[bears9]

There’s a hodgepodge of items in today’s MMA Insider column for the Dayton Daily News, including a quick look at UFC 82’s Andrei Arlovski vs. Jake O’Brien fight that could be finalized as early as today

If the broadcast does indeed include five fights for UFC 82, and assuming the rumored fight card doesn’t change much more, one of these six fighters won’t get guaranteed TV time: Anderson Silva, Jon Fitch, Josh Koscheck, Diego Sanchez, Andrei Arlovski or Cheick Kongo.

Obviously, Silva (who fights Dan Henderson in the night’s main event) is a lock. Assuming the UFC finds a new opponent for Fitch, he, too, would have to be a guaranteed addition (if you’re 7-0 in the UFC, you’re going to get TV time; it’s as simple as that). Additionally, I just can’t imagine the UFC not putting Koscheck and Sanchez — TV stars with widespread appeal — on the main card. Although Sanchez has lost back-to-back fights, he’s never been on a UFC preliminary card, and in fact, he’s actually headlined three events. The same goes for Koscheck; he’s always a main-card fighter, and since he’s fighting an up-and-comer who just happens to be a local guy (Dustin Hazelett), it’s hard to imagine them not getting TV time.

So, I think it comes down to two fights: Arlovski vs. O’Brien, or Kongo vs. Heath Herring.


Dayton Daily News MMA Insider: UFC 82 Too Full of Talent? -- MMAjunkie.com