UFC 72? Wake me when it's over

For the first time in more than two years, I missed a UFC pay-per-view event.

Not that I wasn't itching to make a last-minute purchase, I've always been a fan of Rich Franklin, a great fighter and a classy dude. And nothing against his opponent, Yushin Okami, even if he was a replacement on the card. I was also curious how Forrest Griffin would come back from the clobbering he took from Keith Jardine.

But sometimes you've got to stand up for principle. So, I passed on UFC 72, a card that really should have been on Spike.

From what I've read, the Griffin fight was disappointing and the Franklin fight was about what you expected. Though, I did hear Franklin say in the post-fight interview that Okami wasn't as strong as everyone i.e. Joe Rogan, had made him out to be.

Still, Franklin, who won a unanimous decision, admits he avoided throwing kicks because he didn't want to give Okami a shot at working the leg for a takedown. That was probably smart because from some of the photos I've seen, once the fight got to the ground in the third, Okami sunk a wicked kimura that makes me wonder how Franklin avoided tapping.

I'm happy for Franklin, though if I was him, I wouldn't be itching to get back in the ring too soon with Anderson Silva. Not that Silva is untouchable but, well, he's been untouchable since he moved over to the UFC.

Fan loyalties, aside, I'm hoping other folks out there stayed away from UFC 72.

Will I spend the rest of the day trying to find a clip of the Franklin-Okami fight on the web? Sure. Does that make me a hypocrite. Maybe.

But paying to see such a lackluster card sends the wrong kind of message to Dana White and Zuffa.