It’s a HUGE week for MMA. Even those who have criticized UFC 300 have to admit it’s a stacked card.
It’s hard to point to another card with a greater collection of talent within their prime years.
That isn’t to say it’s a bulletproof card – hence the criticisms -- but any complaint would have to be considered to be minor.
Given how I’m opening this article, it shouldn’t be surprising that I have a criticism to offer.
However, to be fair, it’s more of a criticism of the way the UFC does things in general as opposed to needling UFC 300.
It just so happened that my issue came about due to me looking up and down the UFC 300 card.
Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan is an absolutely phenomenal fight. I’m perfectly happy to see the winner be the next to challenge Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title, the manner in which the contest is being billed.
But it’s a three-round fight. A contest of this magnitude between this level of talent, I want to see them go at it for five rounds.
That isn’t the only fight on the card that I would have preferred to see a five-round contest. Jiri Prochazka vs. Aleksander Rakic is another potential title eliminator, so of course, I’d like to see that take place over five rounds.
Jessica Andrade and Marina Rodriguez could easily headline a Fight Night card, which would be a five-round contest.
Aljamain Sterling and Calvin Kattar is another one I’d circle for five rounds.
Even Jalin Turner and Renato Moicano could be a fun and worthy five-rounder.
I’m not making an argument for the UFC to make those contests five rounds.
UFC 300 already has three fights that are scheduled to be as much as five rounds; creating any more wouldn’t be wise.
After all, isn’t a frequent complaint of UFC cards in general be they tend to have too many fights on a single card as it is?
No need to extend the length of UFC 300 any further.
As I said, this is less of a criticism of UFC 300 and more of a general criticism. This is about the UFC’s lack of five-round fights outside of main events and title fights.
Granted, it wasn’t that long ago the UFC finally broke down in allowing five-round fights outside of main event and title fights, but they have been slow to utilize the stipulation.
There has been a total of seven non-title five-round fights outside of the main event since that stipulation was first implemented in June 2021. That’s just over two occurrences a year it is put into effect.
As far as I’m concerned, there have been far more fights that were scheduled for three rounds that I would have loved to see what would have happened with extra time.
I will give the UFC some leeway as there have been other contests that were scheduled to take place in that manner – Bobby Green and Dan Hooker were supposed to compete for five rounds before an injury to Hooker cancelled the contest in December – but it’s still a feature that has been underutilized.
Perhaps the UFC is turning over a new leaf as the year 2024 has already seen two such contests.
However, neither required the championship rounds as Brian Ortega and Dustin Poirier found the finishes of Yair Rodriguez and Benoit Saint-Denis respectively prior to the need of the extra rounds.
Regardless, I was happy to see those contests being afforded the extra time if needed. My reasoning for wanting to see more five-round fights isn’t limited to just my own personal aesthetic pleasure.
It’s beneficial for the fighters themselves in their career development. As fighters make their way up the ladder, it’s often the first time they have taken part in a 25-minute contest.
I acknowledge there is the occasional fighter who has gone that distance in a regional title contest, but winning a regional title is rarely a fighter’s goal anymore.
It’s usually to find the most immediate route to the big stage. Besides, just because they’ve been scheduled for championship rounds doesn’t mean they’ve fought championship rounds.
Given that, if I’m a fighter, the last thing I want is the first time I’m fighting 25 minutes to be in a title fight.
Perhaps that would have made the difference for Dominick Reyes in his conquest to overthrow Jon Jones. If he had previous experience in a five-round fight, he may have had a better idea of what the judges were looking for.
I understand he had previously prepared for a five-round contest as his bout with Chris Weidman was scheduled as such, but that never even left the first round.
It isn’t just five rounds either; it’s five rounds against a higher level of competition.
Five of the opponents in Demetrious Johnson’s record setting 11 consecutive title defenses had never fought into the championship rounds prior to stepping into the cage with Mighty Mouse.
However, only two of those had fought into the championship rounds in a UFC contest prior to facing Johnson; those having come in previous contests against Johnson.
Granted, Joseph Benavidez had gone the distance with Dominick Cruz in the WEC, but that’s still five opponents with a major disadvantage and nine still at a disadvantage of sorts.
I’m not attempting to belittle Johnson’s accomplishments at all; he’s an all-time great. Regardless, it’s hard to believe that wouldn’t have played a part in Johnson’s continued success.
Obviously, Johnson’s reign came to an end long before the UFC instituted the five- round non-title fight outside of the main event, but it does illustrate part of the reason it was a good idea to implement it in the first place.
In order for the policy to be utilized to its fullest potential, it will require the UFC to begin showing some love to divisions they tend to neglect.
Even though there’s been a chorus of criticism over the UFC’s insistence on heavyweight fights headlining cards – nobody wanted Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Shamil Gaziev to be a five-round fight – there doesn’t appear to be any desire on their part to change that tendency.
So how about shoring up the likes of flyweight and women’s bantamweight with five-round fights outside of the main event?
I know I won’t get any pushback with regards to flyweight.
Those who follow the sport at least casually would admit no division delivers the action fight for fight more than flyweight. No one would say no to 10 additional minutes of their contests.
But why women’s bantamweight? I admit it’s in a poor state, but isn’t it best to try to do something with what you’ve got rather than wait for the next Ronda Rousey to come around?
Miesha Tate may not be as marketable as she was a decade ago, but she still has some value. Her ability to go the distance and dig deep makes her a better five-round fighter than three-round fighter.
Why not maximize her abilities and have her test those inexperienced in five-round fights? Or those who came up short?
Tate testing Mayra Bueno Silva over five rounds makes a lot of sense to me, adding an extra layer of intrigue to make it a more interesting fight. It either revitalizes Tate or it proves Bueno Silva is capable of learning from past mistakes.
However, I know that isn’t much of a main event... but I can see that being a five round co-main on a Fight Night.
If Bobby Green and Dan Hooker warrants five rounds, why not Tate and Bueno Silva?
There’s always other fights in the not-too-distant past I can pull up that would have changed the dynamic had championship rounds been added to the mix.
Movsar Evloev and Arnold Allen easily could have been a Fight Night headliner. Instead, it was three rounds on UFC 297. That card wasn’t so stacked that it couldn’t have managed to have that fight become a five-rounder.
UFC 298 had two such fights that could have easily been enhanced by five rounds being advertised. Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa should have been a five-round fight. The same goes for Merab Dvalishvili and Henry Cejudo.
UFC 299 had the Poirier and Saint-Denis fight already, but there were at least two other fights that would have been outstanding Fight Night main events and four more fights beyond those that could have passed as main events.
I get not all of those should have been given five rounds, but could we have highlighted at least one more with extra rounds?
The UFC hasn’t been shy about booking three fights scheduled for five rounds in the last few years. UFC 300 this weekend is an example of that.
Why not make that the standard going forward?
There aren’t enough titles to go around for three title fights every card, but there is definitely enough talent to fulfill the idea of several five-round fights.
Then again, I also imagine fighters get a boost in pay to participate in five-round fights. Damn it. I think I may have just answered my own question as to why we don’t see more non-title five round fights outside the main event.
I dont have to admit anything. I shall continue to criticize this card as it's not worth the ever expanding price tag.
Great card anyway... I put $20 on a parlay... First time this year... $3256 possible payout... I'll probably lose the last fight like last time... haha!