The heftiest prize in the fighting world always has been the heavyweight championship. Traditionally, the glamour and glitz grow in proportion to the pugilist.
So it looked like we had something special on our hands this coming weekend when the new champ, Fabricio Werdum, was scheduled to face the man he dethroned via chokeout last June, Cain Velasquez. But it all fell apart less than two weeks ago when Velasquez pulled out of the fight, citing a back injury. The UFC made some tart lemonade by immediately inserting Stipe Miocic as a replacement, but within a day, a banged-up (and unwilling) Werdum had bowed out as well.