The UFC doesn't build up their divisions. As champion Matt Hughes only fought one guy with more than one straight win in the UFC ( Sherk with 2 ). My suggestion is that Champions only fight once a year, and contenders fight at least 3 times before getting a title shot.
ttt
IMO that wouldn't work....champs would be leaving to fight for more loot in Japan....plus most of the time it's the title fights or grudge matches that sell ppv's.
I agree that fighters need more of a build up than they get. The new guys dont really get a chance to become stars or even known to the average fan. "we" the obsest UG nerds know who Sakur, Trigg , Hallman , Horn , Murray , are and what they have done to get into the UFC.
You could give title shots to guys who have already fought, and only let one new guy get a shot a year.
EG. Penn could fight Carlos Newton, Gil Castillo, Sean Sherk
ttt
1) The pay isn't nearly good enough for most fighters to want to fight only once a year.
2) I'd be pissed only seeing the top guys once a year, when a fight can easily end in a couple minutes if not faster.
Nogueira fought 9 times in two years against guys like Sapp, Schilt, Coleman, Goodridge, and Fedor -- that's obviously a bit extreme, but I'd like to see champs fight four times a year, three minimum.
Under mty plan champs could giht 2-3 times a year. !-2 times against an established guy, and once against a new contender with at least three straight wins in the big leagues.