The Savage Truth: The Flyweight Fiasco

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So, it looks like we’re destined for another reality show-vetted contender for a UFC title. I know, I know, Matt Serra knocked off Georges St. Pierre for the welterweight crown nine years ago in the most stunning upset our sport has ever seen. If you think there is more than the remotest of chances that happens again, let me be the first one to let you know that you can put that one to bed right now.

I get why they tried to do the comeback season of “The Ultimate Fighter” back in 2007, the show was still somewhat fresh and they were looking for ways to jazz it up a bit. It was a way to reintroduce fighters that fans had seen before, and who, with the expanding catalogue of shows, were needed to bring name recognition to the cards. They even got the added bonus of a guy who should have lost in the finals going on to defeat the world champion.

It was a once in a lifetime-type occurrence.

Flash forward to present day and “The Ultimate Fighter” of 2016. Season 20-whatever we’re on now and here comes this idea again. As you can probably tell, yeah, I have a few problems with it.

First off, you have a champion in Demetrious Johnson who, aside from possibly Jon Jones, is far-and-away the most dominant titleholder in the sport. He’s closing in on Anderson Silva’s record for UFC championship defenses and has laid waste to the entire flyweight division. He really is as good as it gets in mixed martial arts.

Now you’re going to tell me the best guy to fight him and compete for his title isn’t already in the top-5 in the division. How about guys like Joseph Benavidez and Henry Cejudo who are confirmed to be the coaches? I’m sure they’ll be thrilled to train some guys who aren’t even on their level to fight for the title against a guy who absolutely embarrassed them in their last cracks at him.

It seems like DJ was on the same page as me when he first heard about the potential plan in early April, you know, before he iced Cejudo in highlight-reel fashion in less than three minutes.

“That's super crazy. That's super odd,” said Johnson. “That's kind of f*cked up for all the other guys that have been in the division for a long time. I have to read that again, that's very odd. I'm confused a little bit, very confused."

I don’t want to say it devalues the title, especially for a guy like DJ who has worn the crown for so long and defended it in such dominant fashion, but I have to wonder what the real value is to the promotion if they don’t mind auctioning off a chance for it -- no matter how small that chance might be -- by winning a reality show. Maybe it’s the fact that Johnson has failed to connect with MMA fans on a level commensurate with his skills and accomplishments, maybe his lack of sales appeal in the pay-per-view market have left the powers that be with little hope for him as a draw, now or in the future. Maybe they feel this is like their last chance swing for the fences to get him over with at least some segment of the fan base.

I really don’t know what the thought process is, but seeing how awesome I think DJ is as a fighter and a person, I hope they’re right and successful.

However, I think there is a better way to get “Mighty Mouse” over. I’ve been saying it for a while now. I understand there are a lot of moving parts to the plan but hear me out again.

If Dominick Cruz gets by Urijah Faber as expected, book a super fight between the flyweight and bantamweight champions.

It’s a no-brainer.

There is the heat between the two since Cruz is the last man to knock off the flyweight champ. If he does it again he cements himself as one of the top fighters in the sport despite his long and painful injury history. If Johnson wins then you have your first champion to hold UFC belts in multiple divisions concurrently.

If your public relations team can’t work with that little tidbit then I’m guessing all hope is lost anyway.

Think about it: would you rather see the man many people view as the best all-around fighter in the sport fight a fellow champion who has a win against him in the bank or some up-and-coming fighter who won a reality show where he was coached by guys said champion had rolled up a combined three times already?

I knew you’d see it my way.

Sherdog.com Executive Editor Greg Savage can be reached by email or via Twitter @TheSavageTruth.