First of all, I've gotten some questions about where my UFC 78 preview is. From now on, look for my UFC previews and recaps over at SportsIllustrated.com. Click here for my UFC 78 preview. In the future, if you click on the SportsIllustrated.com link under my blog picture, you will be taken right to my SI archive, where you will find all my articles, including my most recent ones.

Anyway, to answer the question I pose in the title of this entry, after two days of reading your comments (both in agreement and disagreement with my preview), I don't think I am being too tough on this card. Here's why.

UFC is the number one promotion in the world. It is the standard bearer for the sport. Hardcore fans already know this. UFC 78 is easily the best card in MMA in the last month. But, guess what? I expect more from the promotion. I'm already a fan and have been for years. I'm going to watch tonight's event as I watch every event. UFC doesn't have to convince me of the quality of its product.

But, I think UFC can do better. With essentially all the top talent in the world locked up, UFC should be looking to give fans top-notch cards every month. The promotion has one moment a month to shine for mainstream audiences. Most months, it does. This month, however, especially for an event held right outside New York City (the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.), this card falls short.

We can talk about Tito Ortiz backing out of the main event fight or Matt Hamill being injured, but either way the UFC has enough depth to not suffer a card like this even when one or two fighters can't fight.

In my estimation, there are no fighters on this card who are in the top three of their weight class. The fight that has the most significant ramifications is Karo Parisyan vs. Ryo Chonan in the welterweight division. The winner of this fight should fight Jon Fitch and the winner of that bout should get a title shot.

There are no other fights that rise to this level on the card. With the signing of Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou this week by UFC (a tremendous development), the light heavyweight division is so stacked at the top that neither Michael Bisping vs. Rashad Evans nor Houston Alexander vs. Thiago Silva changes much in the division's title picture.

What we have with UFC 78 is a good card. For an Ultimate Fight Night card on Spike TV, this would be fantastic. If UFC had a deal with HBO or another premium cable outlet, this would be a decent card for that venue. But, it simply does not rise to pay-per-view caliber.

If you want a pay-per-view card, look at UFC 79. That's the real deal. Dana White has recently admitted that UFC is going through "growing pains." It has been a tough few weeks for White with the Randy Couture issue and the confusion involving Sean Sherk's steroid hearings. I consider UFC 78 the last part of that slump.

The signing of Sokoudjou and UFC 79 are the beginning of what looks like a much better period for the promotion. For those of you who have read my blog over the past year, you know I call it down the middle. If UFC or any promotion does something well, I credit them. But, when they stumble I note that as well. For the sport to continue to grow, we all need to be honest about its successes and failures.

Here and at SI.com, rest assured that I will continue to keep it real. And, please let's continue the intelligent discourse.