Let's state the obvious right up front: The UFC on FX 3 fight card is short on star power, at least, as UFC fans are used to understanding it.
The 24 fighters set to step into the Octagon on Friday night at the Bank Atlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla., average three UFC fights between them, and the real Octagon veterans on the list - welterweights like Josh Neer, Mike Pyle and Charlie Brenneman - aren't exactly household names. So, in terms of what MMA fans are used to from the UFC, it's easy to understand how this fight card might not measure up.
However, a historical perspective changes the view just a bit.
The main card on Friday night will open with a bantamweight bout between Scotty "Young Guns" Jorgensen and former WEC Bantamweight Champion Eddie Wineland.
Remember the WEC? By the time the promotion was absorbed into the UFC at the end of 2010, the promotion was populated exclusively by lightweight, featherweight and bantamweight fighters, with cards airing on what was then Versus (now NBC Sports Network). In terms of star power, those fight cards didn't exactly set the world on fire.
Compared to a typical UFC fight card, UFC on FX: Johnson vs. McCall may feel a bit underwhelming. Compared to a typical WEC card - which additional events like this have effectively replaced on the Zuffa calendar - it stacks up significantly better.
And honestly, Friday night's card feels a lot like a WEC card. A number of the top fighters on the card - Wineland, Jorgensen, Leonard "Bad Boy" Garcia and main eventer Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson - were standouts in the WEC, and half the fights are at lightweight or below.
While the WEC never got the same exposure as the UFC among casual fans, it was a favorite amongst MMA diehards for the impressive pace of action. In that sense, Friday night's card may be just like old times.
