Ultimate Fighting Championship is not what it used to be. Remember the days when the anticipation for fights was almost as much fun as watching the fight itself? Not so anymore, with the letdown of the vaunted Tito Ortiz vs. Ken Shamrock “showdown” that wasted an entire UFC Ultimate Fighter season with spiritless taunts over a fight no one cared about to begin with.

These so-called “Bitter Rivals” that were so hyped over the past year turned out to be nothing more than a blip on the larger UFC radar. One minute and 18 seconds of a fight is hardly worth waiting an entire season to see, especially when it is ended on an extremely questionable TKO. Not that that is disrespect towards Tito Ortiz or Ken Shamrock; in fact, far from it. These fighters represent to the core all the discipline and training that makes the best UFC combatants, but when they are forced into a manufactured rematch bout when they are so clearly mismatched in order to capitalize on an alleged “rivalry”, one has to wonder if promoters (you know who you are) are more interested in selling tickets, pay-per-view spots, and merchandise than putting on a well rounded fight for the enjoyment of UFC fans everywhere.

UFC is not the WWF, or WWE, or whatever those clowns in spandex and face paint call themselves these days. UFC is about pushing yourself and your fighting skills to the limits, and earning the respect of not only your fans, but yourself as well. Everyone knew that Tito was younger, faster, and stronger than Ken, and of course the fight would be over almost before it was started. And it was, much to the dismay of the fans who spent upwards of $40 dollars for the privilege.

Building a stick house on a pile of sand is no way to ensure the popularity of one the fastest-growing sports in the world, and when the most exciting aspect of a hyped fight are the comments made by Dana White ( Wanderlei Silva vs Chuck Liddell), you know something is severely wrong. Remember the days when boxing matches were over after 45 seconds in the first round? Boxing has never truly recovered from those debacles. Spare your fans these artificial fights that destroy the credibility of UFC as a real sports event. Don’t insult our intelligence, and we will reward you with continued interest and dedication.