I'm going to be honest, I don't really understand this Henry Cejudo bait game.
The guy feels like he's been retired 5 years, but it's actually been 18 months. That's not a retirement, that's less than half a Dominick Cruz-type break. Miesha Tate retired for 5 years, and got a top job at another company.
Cejudo retired, then instantly started calling out top opponents for elite fights, and hasn't been given a single one.
What is he, Leona Lewis? Are we pretending that if he doesn't fight, his stock rises, he becomes a much-sought after diva? Does he get six dressing rooms and limited media time?
Are people really going to pay $75 to watch Cejudo fight someone on a PPV because he pretended to retire?
I'm not really sure this ploy is working, or interesting. He's giving off nothing but Dillon Danis vibes IMHO.
It's only paying $75 if you don't have any friends.
Either way I believe that the $75 is ridiculousness.
I personally thought it was bullshit when they went up from $50, and then the ESPN+ fiasco.
I know that the UFC/MMA is bigger than ever, but for those of us that have been watching forever, all this feels like a kick in the balls.
PRIDE used to be $29.99 and I don't recall a single time I felt like they fucked us over with a shit card.
Over the last few years I have watched some PPVs from the UFC and thought...really?
I don't think they understand that they'll never atop the streamers, and if anything they are going to make streaming them more prevalent.
Why should I support a product that shits on the fans that have carried their funky asses to where they are today?
It's not like they are outting that extra money in the fighters pockets or production value.
They stripped the entire production down to nothing, put the guys in welfare clothes, stripped the personality just so THEY make more money.
I never seen ARI or DANA taking Edson Barbosa spinning wheel kicks to the fuckin dome...now that I'd pay $75 to see.
The whole thing is super fuckin frustrating, makes you not wanna watch the shit at all.
Greed in MMA will ruin this sport like it has to ever other one.
Bring me back to the days when nobody knew about it, except the people that did.
Sorry about the rant.