Do YOU agree with this comment?

[UseARubberGuard]

I can understand doing a special fight every once in a while, but the criteria for title shots has gone to crap now.

Hendo I kind of understand, given that nobody in the MW division had a 100% legitimate claim to a title shot.

On the other hand, Conor got his off of being 1-1 against a non-top 5 LW, where he lost by finish and won by decision, and 0 title defenses. Woodley got his based off of a split decision win over emaciated Kelvin and a KO of Ballerina Dong. Faber got his after beating Frankie Saenz of all people and Carlos Condit had only beaten Thiago Alves in the last 2 years.

It's not about putting out the most profitable and most marketable fight, it's about the fact that the UFC should be balancing that with the legitimate title shots. In divisions lacking title contenders, sure give us fun fights every now and then, but don't take the shark tanks of LW and WW and mess up everything there.

 

[nostradumbass]

Gimme a break. The dude is taking a few months off after being more active than any other champion and they took one of his belts already to give it to salty Aldo.

YOU gimme a break. He could be out up to 10 months(by choice), in addition to the year he already went without a single title defense, and had the nerve to complain that his FW title was stripped. What the hell does "active" matter if none of the 3 fights he took were even in the same division of the title he's supposed to defend?

 

[Soul On Ice]

I see the point you are making, but the crap that has happened lately is a little different.

It's not, It seems more flagrant these days only because the roster is deeper and therefore more fighters are getting jobbed.

 

[Nukes]

Aldo went from FW GOAT to FW Whiny Bitch GOAT.

Pretty funny words from someone who was awarded the belt twice without fighting.

 

[Nova Union]

Jacare just lost to Romero

YOU gimme a break. He could be out up to 10 months(by choice), in addition to the year he already went without a single title defense, and had the nerve to complain that his FW title was stripped. What the hell does "active" matter if none of the 3 fights he took were even in the same division of the title he's supposed to defend?

Yep. After the break he'll have been a champion for 22 months without a defense.

 

[Kobra420]

I can understand doing a special fight every once in a while, but the criteria for title shots has gone to crap now.

Hendo I kind of understand, given that nobody in the MW division had a 100% legitimate claim to a title shot.

On the other hand, Conor got his off of being 1-1 against a non-top 5 LW, where he lost by finish and won by decision, and 0 title defenses. Woodley got his based off of a split decision win over emaciated Kelvin and a KO of Ballerina Dong. Faber got his after beating Frankie Saenz of all people and Carlos Condit had only beaten Thiago Alves in the last 2 years.

It's not about putting out the most profitable and most marketable fight, it's about the fact that the UFC should be balancing that with the legitimate title shots. In divisions lacking title contenders, sure give us fun fights every now and then, but don't take the shark tanks of LW and WW and mess up everything there.

I never looked at it this way....Perhaps balance is the way to go. At least they would have a little legitimacy there.....

 

[Kobra420]

It's not, It seems more flagrant these days only because the roster is deeper and therefore more fighters are getting jobbed.

Example......Conor received a title shot in 55, never fighting ONCE in that div......When has that been done before?

 

[tenniswhiz]

Leadership comes from the top.

Never blame the fighters or the champs.

Can you imagine a guy making Wimbledon finals, and then not playing the match because he "already beat that guy", or not enough people will buy the PPV, blah, blah, blah.
They should say you're fighting this contender next, end of story.

That is why tournaments in early UFC, Pride, and Bellator yield a solid result and matchmaking does not.
There is no such thing as "killing a contender". The best should face the best, after beating the rest. Please let established rappers know my services are available for a fee.

 

[UseARubberGuard]

I never looked at it this way....Perhaps balance is the way to go. At least they would have a little legitimacy there.....

That's why I was ok with DJ fighting Tim Elliott. Because it's not like anyone at FLW is being held back to do it. Same thing with Hendo, Luke had just lost his first title defense, Jacare had just lost, The Chris had just lost, and Yoel was suspended.

 

[Soul On Ice]

Example......Conor received a title shot in 55, never fighting ONCE in that div......When has that been done before?

Bj Penn strangled Matt Hughes at 170 for the 170 title and had ZERO fights at 170

Conor also has fought (and won) in the 155 division prior to his UFC 155 title shot, just not in the UFC.

 

[Xtal]

I think it's a little overblown, this whole idea that they don't make rankings matchups. Yes, there are some instances where I think they're screwing people over, like Maia for example; he's dominated 3 of the current top 10 as well as a top 5 opponent in Carlos Condit, who most considered to be the rightful champ after his fight with Lawler. Then consider that he's 39 and his time is running out. This should be a no-brainer for Maia to get a title shot.

However, in most examples I see, it's hugely exaggerated, like Jacare, who lost his title contender match against Romero. Khabib's by far the most exaggerated example; yeah, he is a top level contender, but he doesn't deserve his #1 ranked status nor does he deserve the title shot any more than someone like Ferguson, Barboza, even Dos Anjos. It's not as cut and dry as people claim. Sure, he beat Dos Anjos, but this was well over 2 years ago when RDA was ranked like 8th. Same with Michael Johnson, who was a fringe top 10 guy; impressive, but I don't think you should get a title shot unless you defeated a top 5 opponent within the last year.

Another issue is the meaning of rankings; Barboza defeated the #3 ranked, former champ in Pettis and then another top 10 opponent in Giblert, whose ranking was only outside of the top 5 because of his PED suspension. Ferguson beat the former champ RDA, who was the #1 ranked contender before Conor beat Alvarez, and also finished Barboza himself last December. The problem is that, in this example, Barboza was only a fringe top 10-15 guy when Ferguson beat him, but shot up in rank after back to back wins against Pettis and Giblert, so how exactly do we gauge that; by Barboza's current ranking since that lost, or by his ranking at the time of fighting?

Personally, I lean more toward the purist interpretation where we go by the ranking at the time of the fight, but then again, if they jump up in rankings very quickly after this, that's important as well. For the sake of legitimacy though, I feel ranking at the time of the fight is more important, and thus someone like Khabib just doesn't have a good claim for this.

 

[MIKE BOWLING]

It does not really matter who said this, what matters is the content :

"The UFC has been a mess for a while now. It embarrassed featherweight and now embarrasses Lightweight. Khabib signed two contracts to fight for the title and still hasn't fought (for the title). We also have Damien Maia waiting at Welterweight and Jacare is waiting even longer at Middleweight.

Do things like "Rankings", "Contenders", and " Title Defenses", really matter anymore? How about Champions holding up Div's trying to protect their belts? And do these things not mattering these days, take away such things as "Integrity", and "Legitimacy" for the UFC?

What do you guys think? Is the UFC's actions harming their product, or, are the "special fights" worth the outcome?

I value your opinions on this, thanks guys.

The sooner you grasp that this is prize fighting the better off you will be...it's about the $$$$$$ now more than ever

 

[Kobra420]

Bj Penn strangled Matt Hughes at 170 for the 170 title and had ZERO fights at 170

Conor also has fought (and won) in the 155 division prior to his UFC 155 title shot, just not in the UFC.

Good point, I forgot the first time he did it.....the first time he fought at WW, WAS a title fight (which he won) against Hughes at UFC 46. He then got stripped of the belt, because he went to K-1. Then fought an Eliminator against Rush, for the shot at WW belt against Hughes, in which he lost. So he did fight a contender in Rush for a shot at Hughes at UFC 63. He never fought anyone for the shot at the WW strap against Rush (that he lost) at UFC 94. He then lost another Title Eliminator against Nick Diaz at UFC 137. So even though originally he won the WW belt at UFC 46 without a contention fight, he still had Title Eliminators at WW as well.

 

[Kobra420]

The sooner you grasp that this is prize fighting the better off you will be...it's about the $$$$$$ now more than ever

Oh I know......I was just wondering about the Legitimacy of the UFC these days, that's all.

 

[tenniswhiz]

Sick of hearing you fools say Jacare lost.
He didn't lose. He held his own with a juiced up contender in Romero. And Romero was suspended.

 

[Davey Crockett]

They know that people tune in for violence. However they choose to wrap that up is down to them.

 

[dc007]

YOU gimme a break. He could be out up to 10 months(by choice), in addition to the year he already went without a single title defense, and had the nerve to complain that his FW title was stripped. What the hell does "active" matter if none of the 3 fights he took were even in the same division of the title he's supposed to defend?

nah

 

[dc007]

He was only active in going for title fights, not defending. So there is that.......

who cares? he said he wanted two belts and he got them. I'd much rather watch a guy challenge himself against bigger better opponents than keep cutting a ton of weight to rematch guys he's already beaten

 

[Jopo]

I like it the way it is. I never want it to be a linear sport. Plus boring guys having a way longer path to the title is preferable.

Also Conors cross division fights are great. Opens up so many different matchups.

 

[Towelie by TKO]

Obeying rankings doesn't legitimize the sport at all.

You know what legitimizes the sport? Getting people to care about it. Getting the mainstream sports world to talk about it and give a shit about it.

McGregor has done more to legitimize MMA than anyone at this point.

McGregor v Aldo, McGregor v Diaz 1/2 and McGregor v Alvarez were huge events in terms of the popular culture at large actually giving a fuck about MMA.

The idea that rankings must determine matchmaking for the sport to be legitimate is farcical. Never has been the case, never will be. Welcome to combat sports.