Get Ben to the MGM Grand
Far be it from Milwaukee's second Ben (yours truly) to give advice to Milwaukee's first, but if Ben Askren is not in the MGM Grand Garden Arena for UFC 167 on Saturday night, then DeWayne Zinkin should be brought up on charges of managerial malpractice. UFC is in a down period. Talk about oversaturation or Fox Sports 1 or concussions all you want, but the reality is that the sport is cold because the big fights aren't as big. The stars are less shiny. The fights are less interesting. Fans can get excited when Nick Diaz goes crazy, but crazy only goes so far. UFC needs a matchup that is compelling. What is so compelling about Georges St. Pierre vs. Johny Hendricks? That Hendricks might land a big punch? That GSP might pound the tar out of him for twenty-five minutes? Big whoop. UFC has sold us that fight a hundred times. Maybe it would matter if GSP was the heel we wanted to see vanquished. But he isn't and it doesn't. What does matter is Ben Askren