For the first time since the deal with FOX began, the UFC got exactly what it needed from all its main card fighters: action. It couldn’t have come at a better time.



Like a slumping baseball team trying to make it through the summer, the UFC limped into Los Angeles on the heels of the company’s worst pay-per-view event in recent memory. Soon it found itself struggling to hype up a network fight card opposite the TV goliath that is the Olympics, and without the aid of a title fight or a crossover star. The solution? Just declare the main event to be a number one contender bout. Instant high stakes. Except when that idea prompted a swift and vocal public backlash, the UFC needed a plan B.

This is how we arrived at a fight night where the top four competitors on the card were told that they not only needed to win, but win impressively. They fought like they got the message loud and clear. So did the other four guys on the FOX broadcast, who had nothing more to gain than the usual promise of paychecks and bonuses. The end result was the best single night of MMA action that the UFC has put forth on FOX, and right when it needed it most.



As UFC president Dana White pointed out in post-fight remarks, some nights are always going to be better than others when you’re in the business of live, unscripted combat. Obviously the UFC believes it can coax out a few more good nights with the promise of money, career opportunities, or both. On Saturday night, that plan worked perfectly. I just can’t help but wonder if that's always going to be such a good thing.



For instance, take Ryan Bader. Even White expressed surprised that the former All-American wrestler didn’t shoot for a single takedown against karate master Lyoto Machida. After getting soundly outstruck in the first frame, his solution in the second was to charge forward in kamikaze fashion -- directly into one of Machida’s right hands.



"I think Bader wanted to try and knock him out," White told reporters following the post-fight press conference.



Can you blame him? He’d been told just a few days earlier that he could earn an instant title shot if he notched the "most impressive" win. As he told me when I spoke to him on the week of the fight, "I think ultimately the fans want to see knockouts. You think you’ve got to go out and knock someone out for it to be an impressive win."



So Bader went looking for the knockout against Machida, and he found it. Unfortunately for him, he was the one waking up on his back when it was all over.



It’s a strange thing to put into an athlete’s mind, to tell him that victory alone isn’t enough. It’s not something that happens in most other sports. If you win the World Series with low-scoring pitching duels, your fans aren’t going to complain that it wasn’t enough fun to watch, just like the commissioner isn't going to encourage you to try and hit more home runs next year. But professional fighting is all about putting butts in seats, and it always has been. Telling fighters to do their part to sell tickets seems both realistic and reasonable, but it also seems like a tactic that can’t help but encourage some modes of fighting while discouraging others.



Is that necessarily a bad thing? I’m not so sure. Fans put that pressure on fighters as it is. Anyone who’s ever heard the boos start up as soon as fighters get stalled in a clinch knows that the paying public is not shy about voicing its displeasure. Fans want action, promoters want to please fans, and fighters want to please both promoters and fans. It’s a simple little ecosystem that develops all on its own. At the same time, a fighter like Bader had to know that wrestling his way to a decision win wouldn’t get him a title shot, regardless of whether it was his best chance for victory.



I don’t want to overstate the case here, since for all I know Bader might have fought the exact same fight without the title shot sweepstakes hanging over his head. And Brandon Vera, who redeemed himself and reignited his career even in defeat against Mauricio Rua? He almost certainly would have fought just as hard with or without the potential to earn a crack at the belt. Plus, there’s Mike Swick and DaMarques Johnson, as well as Joe Lauzon and Jamie Varner, all of whom put on gutsy performances without any extra motivation to entertain.



But it’s still worth asking ourselves what we do to the sport when we put too much pressure on fighters to be entertainers. If the end result is a night like the one the UFC had on Saturday, it’s hard to complain. Remember the UFC on FOX 2 back in January, when the UFC took heat for loading the card with wrestlers who turned in one lackluster decision after another? Back then we said that the UFC needed more exciting fights to lure new fans, so how can we possibly complain when an event delivers exactly what we asked for?



We can’t, or at least we probably shouldn’t. But we should also at least be aware that what makes this sport so fun and unpredictable is the same thing that makes it at times infuriating and confounding, and that’s the strange alchemy that happens when two fighters of varying backgrounds and skill sets get together to try and figure out who has the winning recipe. Some nights the process will be more fun to watch than others, but we should be careful about pushing for any sort of homogenization purely for the sake of entertainment. We might get what we ask for, but we might not be so happy with what we do to our sport over the long haul.

Grid View UFC on FOX 4 Photos Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua and Brandon Vera slug it out during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua enters the cage during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua walks into the Octagon during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Shogun works ground and pound on Brandon Vera during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Shogun lands a hard right hand on Brandon Vera during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Shogun Rua fires a knee to the face of Brandon Vera during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Brandon Vera lands punches on Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Brandon Vera eats a right hook from Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Brandon Vera fires a left hand to Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua's face during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua fires punches on the ground during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Brandon Vera walks back to his corner between rounds during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua lands a left hand on Brandon Vera during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Referee Herb Dean pulls Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua off of Brandon Vera during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua walks away after beating Ryan Bader during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua is declared the winner during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Brandon Vera during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua talks to Joe Rogan during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Brandon Vera looks dejected during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Terry Crews applauds the action of the fights during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Lyoto Machida finishes off Ryan Bader during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Ryan Bader enters the cage during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Lyoto Machida enters the cage during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Fans cheer for Lyoto Machida during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Lyoto Machida lands a body kick on Ryan Bader during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Lyoto Machida between rounds during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Lyoto Machida gets out of the way of a kick from Ryan Bader during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Referee 'Big' John McCarthy pulls Lyoto Machida off of Ryan Bader during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Lyoto Machida bows after stopping Ryan Bader during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Lyoto Machida celebrates his victory during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Lyoto Machida is declared the winner during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Lyoto Machida raises his hand in victory during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Lyoto Machida poses for the cameras with his team during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Jamie Varner cracks Joe Lauzon during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Joe Lauzon enters the cage during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Jamie Varner stretches during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Jamie Varner attempts a body shot on Joe Lauzon during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Jamie Varner fires a jab at Joe Lauzon during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Jamie Varner rears back to punch Joe Lauzon during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Jamie Varner and Joe Lauzon exchange strkes during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Joe Lauzon throws a right hook at Jamie Varner during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Joe Lauzon locks up a triangle choke on Jamie Varner during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Joe Lauzon celebrates after Jamie Varner taps out during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Joe Lauzon raises his hands in victory over Jamie Varner during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Mike Swick blasts DaMarques Johnson during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Mike Swick enters the cage during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Mike Swick gets checked by the commission before entering the cage during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Mike Swick lands a hard right hand on DaMarques Johnson during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Mike Swick misses with a punch against DaMarques Johnson during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos DaMarques Johnson attempts to choke Mike Swick during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Mike Swick puts DaMarques Johnon to sleep during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Mike Swick celebrates his victory over DaMarques Johnson atop the Octagon during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos DaMarques Johnson is attended to by the officiating crew during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos A dejected DaMarques Johnson during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Mike Swick screams in happiness during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Mike Swick poses for the camera with his coaches during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.



UFC on FOX 4 Photos Nam Phan throws a right hand at Cole Miller during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Cole Miller during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Nam Pham lands a jab on Cole Miller during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Nam Phan and Cole Miller exchange strikes during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Cole Miller's right hook finds the mark on Nam Phan during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Nam Phan drives a body shot to Cole Miller's stomach during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Nam Phan between rounds during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Nam Phan catches a kick from Cole Miller during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Nam Phan is declared the winner over Cole Miller during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Nam Phan celebrates his victory over Cole Miller during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Nam Phan enjoys his winning moment during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Wagner Prado gets emotional after his fight is stopped against Phil Davis during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Phil Davis makes his way to the Octagon during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Wagner Prado drills Phil Davis during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Wagner Prado winces after getting poked in the eye during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX Photos The Phil Davis vs. Wagner Prado fight is ruled a no-decision during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Josh Grispi drills Rani Yahya with a knee during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Rani Yahya submits Josh Grispi via north-south choke during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Rani Yahya celebrates his decision win during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Phil De Fries makes his way to the Octagon during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Phil De Fries punches Oli Thompson during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Phil De Fries knocks down Oli Thompson during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Phil De Fries tries to finish Oli Thompson during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Phil De Fries celebrates his submission win over Oli Thompson during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Phil De Fries celebrates his submission win over Oli Thompson during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Michihiro Omigawa knocks down Manny Gamburyan during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Manny Gamburyan tries to kick Michihiro Omigawa in the head during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Michihiro Omigawa punches Manny Gamburyan during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Manny Gamburyan tries to take down Michihiro Omigawa during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos Manny Gamburyan kicks Michihiro Omigawa in the head during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos John Maroga kicks Ulysses Gomez during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos John Maroga drops Ulysses Gomez during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos John Maroga celebrates his knockout win over Ulysses Gomez during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos John Maroga celebrates his knockout win over Ulysses Gomez during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.

UFC on FOX 4 Photos A shot of the crowd during UFC on FOX 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 2012.



