CharlestonPhan
just a little cattywampus
There's several guys Sylvia could've fought, like Brandon Vera or Frank Mir. Not to mention the fact that if Silvia did beat Couture, it wouldn't have cemented anything further for him. They tried to make an interesting main bout, with little regard for the fall out, and lucky for them, it made waves. Even still, now your former #1 heavyweight is out of the picture and got embarrased...Randy is the Heavy Weight champ, yet he is inferior to the ufc light heavy weight champ...dropping 2 of 3 contests to Liddel...the organization is a tad bit jumbled, and the heavy wieght division remains a bit of a mess. I appreciate your try, but I still dont get why the ufc made this fight. a guy who lost 2 straight attempts at the light hvy weight title, gets a heavy weight title shot? LOL....and the s.o.b. wins it! this divison is in all sorts of hell....but i love Randy.
plus, things move too slowly in mma, cro-cop wont get several fights or attempts to rack up highlight reel ko's...the sport doesn't work that way. this couture/sylvia fight doesnt allow anything for cro-cop..he probably gets the winner, and wont rack up anything.
i don't understand how can you say beating Couture wouldn't have been huge for Tim Sylvia? it's not like the guy has been retired for 5 years, and was old and out of shape. be serious, neither Frank Mir or Brandon Vera vs Sylvia are going to get anyone to pay for a PPV. Randy Couture equals a high ppv buyrate. he is universally respected and loved. thats why they chose to make this fight. you may not think the sport works that way, but business does.
you are right about the HWT division being a jumbled mess. but if they do it the way you say and give Cro Cop the next title fight, they are costing themselves some big money in ppv buys from more casual fans. if they build up Cro Cop with a few fights in UFC, and let Rogan talk him up for awhile, that will equal more money. that's all i am saying.
i don't buy the notion that Sylvia is out of the picture permanently. embarrassed yes, but no more so than Matt Hughes and Rich Frankin were. and they are still very much in the picture in their weight classes.
there isn't enough HWT depth for Sylvia to be thrown under the bus by UFC just yet.