Lull in the landscape?

Is it just me or are the big leagues in a bit of funk as of late? Let's examine the up and coming UFC title fights by weight class.

At 155 we have a rematch of what was a complete snoozer in BJ Penn vs Frankie Edgar II. Nobody was excited for this bout the first time around, and even BJ looking to exact revenge does not have me writhing in anticipation for the rematch.

At 170 there is a rematch between GSP and Josh Koscheck. I honestly don't see a different outcome from the first encounter, but at least the season of Tuf should entertain. Two guys who can be known to keep it safe...hmmm, not super excited for this one.

At 185 I do believe Anderson Silva will have his hands full with Chael Sonnen, but I'm not sure how exciting it will be given Anderson's track record as of late. Sonnen was very impressive vs Okami and Marquardt. I believe he deserves his shot, but even if he pulls the upset, he will only be Anderson's krytonite, and I'm sure he could be toppled by other contenders in the division. Even with Chael's penchant for ludicrous shit talk, I'm not looking very forward to this fight immensely.

205 Rashad vs Shogun for the strap. I'm hoping Shogun blows through Rashad, but you absolutely can't count the kid from Niagra Falls out. He has proven detractors wrong on too many occassions. I just don't see the intrigue with this fight.

Heavyweight will be the battle of the bulge with Lesnar and Carwin. From a purely aesthetic perspective this fight is actually pleasing. Two massive titans with athleticism and power going at it will provide spectacle. I'm sure it will sell well, and I admit to intrigue. However, the fight that would actually mean something and provide a great backdrop story at heavy weight would be Junior Dos Santos and Cain Valesquez. The apprentice trying to avenge the master would reflect the Hughes vs Newton after Newton vs. Miletich fight. While perhaps not as big a seller, this is the bout that would answer more questions for me.

Strikeforce, in my opinion really can't even be on the map as far as truly meaningful fights are concerned. While excited for Fedor vs. Werdum, I just have a hard time taking the promotion seriously when Fedor is not holding the strap or fighting for it. It makes little to no sense. I will say that the fights between Strikeforce and Dream champs were very interesting and exciting though. At least there was promotional superiority on the line.

I suppose the fight I am most looking forward to involved two amazing athletes who are leading men within their primary bases of combat. Ben Askren vs Dan Hornbuckle is for the Bellator title at WW and the clash of styles being represented in the fight is highly interesting. If Askren pulls this fight off, his stock is going to skyrocket. I'll be pulling for him, but won't be the least bit surprised if the seasoned Hornbuckle hands the greener fighter the 1 in the "L" column.

Hopefully, the landscape will shift soon and the lackluster affairs will bring with them room to create new exciting matchups and stories to fill the MMA forum boards and websites. Even during the lulls, mma is still more exciting than any other sport on the face of the planet!