FanPost

Carano: The impossible sell.

I'll keep my own views on Carano out of this. From an observation perspective, the loyal long time UFC and MMA fans are not going to be sold on how the immediate title match makes sense. Further, the UFC fighters themselves may have some pretty strong feelings of disagreement, but those feelings will never be made public.

Dana White is selling us that the fight makes sense and he would put an immediate title match on between Carano vs. Rousey. The fight makes complete sense from a mainstream and business perspective. People with a lighter knowledge will see champion vs. champion and will be swept up into it.

I'm suggesting the long time MMA fans will see this fight for what it is. I have a hard time believing that all the negative comments all over the MMA websites is going to switch over at some point. If the marketing machine starts, I don't believe that the hardcore fans will change over. I don't believe the fighters on the UFC roster will be thrilled with it either. If anything, it will be educational for the current fighters to see how to make a payday in MMA. If you have star power, things happen. Fairness and what's right doesn't always synch with the best business decisions. Heck, title shots before have been granted when they didn't stand up to the fairness meter.

Selling this fight to fans for Dana White will be a huge test of his talents. It unfortunately will open the door for future criticism and complaints. We can't talk about ring rust now can we? If fighters are out of action from injury for an extended period of time they lose their belts. Things happen. The passage of time can't be ignored. Carano has been out for years and years. Further, it just came out that she never really had real training camps back then. If that's the case, what type of skill set was she able to establish?

If the fight is great, then people can eat humble pie. If the fight ends in 30 seconds, then what? It's high risk for the UFC in terms of credibility. The fight has to deliver. If it does then Dana White has full right to deliver the middle finger to all the doubters out there. Even if the fight looks like a primed fighter vs. has been fighter, life goes on for the UFC. The brand was able to capture more mainstream eyeballs for the event and at the end of the day, that's good for business. Hardcore fans might come to the realization that the UFC is more than sport. It's a business first and foremost.

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