If MMA Had a Super Bowl it Would look Like This
This Sunday the biggest sporting event in the United States will take place as the Green Bay Packer and Pittsburgh Steelers will compete in the 45th Super Bowl. The Super Bowl is the single most bet upon sporting event of the year and is watched by nearly 100 million viewers. The Super Bowl is the day the best team from the NFC faces the best team from the AFC and when it’s all said and done there is no doubt who is the best in the NFL.
For MMA both the fighters and the fans have consistently wondered just who is the absolute best at each weight class, but that question has lone gone unanswered. Talk of cross promoting to match up the champions from the big organizations has been brought up a million and one times, but politics gets in the way and you get what we have currently.
Imagine a Super Bowl of Mixed Martial Arts where all the champions would fight to see just who the best really is. Their respective belts wouldn’t be on the line in the fight, instead there would be a championship trophy that would go to the winners. The trophy would be called the “Royce Gracie Trophy” and in each fight where the two champions are opposing each other, the winner will be awarded the trophy and would be considered the best at his weight class.
The fighters and promotions involved would be paid from the money generated by the ticket sales, advertising, commercials and the PPV costs (unless a network paid to air it). The prices for all this would be higher than a typical event, just like it is at the Super Bowl. Plus since its MMA, there would be an undercard that only fans attending will get to see, followed by the main card that will air live. There would also be a DVD / Blue Ray of the event showing the complete card, behind the scenes footage and special features, for those who missed the undercard fights or wish to re-live the magic.
Announcing this mega event would be none other than Joe Rogan and Michael Schiavello, with a third person (to be determined) working alongside Rogan and Schiavello, as well as heading back stage to interview the fighters.
The event would appeal to every MMA fan, from the hardcore and diehard fans to the casual fans that don’t know what a kamura is. You can bet every news outlet from across the world would be covering the event, which would be held in a neutral location that would be determined based on logistics.
Here is what the fight card might look like, barring any late injuries or unexpected title changes along with the early betting line.
Main Card
Heavyweight Championship: Cain Velasquez (UFC) vs. Alistair Overeem (Strikeforce)
Betting line – Velasquez [-205] vs. Overeem [+165]
Welterweight Championship: Georges St. Pierre (UFC) vs. Nick Diaz (Strikeforce)
Betting line – Pierre [-385] vs. Diaz [+250]
Middleweight Championship: Anderson Silva (UFC) vs. Hector Lombard (Bellator)
Betting line – Silva [-180] vs. Lombard [+150]
Lightweight Championship: Frankie Edgar (UFC) vs. Gilbert Melendez (Strikeforce)
Betting line – Edgar [+115] vs. Melendez [-145]
Featherweight Championship: Jose Aldo (UFC) vs. Hatsu Hioki (Sengoku)
Betting line – Aldo [-500] vs. Hioki [+300]
Undercard (Not televised)
Special Attraction Bout: Fedor Emelianenko (Strikeforce) vs. Randy Couture (UFC)
Betting line – Emelianenko [-125] vs. Couture [-105]
Light Heavyweight Championship: Shogun Rua (UFC) vs. Rafael Cavalcante (Strikeforce)
Betting line – Rua [-300] vs. Cavalcante [+240]
Special Attraction Bout: Jacare Souza (Strikeforce) vs. Jorge Santiago (Sengoku)
Betting line – Souza [-140] vs. Santiago [+110]
Special Attraction Bout: Eddie Alvarez (Bellator) vs. Anthony Pettis (UFC)
Betting line – Alvarez [-331] vs. Pettis [+289]
Special Attraction Bout: Dominick Cruz (UFC) vs. Urijah Faber (UFC)
Betting line – Cruz [+115] vs. Faber [-145]
Special Attraction Bout: Brock Lesnar (UFC) vs. Shane Carwin (UFC)
Betting line – Lesnar [-225] vs. Carwin [+185]
Special Attraction Bout: Robbie Lawler (Strikeforce) vs. Chris Leben (UFC)
Betting line – Lawler [-120] vs. Leben [even]
disclaimer: If you need to read this disclaimer you are most likely not an MMA fan, but this is “what if” article and not factual. The matchup and betting lines were all made up in the context of a hypothetical event.
About the Author (Author Profile)
My brain child is MMAValor, something I had wanted to do for a long time and finally it’s here. Been an MMA fan since TUF season one (play catch up all the time) and the obsession started to grow like a weed and as the sport grows so does the love for the sport. I’m a jack of all trades, a very organized person that rides an emotional roller coaster daily.Subscribe
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to receive more just like it.
WOW, that would be a hell of a card. Some day there will be such card.. :D
Having Fedor as an unaired bout is both idiotic, and wouldn’t draw in the cash as much as it would if he and Randy were on the card as a catch-weight bout, that was aired with the rest.
@Undecided
Maybe if enough people comment we’ll put this fight on facebook or on the ION Network.
@ Undecided:
Ya I would have to agree, STUPIDDD STUUPID AS STUPID CAN GET