by Oliver Saenz
The Short-Lived Glory Of “UFC On Versus”
The series didn’t last very long, but for the short time that it existed, “UFC On Versus” was my pick for the best UFC programming on television. With the gift of hindsight, I make the following bold claim: “UFC on Versus” should probably be considered the best “live fight” series the UFC has ever produced.
Just look at some of the names that were a central part of this series’ six-event run: Jon Jones, Junior dos Santos, Yushin Okami, Benson Henderson, and Dominick Cruz.
All five of those men have challenged for a UFC Championship, and every single one of them aside from Yushin Okami is currently a UFC Champion.
But it’s not just about the names: it’s about the moments. This series let us witness the ascension of Jon Jones. This series gave us Pat Barry vs. Cheick Kongo, which ended in what a lot of people (including me) think was the craziest comeback KO win in MMA history. We got to see Chris Lytle retire with his head held high after an awesome fight with Dan Hardy. We even got to see a non-PPV title fight!
It may have only lasted for six events, but “UFC On Versus” created a lot of memories and to this day it remains my benchmark that I compare all other “free TV” events to.
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