"Look at my face," flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson demanded of UFC announcer Joe Rogan after his five-round dismantling of challenger John Dodson on Saturday night at UFC 191. "I look prettier than a motherf--ker. And that's what technique gets you right there."
It was a telling statement, one that quite cogently divided the battle lines in the MMA world's constant war between sport and spectacle.
Johnson, without question, is one of the most skilled fighters in UFC history. His style is a dizzying combination of technical perfection and flawless tactics—the cerebral and the physical thrown together in a way few fighters can manage.
But, it turns out, many UFC fans aren't really interested in whether the sport's champions can emerge from a five-round fight looking "pretty." In fact, that's the polar opposite of their desires.
Johnson isn't for those fans. He can't be.
The problem?
They are legion.
Johnson's box-office fate matters, because it's a referendum on the sport itself, not just Johnson as an individual. Johnson represents MMAs future. Most fans, it seems, would rather stay in the present.
While the title fight did its best to rescue what was an incredibly dull main card, the UFC's continued expansion reflected in a collection of monotonous and uninspiring bouts. Looking at the card as a whole, we'll choose the five best and worst moments—the handful of things worth talking about on Twitter in the event's aftermath.
Want to extend the bout from five rounds into infinity? That's what the comments section is for. Make your voice heard.
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