While there has yet to be any official word on the topic, the word on the webs is that UFC 111 did pretty damn good last weekend.

From Wrestling Observer ,

Early cable estimates, and granted, anything this early in the week can be way off, indicate about 850,000 buys for UFC 111 on 3/27, putting it in the top six for UFC of all-time… Dana White didn’t give a number, but in an exchange of messages before we got any figures, he indicated being thrilled with the early estimates he had gotten and that it looked to be well above my prediction (700,000) going in. If this number holds up, it would be the largest since UFC 101 on 8/8.
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The number speaks volumes for St. Pierre as a drawing card, where he has to be now be considered No. 2 in the promotion.

Surprise 2x, the first card of the year with a belt on the line does exceedingly well. Granted I would still put 110 over 111 in regards to entertainment value. The fact remains that if you want both the hardcores and casuals to buy the cards, one of the champs has to defend his title. Now with the gypsy curse of 09 behind us and all of the champs feeling better and back to training, Zuffa can generate super card after super card…until it runs out of champs. Which brings me to one of my pre blog twitter rants, which I will (try to) keep short.

I still believe that Zuffa would be wise to add in the bantam and feather weight class’s and absorb the WEC fighters into the UFC then giving the WEC its heavier weight classes back and using it as a super farm league for upcoming fighters to test their skills against proven vets who may not be at UFC level anymore but are still too valuable to let another org have them. With 2 more belts and divisions it would give the organization more leverage with its ppv’s & counter programing of competitors. And since I am wishing big why not let the WEC add in some female divisions for the hell of it. I know Dana has gone on record with his views on FMMA not being his cup of tea and too talent deprived at the highest levels. But with more time and more visibility given to the sport that could change.

Despite the populous view of combat sports only being riveting when two giants slug it out, I think the smaller guys can carve out a niche . The UFC’s public relations team (and a season of TUF) given time can build hype & interest for mma’s lighter fighters at bantam (135lb) and featherweight (145lb) which are equivalent to boxing’s light and welterweight classes where the sports two biggest American stars reside at. If boxing can generate shock waves in the media with the indefinitely doomed Maywheather vs Pacquiao bout, imagine what the UFC could do when they continuously have the best fighters in the world face off, mind games, superstitions and fighter negations be damned.

While there were some fights of divisional importance between 107 and 111, there was definitely something missing from those cards. Bottom line Zuffa would benefit greatly if they were to add more divisions. People like title fights, it is the simplest contest of the best fighting the best. And with 7 champs (if they were to stay healthy and injury free) we could have a title fight if not every month every other month. Which would be a triumph for both fans and Zuffa.