Why didn't Dana offer Stipe the interim title fight?

[mjfan23]

It’s in the name
Ufc: U Fight Cheap

 

[sabretitan]

The UFC doesn't like to pay their fighters unless it affects them well financially

 

[El Fernas]

Issue is risk of Jones not taking on anyone other than Stipe and will just drag things forever.

 

[CC27]

lol at stipe accepting that. yeah ok. so he sits out years, gets a massive legacy HW title fight vs Jones but is gonna accept a two week notice interim fight vs Pav.

hahaha i dont give a fuck what he says now in the media theres not a chance on this earth he would have taken that fight if offered, NONE.

 

[TempleoftheDog]

Stipe deserves to be fairly compensated for the expenses he’s accrued as a result of the fight being cancelled. Not whatever his show money was going to be (depending on exactly what that show money was supposed to be). But a sum that most people think would be fair taking everything into consideration.

Because Stipe actually holds a trump card of sorts here. Jones will not fight whomever the IC is. We all know that. So Dana can’t afford to piss Stipe off.

It would be pretty foolish of Stipe to refuse that big payday in a fight with Jones in a year. But he can use it as a bluff. And maybe him saying he would have accepted the fight with Pavlovich is a bluff to help him get fairly compensated for the cancellation of the Jones fight.

Because there is no way he would or should get the exact same pay for a IC fight with Pavlovich. As he would get for a fight for the undisputed title vs Jones. The IC would not sell nearly as well as the fight with Jones.

And there is no way that the UFC would have wanted Stipe to fight Pavlovich for the IC. If Stipe lost there would be zero interest in him fighting Jones in a year.

And I’m pretty sure Stipe knows everything I just said about an IC fight, as opposed to a fight for the title vs Jones is true. So I don’t think Stipe would actually have accepted the IC fight. But of course I can’t be 100% sure of that. Maybe Stipe was sure he’d beat Pavlovich using his wrestling. Which actually would have given Stipe leverage to get paid even more for a unification fight with Jones in a year.

That’s how I see it. I think Stipe just wants to get fairly compensated for the cancellation.

 

[Adamant]

Dana protecting the Jones fight. If Stipe gets the Interim title fight and loses, there's no more Jones fight. Say Pavlovich or Aspinall beats Stipe, Jones vs Pavlovich or Jones vs Aspinall doesn't sell nearly as well as Jones vs Stipe.

 

[dc007]

He did. stipe turned it down.

 

[David Street]

I just assumed Stipe was mostly retired and Dana offered BIG money to come back for one last fight with Jon Jones.

 

[NoSmilez]

I believe Stipe is about to retire and move to boxing. I remember reading some article that stated Stipe wanted to step out to do a boxing match early this year but the UFC blocked him. I don't think the promotion will give him a chance at the interim belt without Jones since he might pull another Francis.

 

[GluttonforPunishment]

It's really quite simple:

1. Pavlovich most likely would have beaten Stipe.
2. Jones is only at HW for specific (i.e., easier) fights. He wants to beat Stipe and then ride off into the sunset proclaiming himself the GOAT. He would have turned down a Pavlovich unification fight.
3. Therefore, the UFC wouldn't have gotten one last payday off of Jones. This way, they theoretically get BOTH the Jones-Stipe charade and the Pavlovich-Aspinall title fight.

And you are why every other sport including mma fans (that arent idiots) think we have the worst fan base for anything. People are fucking stupid. Case in point. Nothing suggests either Asspinal or Pussivich can beat either Jones or Stipe. Yet you with a 2007 account think when it comes to mma things are written in stone. Fucking idiot.

 

[Miokink026]

show money: money you get just to show up to your agreed bout without pulling out.

is there any logical reason he shouldn't get this money?

 

[spinitch]

Dana has had friction with Stipe on taking fights and has Pav vs Tom as a HW future. Unless there is a good fit for UFC card headlining to make some $ no real need to spend extra on Stipe. Some camp $ plus a backup offer for Pav v Tom could be mutually beneficial. But the interim title contenders r already scheduled… Who else is there?

 

[Pompey Junglist]

How can anyone possibly think a long retired Stipe is more deserving of an interim title shot than Pavlovich or Aspinall?

He was being paid to star in a circus act to inflate Jones' legacy. That's not happening now because Jones is injured. There's no reason to offer him a non-circus fight.

 

[g*r*b]

He did. stipe turned it down.

Dana says he didn't offer it. Stipe says he wasn't asked. Aspinall says "the UFC" told him Stipe was.

I know why you wouldn't trust Dana to tell the truth {insert "don't believe his lies" meme}. But if you already accept he would lie, why not accept the idea that someone at "the UFC" lied to Aspinall? It makes more sense than both Dana AND Stipe lying.

 

[gspieler]

Stipe deserves to either be paid show money, or offered a fight.

 

[Mind Mine]

I mean he obviously spent a lot of time and money to prepare for the fight.. he deserves something for that, maybe not his full contract but SOMETHING.

People voting no are so fucking weird.

Stipe is only not retired because of Jones. There is NOTHING that makes me believe he got his old ass off the couch for any other reason. Being that the case as long as Jones next fight is Stipe the UFC owes him nothing. It may even be wise to STFU on his part because if he made enough squawk and they gave him a young lion that beat his ass it would be hilarious on so many levels but bad for business for the UFC and Stipe

 

[duke_droese]

Stipe should be pushing for compensation as he took time off of work.

They should add it to the pay cheque for the jones fight when it happens.

 

[Tweak896]

Stipe said he didn't want to fight unless it was for title shot. I have no idea what's true in this case, but if I had to guess UFC didn't want Jones to give up HW title and Stipe wasn't going to return for interim. He sat out so long I'm sure he'll sit out longer, he doesn't want to have to put in more work than he has to.

 

[USA!USA!]

Stipe is only not retired because of Jones. There is NOTHING that makes me believe he got his old ass off the couch for any other reason. Being that the case as long as Jones next fight is Stipe the UFC owes him nothing. It may even be wise to STFU on his part because if he made enough squawk and they gave him a young lion that beat his ass it would be hilarious on so many levels but bad for business for the UFC and Stipe

Spoken like a true clueless casual

Yeah man I am sure that a professional former champion HW with legacy on the line did zero training.. just shut the fuck up, moron.

 

[dipstickjimmy]

That I understand but Jones v Stipe/Interim Winner makes more money than any (realistically) possible fight, not involving Conor. What he loses in paying Stipe, is peanuts compared to that potential matchup.

I’m also assuming that Dana figures Jones to win, so the risk of Francis cheapening the HW belt is small. I know it’s MMA math, but Jones’s victory over Gane (compared to Francis’s) has mostly validated the current HW belt.

It’s rare that I say this when it comes to the business, bottom line; but this is a terrible decision by Dana. Jones vs Stipe delayed wont crack Jones’s top 3 PPVs. Jones vs an Interim winner (who has to go through a familiar name in Stipe or is Stipe) would Jones’s biggest PPV yet. His status as a HW is both highly marketable and mysterious, because of the dominant, yet short victory over Gane.

I am pretty sure Dana knows Jon isn't coming back to fight anyone other than Stipe. If Stipe loses to Pav or Aspinall then there is no Jon fight IMO. People keep talking about Stipe being brought out of retirement to fight Jon and it is truly hilarious. Jon is the one who came out of a 3 year retirement to win a vacant belt and he won't defend it against anyone but Stipe. Jon was all over shit talking anyone who utters his name in the past. Izzy, Islam over the P4P etc etc but has he ever spoken Aspinall's name? Tom has openly said it would be an honor to fight Jon but he knows Jon will never fight him.

I hate Interim Belts especially when created like this one. I wish they would have a HW tournament to have a Grand Prix champion and then the GP champion either a) fights winner of Jon vs Stipe if it happens or b) is declared the New Undisputed Champ when Jon refuses the fight (if Stipe vs Jon never happens). Stipe can even be offered the GP winner in the event Jon retires and he wants it.

Here is how I would book the tournament:
Aspinall and Pav get a slot in the Semi Finals.
Gane vs Blaydes
Volkov vs Almedia
Spivak vs Rozenstruik Alternate fight.