Is The UFC 133 Fight Card the Most Cursed in History?

The UFC's return to Philadelphia has been anything but a smooth drive, to sugarcoat it.

If you don't want to sugarcoat it, UFC 133 has been infected with the I-Virus, not to be confused with the mind-scarring "T-Virus."

Resident Evil references aside, the I-Virus is very simply the plague of injuries that has caused some fights and a few fighters to pull out of action on the UFC 133 fight card.

Need any examples? Here's a few:

1. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira got injured, so a failed search for a replacement opponent caused Rich Franklin to pull out.

2. Phil Davis was forced to withdraw despite an injury that he was willing to fight through, so after a headache of a time with Lyoto Machida, Tito Ortiz stepped in to replace Davis, much like Davis stepped in to replace Tito when Rogerio was opponent-less for UFC Fight Night 24.

3. Jorge Rivera was left with no foe when an MRI showed a torn ACL which caused Alessio Sakara to pull out of their fight once again, making way for Constantinos Philippou.

4. Riki Fukuda suffered an injury to his left knee via a car accident, which forced him out of a bout against Rafael Natal, and Philippou originally replaced Fukuda, but chose to fight Rivera when Sakara got injured, making Paul Bradley the final choice to face Natal.

5. Matt Hamill stepped in for an injured Vladimir Matyushenko to face Alexander Gustaffson.

The card seems like it was cursed, and the fact that most folks expect a clear-cut win for now-co-headliner Vitor Belfort does not help matters.

However, is there any fairness in calling it the most cursed card in UFC history?

I wouldn't quite say such a thing exists at this point.

Sure, it's never good when a co-headliner gets scrapped and the main event changes up to something that makes it unappealing, but what of the more optimistic question pertaining to the card?

What about the brief moment when we stop thinking, "This card is going to suck more than a porn star on set"?

Maybe we think it will deep down, but what about that split second when we say, "Maybe it'll suck...but what if it doesn't suck at all?"

I mean, isn't that optimistic "what if?" question the whole reason why we watch the fight anyway?

If this card was so cursed, it would make sense that nobody except the people who paid for their tickets and Dana White would be the only ones watching, right?

The way I see it, some people still are asking the question of whether Ortiz really can defeat Evans, just as some are questioning if Mike Pyle can beat Rory MacDonald, and just as some are saying Rivera might be facing a stylistic mismatch in Philippou because of how well-versed Philippou is in the art of striking.

Now if the card was cursed, would that be happening?

I should say not.