the fact that this could potentially tie up Georges for his next three fights and obligate him until the end of 2011.  Conversely, the winner of Anderson Silva-  Vitor Belfort (02/2011) will fight Okami.

Sonnen has also been promised a rematch with Silva. These three fights, best case scenario, will be concluded by the end of 2011. Dismaying the general public with the delay or subtle declaration that no showdown will come between the top two rated pound-for-pounders in the world.

Historians will one day discuss the great rivalry between Canada and Brazil in terms of  Embraer and Bombardier, not Anderson and Saint-Pierre.
 
Georges'  fights will be against  contenders that he has already beat: Koscheck, Fitch, and Penn (twice) and newcomer Shields. The Cesar Gracie product has  fought only once in the UFC, winning via decision in pedestrian fashion against Martin Kampmann. Although the successful wrestler was the Strikeforce champion, there is little fan support behind him and no real zest to see him in this marquee matchup.

Find one person on the planet—even Jake himself—who would prefer to see that fight or the greatest selling fight in M.M.A. history between Silva and Saint-Pierre. In fact, there is marginal interest in  any of these pending encounters.  Fitch's fights are much maligned as boring and was completely proven inferior in their last confrontation.

When have you ever seen a scorecard like this: 50-43, 50-44, 50-44? Penn is 0-2 against the current champion and quit versus "Rush" in their last encounter. Nonetheless, the French-Canadian has his next three fights already determined; lamentably, with no Spider in sight.
 
In the 185 division, Vitor Belfort  fought previously in the UFC up until 2005 and since then has only one fight in the UFC (an impressive KO victory over Rich Franklin), but the fight was not even in the middle weight division.

Silva has his next three adversaries lined up: Belfort, Okami, and Sonnen; he will be 36 in April of 2011. By the time these three fights are completed, the Spider will be close to 37. Remember how well the second most famous spider, Charlotte, fared in her twilight months?

While obviously, it is not guaranteed that both fighters will win all of their scheduled title defenses; they will be heavy favourites and the fulcrum of this discourse is that they have been intentionally set on conflicting paths that lead to no eventual superfight, or in Dana's words on a sinuous path toward "the fights the fans don't want to see."
 
Here in MMA world, fans feel frustrated by two things: 1) they want to see Fedor fight in the UFC. 2) They want to see Anderson Silva fight Georges Saint-Pierre. According to the current U.F.C. schedule, this will not happen in the next year, at least.

Rumour has it Fedor is close to inking a new deal with Strikeforce and Dana continues to say he is against co-promotions, so it appears to be deja vu at the same time!  Do you as a fan feel disenfranchised? Would you consider the fact that the two best fighters in MMA are not fighting one another tantamount to the Mayweather-Pacquiao scenario?

Well, there will be great fights in 2011, no doubt. Dana will make the sport better, indubitably.  WEC star, and newly crowned UFC champion, Jose Aldo will shake the world, guaranteed. TUF will introduce new affable fighters. Jon Jones will amaze us.

Yet, I humbly beseech the president of the UFC to take heed of a pessimistic prognostication from a disheartened pugilism fan. Hear a longtime pundit's—Dana White's—assessment of boxing; lest he fall victim to his own warning. The fans have screamed and yearned for it, to no avail. Let's hope that Dana the President will listen to Dana the boxing fan.