UFC must implement Championship rules to prevent McGregor & GSP debacles

Here me out.... I'm a huge fan of UFC, but it bothers me how entire divisions are disrespected when Champions hold the belt hostage. Let alone the top contenders who are just sitting around waiting for their shot while the "champion" is playing games and using the belt as nothing more than a symbol of self-worth rather than a respected accomplishment.

To make things fair for ALL the fighters there should be two rules set in place to establish title legitimacy:


  1. You must defend the belt within one year of obtaining the belt otherwise you must forfeit it (the only exception being injury).
  2. A belt must be defended at least once before competing for a belt in another division (this would've prevented McG & GSP's division screw-over). Of course, I'm assuming GSP will want to fight for the title in a different division next because I seriously doubt he'll take a non-title fight. The idea here is you have to EARN your shot.
Don't hold your breath. GSP and Conor are only taking advantage of the platform the UFC created. You don't seem to understand that the UFC doesn't give a fuck about the belts, they are only marketing tools for them. They only care about numbers, if you move the needle, then you can do basically what you want.
If you want fairness, then you would have to make a legit ranking system and actually follow it. None of this would have happened if fights were made strictly from the rankings
 
Meant, as in past tense.

The UFC tossed the meaning of belts away ages ago in favor of money fights. It seems rare to have an actual #1 contender fighting for the belt these days. Rankings mean so little now and it's not going to change.

At this point they are absolutely pointless.

Ah.

Well that I can agree with. At least most of the champions right now appear to be logical (outside of LW). Whether it remains that way, TBA.
 
It's not about holding a gun to their head. It's about giving the divisions a sense of structure and not have it be a laughing stock and have the belt be a free-for-all pawn up for grabs whoever the hell wants it. They have to change the contracts is all.

How else are you going to make a competitor compete then?

In this latest case, apparently it was in the contract.
 
Ah.

Well that I can agree with. At least most of the champions right now appear to be logical (outside of LW). Whether it remains that way, TBA.

Hadn't really thought about it but ya, you're absolutely correct. The Champs actually make sense at this point.

Fuck me, it's been a while.
 
1- clear ranking system to reach title shot. Fighters can't call theyr own fights, ranking matchmaking set them.

2- duty to defend the belt twice for year, at least once if doctor-confirmed heavy injury happen preventing meet the two title defenses

3- champ can't fight outside his division, or at least must before cover the duty of defend twice that year

4- point 2 is not satisfied belt get automatically stripped, except schedule related conditions (example next event is few weeks after the limit)

5- If reason was bullshit (a la Conor) the ex Champ need two/three ranked wins to get a title shot. If was due health/injury reasons he have the right of get next title shot avaible as soon he's healthy


Do these 5 things and the system will be much clean, even if some drama fans will find it more boring
 
you're acting like the UFC didn't want these fights.
 
They should just do what Shooto did, and have a mandatory time period to defend the title.
 
UFC is not a league, UFC is a business. As long as McGregor and GSP bring in the $$$$ nothing will change.
 
That's the problem......


No?

People have the right to retire or vacate whenever they want. You can't hold a gun to their heads and force them to fight.

You can and should, however, strip them of the belt if they refuse to defend and refuse to vacate.
 
He already said he wanted to fight at least 3 times upon his return...... He had one already so I'd expect at least two more.

That was before he got a disease......are we just acting like people recover from ulcerative colitis in a few weeks?
 
Maybe you shouldn’t be fighting for a title you don’t plan on defending at all?

Novel concept, I know.

Oh, another guy who thinks ulcerative colitis was a planned excuse from the beginning.
 
you should have to drop the belt if you don't defend within 8 months, injured or otherwise. Id even go as far as 6 months. If you're injured you're not fit to be champ. Just give them an immediate title shot when they return from injury. If you're stripped because of inactivity you have to face another contender before getting a shot

the problem with giving them 1 year is some fighters will just use the whole year and happily sit out for 10 months before getting off their ass. it has to be less than that
 
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Weren't debacles ... They were profitable events / Thread
 
Unless the UFC is hundred bigger than Conor nor they care about losing him..... Then the rules will be enforcedbfor sure.

It will happen one day, but I'm pretty sure its not within this 5 years.
 
That would fall under the injury component.

That's part of what I want fixed. It shouldn't be a "promotional" object. It needs to be held as a badge of respected honor and accomplishment.


gsp did the whole illness thing and got out. what mkes you think others wont do the same?


unless they do a tourney its just gonna be like that
 
It’s all about the $$ bro. Not about fairness.

Not sure how you can’t see this.

So you think Dana wanted to be fair but couldn’t figure it out and somehow got blindsided by cherry pickers?
 
They should make part of unlocking their salary dependent on their next fight
 
GSP defended his WW title 9 times before competing for the MW belt...
And he finally after 8 years of teasing a move to MW, announces he will fight for the belt 3 weeks after Bisping wins it. What a beast.
 
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