UFC 132 Is a Weak Card: A Look Back at the Last 5 UFC 4th of July Events

Along with my crazy neighbors, the Ultimate Fighting Championship normally reserves their best fireworks for every 4th of July Weekend.  This year however, the UFC appears to only be bringing out the sparklers with UFC 132: Cruz vs. Faber II.  From top to bottom the card is not bad but it isn't what the fans have come to expect from matchmaker Joe Silva.

The main event consists of a rematch between Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber.  The UFC is taking somewhat of a risk billing this matchup as the "moment we have all been waiting for" on this holiday.

Sure, Cruz and Faber have had tremendous success in the WEC but they have a combined one fight between them in the Octagon.  The casual fan is not aware of Dominick Cruz despite his 17-1 pro record.

The rest of the main card consists of a middleweight fight between Wanderlei Silva and Chris Leben that's been booked about three years too late.  A changing of the guard match between Tito Ortiz and Ryan Bader has "unanimous decision" written all over it.  Carlos Condit vs. Dong Hyun Kim could become a matchup of the best you've never heard of for the casual observer.  Rounding out the main card is Lightweights Dennis Siver and Matt Wiman 

I am not telling you how to spend your money.  With it being the 4th of July Weekend you might order UFC 132 and have some friends over to enjoy the action.  But if you revisit the last five UFC Independence Day cards you will turn off that cable box and grab the car keys to catch the fight at your local bar instead.    

UFC 116: Lesnar vs. Carwin July 3rd, 2010

Featuring two Fight of the Night awards, a slam KO that won Knockout of the Night, and Brock Lesnar of all people winning Submission of the Night (yes, really), UFC 116 had everything a fan could ask for in a 4th of July pay-per-view.

With a main event pitting Heavyweight Champ Brock Lesnar against Interim Champion Shane Carwin the rest of the fights were just gravy after that.  Nevertheless, the fights prior to the main event did not disappoint with seven total finishes, four coming during the live pay-per-view.  

Throw in a slam that resulted in a knockout by Gerald Harris, still one of the most innovative ways to knock an opponent unconscious, and you've got yourself a classic UFC fight card. 

UFC 100 July 11th, 2009

Two of the most popular figures in MMA at the time were ready to celebrate Independence Day (albeit a little late) at UFC 100.

Yes, both Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar and Welterweight Kingpin Georges St-Pierre defended their belts against some stiff competition.  Brock bested rival Frank Mir, the man who defeated him in his first UFC bout, while GSP took care of Muay Thai specialist Thiago Alves.  The preliminary card even showed us a glimpse into the future as Jon Jones submitted Jake O'Brien.

Not to be forgotten is the brutal knockout of Michael Bisping by Dan Henderson and the follow up right hand.  Someone must have failed to mention to Hendo that we were freed from British rule over 300 years ago.   

UFC 86: Jackson vs. Griffin July 5th, 2008

Coming off of the biggest wins of their careers, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson squared off against the UFC's Golden Boy for the Light Heavyweight Title at UFC 86.    

Rampage would go on to lose his belt to Forrest Griffin via razor thin decision in a very competitive fight.  A bout that was truly a toss up, Griffin rode his effective leg kicks all the way to the championship.  The main event was one of three decisions during the live pay-per-view. 

In fact, all four preliminary fights ended up in a KO or submission while only one out of five fights on the main card resulted in a finish.  Still, Melvin Guillard's KO of Dennis Siver was well worth the wait for those who caught the fight after the main event. 

UFC 73: Stacked July 7th, 2007

With two title fights, a budding rivalry, and the UFC debut of "Big Nog," UFC 73 was one of the most hyped cards in MMA history.  The immense hype along with the title of "Stacked" never translated into great fights however.

Starting with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira coming back to life three separate times against Heath Herring, the night sure looked primed for entertainment.  Then came the five-round snooze fest that was Sean Sherk vs. Hermes Franca for the Lightweight Title.  If you happened to stay awake you were able to see a draw that fueled a championship run for one man while effectively ending the other's.

In the months leading up to their fight, Tito Ortiz and Rashad Evans became embroiled in a feud that divided fans. The fight itself left much to be desired as Tito was deducted a point for grabbing the fence, a huge mistake that resulted in a draw.  Ortiz has not won a bout since while Evans went on to become the Light Heavyweight Champion.

If not for KO's by Anderson Silva and Kenny Florian, this card would have been an enormous flop. 

UFC 61: Bitter Rivals July 8th, 2006

While UFC 73 was one of the worst titled cards in UFC history, UFC 61 has to be one of the best.  "Bitter Rivals" featured a trilogy fight of Tim Sylvia vs. Andrei Arlovski and the long anticipated rematch of Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock.  However, this card will forever be marred by an early stoppage at the hands of referee Herb Dean.

Starting off the night was one of the bloodiest fights I've ever seen in Joe Stevenson vs. Yves Edwards.  An early Stevenson elbow opened up a cut on the forehead of Edwards and the blood began to spew.  Despite the heart of Edwards, the fight was stopped by the ringside doctor at the end of round two.

The co-main event showcased two men who we all loved to watch hate each other: Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock.  Luckily for us fans, the genius that is Dana White had Ortiz and Shamrock coach opposing teams during the third season of the Ultimate Fighter.  Despite all of the anticipation, the verbal altercations on the show between Tito and Ken were more entertaining than their one sided rematch that was cut short by premature referee stoppage.

A Sylvia-Arlovski rubber match featured two fighters who were quite frankly afraid to get knocked out.  In their two previous matches, both men alternated highlight reel finishes.  Their third fight ended in a unanimous decision victory for Tim Sylvia.