It's because of the sad state of MMA politics that Forrest and Rich can sell a card better than Jones and Bader. 
It's because you're a fucking idiot that you think you have some sort of argument here. Bigger names=more people watching the card. More people watching the card=more people who can become fans of Bader and Jones in the long run.
Oh, and btw...if there were an actual ladder, Jones and Bader would not be fighting, and Jones probably wouldn't be where he is in his career. A loss is a loss, and he has a loss to Matt Hamill. Beating Vera + Matsyushenko does not get someone a co-main event, if we're doing it based solely on their ranking in the division(btw, Forrest is ranked higher than Bones...so another reason why your ladder idea failed)
And no, most people didn't want Chuck to even be in the fights with Shogun and Rich(his two most recent ko's)...but if you're going to have him on the card, he's going to be the main or co main, BECAUSE OF HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND HIS DRAWING POWER.
In summary: Your ladder idea is fucking stupid, the main and co main are based on drawing power, not potential of success in the division. Otherwise Fitch would be the main or co main for every card he fights on, because he's the perennial #2 WW.
The UFC is about making money, not giving the most deserved title shots or co-main events. I figured you would know that by now...
Largenj: FINALLY someone sees my point.
GriffinQ: The ladder is not "a fucking stupid idea" because if they had employed such a thing then Jones and Bader would have already clawed their way to the top, leaving relics like Griffin in the proverbial dust. All you people talk about is marketing and drawing power. When a previously unknown NHL team makes it to the Stanley Cup do they have any problems promoting the games? No. And why? Because hockey fans have been following the ladder all season, which generates ACTUAL competition, rather than a popularity contest. Dana wants MMA to be regarded as a "real sport"? This would be a giant leap in that direction. And if people like Griffin and Franklin still rose to the top, then naysayers such as myself wouldn't have reason to doubt them. You're touting Griffin and Franklin's recent wins like they're so magnificent, but I'm fact the only thing impressive about them is their (mis)placement on their cards.
the fact that you're comparing combat sports and the way they're structured to that of an organization like the NHL continues to prove how uneducated you are about how this stuff works.
Griffin was the LHW champion 3 fights ago. Since then, he's gone 2-1. losing to Rashad, who beat him to take his title. Rashad has one loss, to another highly ranked LHW, and he's the next title challenger. His other loss came to Anderson Silva, who is the #1 or #2 guy on almost everyone's p4p lists. yours included it seems. Losing to those 2 guys, and then beating Tito, should not drop him out of the top 10. Especially when 2 of the guys he beat are still in the top 5, Page and Shogun(with Shogun being champ). Neither Bader nor Jones have ever beaten a champion level fighter, thus they aren't ranked as high as Griffin(or Franklin, for that matter), and thus do not deserve the co-main slot. When they prove that they can hang with the big dogs, they will get that slot. The winner of this fight will be in title contention. Then they will get the co-main spot that you seem to believe is so important. Griffin and Franklin have already possessed titles and been in title contention for years, that is why they have the ability to headline cards.
And, no, Bader probably wouldn't have clawed his way to the top. Bader is a great fighter, no doubt, but he BARELY squeaked out a decision against Lil Nog,
Jones' biggest wins were Vera and Matsyushenko. Vera never panned out as a champion level fighter, and is considered one of the biggest busts in terms of potential in recent years, and Matsyushenko's best days were behind him a decade ago.
You talk about Griffin's win over Tito meaning nothing...well then why does Jones' win over Matsyushenko mean anything? Tito beat Matsyu, and held the title for years.
Please stop talking now, your lack of knowledge is making my head hurt
GriffinQ: Thread Should Be Closed after that vicious mauling of MMA knowledge!
It's true that the ufc can't currently be compared to other pro sport organizations--but that's only because no other organization would pick its matches based on past legends' popularity or behind the scenes "story lines." And as for your "rankings" that put Forrest ahead of Bones/Bader: the whole point of a ladder would be that it would allow the ufc (and its fans) to rank fighters without the VAST amount of speculation currently being leaned on. In Bellator a lot of fighters like Huerta who were "ranked" so much more highly than the no-namers didn't quite do as well as people assumed they would. If the same thing happened in the ufc, a lot of "top ranked" fighters would show their true colors--much to the chagrin of Forrest, Tito, and their army of nuthuggers.
p4pSilvaReemAldo - It's true that the ufc can't currently be compared to other pro sport organizations--but that's only because no other organization would pick its matches based on past legends' popularity or behind the scenes "story lines." And as for your "rankings" that put Forrest ahead of Bones/Bader: the whole point of a ladder would be that it would allow the ufc (and its fans) to rank fighters without the VAST amount of speculation currently being leaned on. In Bellator a lot of fighters like Huerta who were "ranked" so much more highly than the no-namers didn't quite do as well as people assumed they would. If the same thing happened in the ufc, a lot of "top ranked" fighters would show their true colors--much to the chagrin of Forrest, Tito, and their army of nuthuggers.
stop. you lost, get over it and move on.
Tell me why I've "lost," then. Without pointing out that the UFC can't promote it's own best fighters.
"The only thing that's square about boxing is the ring." Never were truer words spoken; and I'd say it's fitting that the ufc uses the octagon...
GriffinQ speaks truth