UFC's upcoming shows in adjustment mode

UFC seems like a cyclical feast-or-famine when it comes to shows, coming into a fall season that includes either seven or eight between now and Dec. 12 and featuring far less main-event caliber matches partially due to a series of unforeseen circumstances.

Two of the company's five champions are on the sidelines due to injury: Middleweight champion Anderson Silva is out until early next year with elbow surgery and welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre is out with a torn abductor muscle, likely until February.

In addition, a match the company was gunning for being its biggest money match before the end of this year – Quinton Jackson vs. Rashad Evans that would determine the next light heavyweight title contender – is now postponed due to Jackson getting the role Mr. T made famous in the early '80s as B.A. Baracus in "The A-Team" movie that starts filming soon in Vancouver.

UFC president Dana White, after the completion of filming Season 10 of "The Ultimate Fighter," which debuts Sept. 16 with Jackson and Evans as rival coaches, said by the time the season is over, the Jackson-Evans match would be the most anticipated fight in company history. They were also planning a three-week countdown show to hype the match.

Losing Silva and Jackson from the next few months leaves the company having to struggle for main events on one or two shows.

The biggest question mark is the Nov. 14 show in Manchester, England.

At one point the company talked about doing three shows in November.

UFC 106 on Nov. 21 in Las Vegas, headlined by Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin for the heavyweight title, now looks to be the biggest business show for the remainder of the year, since it also includes the return of Tito Ortiz.

There was also UFC 105 in Manchester and a third unannounced show.

There were two main events in play for those dates: Anderson Silva vs. Dan Henderson for the middleweight title and B.J. Penn vs. Diego Sanchez for the lightweight title.

When Jackson-Evans was in danger for Dec. 12 in Memphis, Tenn., Penn-Sanchez was moved to that date. Then Silva, who had complained about facing Henderson again (Silva won via choke in March 2008), told company officials he would be undergoing surgery.

At this point, UFC 105 has Michael Bisping vs. Denis Kang as the top match. There's nothing wrong with that for a free show on Spike, but it will be a real test for Bisping, who is coming off a knockout loss, headlining in a major arena with an opponent with no prior headline fights in the UFC and with little undercard support.

Complicating matters is Henderson has said he would not take a fight with Nate Marquardt, the other top middleweight contender. That wouldn't be nearly as strong as a Silva vs. Henderson title fight, but under the circumstances would be on paper the logical replacement match. Henderson felt he's already earned the shot at Silva by knocking out Bisping.

For UFC 107 in Memphis, the reason the show was scheduled for that market is because of Jackson. Jackson grew up in Memphis and in 2007 was named the city's Sportsman of the Year by the local Memphis Commercial-Appeal newspaper. It's an untested market for MMA, as there has never been a major show in the city.

The postponement in the long-run is not a major issue, since Jackson vs. Evans would likely take place on a subsequent show and as long as it takes place, will eventually do whatever business it would do.

A major lesson was learned in May, when, 17 months after it was first scheduled and postponed several times due to injuries, the Matt Hughes vs. Matt Serra match finally took place, built off the winter season of "The Ultimate Fighter" in 2007. Many thought because of the time frame and the season being a distant memory, that the public had lost interest in the fight. Instead, the live crowd treated it like a major fight, reacting bigger than to the Lyoto Machida vs. Rashad Evans main event at UFC 98, and pay-per-view numbers were ahead of most predictions, believed to be in the 650,000 buy range.

There is another unannounced show where a full card has been tentatively lined up and all is on hold until a decision is made when, where or if the show is going to take place. But it also has no obvious main event.

There is also "The Ultimate Fighter" finals on Dec. 5 in Las Vegas, but that show doesn't need a marquee main event, since the antics on the show will lead to a tournament final showdown and perhaps other fights that get created naturally.