UFC 75: A Quick Preview

I'll give my major preview to the upcoming event later this week, but I though it would be worth starting off on early, since it's going to be a big event. It's the first title fight outside of the United States in a long time, and it's going to be the first title fight broadcast Free on Spike TV.

I should probably say first that Quinton Jackson vs Dan Henderson was a momentous matchup anyway. It was the first fight (hopefully the first of many) to unify a UFC belt and a PRIDE belt.

Henderson, who holds the PRIDE 205 pound and 185 pound titles, has been fighting overseas for a long time. When he signed with the UFC it was called into question whether he would get a title shot straight away. After Quinton Jackson, a former competitor in the PRIDE division that Henderson champions, defeated Chuck Liddell to take the UFC 205 pound title, it made sense that Henderson should get a title shot.

While many people think that over seas stars should get a warm up fight in the Octagon, it doesn't make sense for a guy with a belt. There are too many logistical problems.

Does the fight become a title fight?

Does his opponent have to earn the right to be a contender for his belt?

How does someone earn the right to fight for a belt in a division they don't belong to?

There are just too many issues (and if the incoming fighter loses his debut the consquences are really problematic).

Jackson v Henderson is a matchup that is interesting, because Jackson was dominated thoroughly by two of the top PRIDE 205ers, Wanderlei Silva and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (both have signed contracts with the UFC). Henderson defeated Silva for the title very recently, and this will be his first title coming into a fight as the PRIDE champion at 205 pounds.

There is definitely some extra pressure on Henderson, as he is the only fighter in the world to hold 2 belts in a major organization, and alot of people are wondering what will happen if he defeats Jackson to become the unified champion at 205. He could fight a challenger at 205 or he could drop down to 185 to unify the UFC and PRIDE titles in that weight class. Either way, there are going to be people who disagree with the move, but either way, it's going to make for an exciting matchup.

If Jackson wins, he will move up a spot in the lightheavyweight rankings where he is currently hanging between number 3 and 4, close to tied with former PRIDE 205 pound champion Silva (Silva is returning to the UFC after two very tough losses to heavyweight Mirko "CroCop" Filipovic and Henderson).

Jackson currently tails Shogun and Henderson in most rankings, so defeating Henderson will move him into the undisputed #2 spot and give him the chance to fight Rua soon, as Rua may be considered a #1 contender once he has made his UFC debut at UFC 76.

Both fighters have a belt to lose and a belt to gain, and they know that they are a week away from making MMA history. The best part is that I'm not going to have to pay to watch it.