UFC in 2015: 184 & 185

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UFC 193 takes place in Melbourne Australia this Saturday November 14. It’s one of the rare cards with two belts on the line but this time the main and co-main events feature the womens' divisions. Not only that but it will be held in Etihad stadium which can host 70,000 people. Both Ronda Rousey and Joanna Jedrzejczyk are undefeated and competed at UFC 184 and UFC 185 respectively.

UFC in 2015: 182 & 183

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As we close in on the final PPV events of the year, I got to thinking about how well 2015 has done so far. Compared to 2014, this year has done very well in terms of captivating interest and relevance in the UFC brand with the rise of Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey. A lot has gone on insideand outside of the cage for champions, contenders, and fan-favourites. Lets take a look back at what has transpired to make this year a fun year to be a fan of Mixed Martial Arts.

The Stick-in-the-Mud Division

So the Notorious is slinging insults at everyone. He’s the money fighter. Anyone on his cards should thank him for the limelight. Anyone who fights him should be thrilled for the opportunity.

Rowdey's Subjects Clamour for 2nd Place

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Ronda Rousey is one of the top draws of the UFC and the undisputed champion of the UFC Women's Bantamweight division. She recently won the Sports Illustrated's award for the world's most dominant athlete. Are there enough challenges for her in the UFC or is her ultimate challenge outside of her weight class?

UFC, Reebok, Fighters: A Love/Hate Triangle

17 days after the Reebok deal officially came into effect the vitriol towards the UFC and Reebok has been very heated. What is it about this deal that has fans and fighters so divisive in their views compared to the UFC and Reebok? Has the negative slant toward Reebok been fair considering the seemingly non-existent presence they have in how their sponsorship money is utilized? Is the deal indelibly flawed or has the UFC simply gone about the process in the wrong way?

Divisions to Watch: Bantamweight

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Dillashaw reacts to his victory over Renan Barao in their bantamweight championship bout

With the implementation of the women's Strawweight division the UFC now has 10 champions to participate in the ambitious 2015 goal of 45 events. I’d like to share my thoughts on what makes some weightclasses more thrilling then others. Which division is worth spending your valuable time and money on? Does technique and speed get your attention as demonstrated by the lighter weight classes? Do you like seeing titans clash in epic bloodbaths? Is there an absolute perfect harmony of elements you seek that is a blend of all things?

Opinion: The Answer's Questions

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Featherweight contender Frankie Edgar and BJ Penn

Former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar was bypassed as a standby in favour of Chad Mendes for a shot at the UFC Featherweight Interim title should champion Jose Aldo be unable to compete in 12 days on July 11. For Edgar this is a frustrating

Jose Aldo is gonna throw the fight – an MMA conspiracy theory (REVISED)

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Okay, so Jose Aldo has a time machine.  He went to the future and saw that he would be defeated so badly by McGregor that he would never be able to fight again, so he's decided to bail on this fight.  In the revised timeline, Aldo will still lose his belt to McGregor, but by a less devastation KO.  Stay tuned.

Jose Aldo wants two things – money, and the UFC fame that has so far eluded him.

The route to both of these goals is the same: Connor McGregor.

So his camp hatches a plan. Fake an injury. Make it sound really serious... say, something that puts him at a big disadvantage against McGregor, like a vulnerable rib. A target for McGregor’s knees and kicks.

Then when it comes time to check in with a UFC doctor, surprise surprise, the broken rib is actually just bruised. That’s fake-able, right? He could even have had people punch him enough to give him legitimate bruising.

Oh well, so the local doctors misdiagnosed it. Not broken. What a relief. What a complete surprise. Yes, of course Aldo is still stoked to fight. We’ll see you in the octagon.

Chad Mendes is lined up as an eleventh-hour replacement, but Aldo won’t need to sub anyone in. He’s fine. And now he’s established a solid gold excuse for losing. And he’s going to lose, because he’s going to throw the fight.

If Aldo is dethroned with a big asterisk, he continues the narrative. If anything, being willing to fight with such an injury, at least a spectre of a broken rib, means he’s tough and unwilling to back down. His brand improves. The outcry for an immediate rematch will be deafening.

Second time around, Aldo lets everything go. McGregor finally learns what the top rung is really like. The doubled earnings are just the beginning. If everything goes as planned, Aldo will be the UFC’s biggest star.

Or so he hopes.

Divisions to Watch: Featherweight

Champ Jose Aldo and title challenger Conor McGregor

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With the implementation of the women's Strawweight division the UFC now has 10 champions to participate in the ambitious 2015 goal of 45 events. I’d like to share my thoughts on what makes some weightclasses more thrilling then others. Which division is worth spending your valuable time and money on? Does technique and speed get your attention as demonstrated by the lighter weight classes? Do you like seeing titans clash in epic bloodbaths? Is there an absolute perfect harmony of elements you seek that is a blend of all things?

UFC 184 - Rousey & Everyone Else

Ronda Rousey at UFC 187 media day scrum

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Rousey needed only 14 seconds to get a straight arm-lock on Cat Zingano.  This submission happened 2 seconds quicker than her KO of Alexis Davis in her previous fight.  It was an amazing display of positional awareness and cunning use of what’s available to make the best of the situation.