2025 has has no HW main event, or HW co-main event yet

[BowserJr]

HW is an example of money. Most of the big money is in other sports, and most of the HW potential people in the world are going to these other sports to make millions vs going to the UFC for 12k/12k. Thats why the bigger weight classes will always have less talent. Its why the smaller weight classes are more stacked in the UFC as there aren't many options for smaller guys to go pro in other sports for the LW, FW, BW, etc divisions. You don't see many guys like Volk or Suga or Islam making millions in other major sports like NHL, NBA, NFL, MLB, Soccer (maybe one of the better sports for small guys to go pro in), cricket ,etc.

Look at college football players easily making millions of dollars in college and not even being that good. They'd have to be about a retard to choose MMA over football. UFC will never attract real upper weight class talent (to say the divisions are stacked like they be do with FW, and LW) by paying them peanuts. Its why the HW division is such shit. Hell you can be on the practice squad for NFL teams and make more money than most of the UFC fighters. Fuckin pathethic by Dana bitch ass WHite.

Sounds logical until you see what's actually happened

The HW division was WAY more stacked in years past when there was far less money in it.

You're looking at things from a purely American main stream sports market perspective.

All of the following HW were far more talented and skilled than todays roseter while getting paid less than now

Fedor
Werdum
Nog
Crocop
Reem
Kharitonov
Barnett
Couture
Brock
JDS
Carwin
Gonzaga
Mir
Arlovski
Ricco
Nelson
Rothwell
Bigfoot
Cain
Travis Brown
Herring
Rizzo
Erickson
Randleman
Hunt
Coleman

These guys spanned from early 2000 when there was no money to 2017ish (decent money) before the last of them aged/wore out

 

[Legendary]

Imagine thinking there is a HW division in the UFC.

its like 20 fat dudes, then a couple of good fighters lol

 

[bjjwar]

Their management of the HW division is terrible.
Jones only brought them money 2x since 2020, they should've built other stars.
Take the belt from him and give him emeritus status behind closed doors or whatever.

To be fair the UFC fights and cards in generzl in 2025 have been absolute dogsh**. I cant even remember 1 great fight and there’s also no great fight in sight. Belal fighting JDM is an undercard fight. Fiorot vs Val really? Merab vs Sean wtf. Islam Jones sitting out the whole year. Pantoja has 0 contenders left. LHW will have Poatan vs Ank 2 times the whole year where it will be the most boring fights in LHW history. The only little excitement would be Khamzat but Dricus is so bad that there’s no suspense in that fight. Its like boring fighters with 0 personality took over mma…

 

[Alpha_T83]

There's a grand total of like 5 elite HW's outside of Jon. They could wait another year to make Tom vs Jon and it wouldn't really change much.

Tom Aspinall could be the HW champion with two title defenses at this point in time. He could be on the verge of breaking the HW title defense record.

By denying him a shot at the undisputed title, they are damaging their ability to build him up. Especially if Jon Jones ends up vacating the belt rather than fighting Aspinall, this time is just simply wasted.

 

[Alpha_T83]

Im over the HW limit, I'd have to cut 2 pounds

Ya I do think the UFC should get rid of the limit. I'm not quite sure what the issue is. I know back in the day they were worried about "freakshow fights" because the UFC wanted to be taken seriously.

But 265 is too low of a limit IMO. You've got big athletic guys that weigh 300+ pounds and don't want to cut weight, nor should they have to.

 

[PaulieVegas27]

That's because there is only HW fight out there of main event quality, and we all know it will never happen. As for co-main, I'm sure they can find a way to work Almeida into one, but against who is the question. Gane?

 

[Ludwig von Mises]

Says a lot about the current state of the organization when 90% of the "mega fights" are manlets.

 

[188912345]

Jon Jones Legacy Run at HW has totally ruined the division. Great work, UFC.

 

[SuperNerd]

Oddly unrelated, drugs and Jon Jones are big reasons.

The division can't move, Tom killed off the few contenders.
Extra testing really thinned out that heavyweight division.

Without USADA, HW division is looking brighter. Give it time.
Jon will be gone too, and we'll have a couple big boys on good diets ready to bang.

 

[Natural Order]

its like 20 fat dudes, then a couple of good fighters lol

That’s being generous.

 

[Mongoosemk12]

This entire year has been nothing but shit fights and they do a terrible job of promoting fighters these days. I can't watch anymore. I've transitioned to ONE FC and just keep checking back here hoping they re-sell the company to someone who actually gives a shit about putting on good shows. These cards are just garbage stack after garbage stack.

 

[Neck&Neck]

 

[Phisher]

Their management of the HW division is terrible.
Jones only brought them money 2x since 2020, they should've built other stars.
Take the belt from him and give him emeritus status behind closed doors or whatever.

If they take the belt off of Jones, the division will still suck.

There's a talent problem because HW-sized guys who are good athletes want nothing to do with being underpaid in MMA when they have other options.

Gable Stevenson literally tried to do everything else possible before he settled for MMA.

 

[Domitian]

View attachment 1091892

Hot Balls hasn't fought in a while. Good to see him back in there. He gets destroyed probably though.

 

[snugglecakes]

what are the heavyweight fights of any rank as a whole that are actually scheduled? A few weeks ago i looked as far up as sherdog UFC upcoming events goes and there was not 1 single heavyweight fight coming up. This july thing with lewis vs Teixiera wasn't there yet but it was like 3 months straight with zero Heavyweight anything on the upcoming. IT's fricken sad.

 

[Captain Herb]

Gee, I wonder why.

 

[Captain Herb]

I'd rather watch WMMA

 

[Captain Herb]

But 265 is too low of a limit IMO. You've got big athletic guys that weigh 300+ pounds and don't want to cut weight, nor should they have to.

300+ and ripped? Who is that. I know the average Sherdogger would lay waste to the division if they lowered the limit, but besides that who are you talking about that wants to train UFC?

 

[Mohawk Banditó]

what are the heavyweight fights of any rank as a whole that are actually scheduled? A few weeks ago i looked as far up as sherdog UFC upcoming events goes and there was not 1 single heavyweight fight coming up. This july thing with lewis vs Teixiera wasn't there yet but it was like 3 months straight with zero Heavyweight anything on the upcoming. IT's fricken sad.

Lewis-Tex like you said.
They also rebooked AGAIN Blaydes vs Kuniev, a guy making his debut off of DWCS
There's also Spivac-Gaziev in June

Diniz is fighting Justin Tafa, and if he wins, could likely be ranked.

Frankly, I'm surprised there's that many, but there's basically no movement near the top, to match all the inaction with the belts

 

[muaythaibeast]

300+ and ripped? Who is that. I know the average Sherdogger would lay waste to the division if they lowered the limit, but besides that who are you talking about that wants to train UFC?

We've had a few. Pudzianowski, Lesnar, Hong Man Choi, Schilt. I'm pretty sure one of Tom's current training partners is way over that limit. Even if you only pick up a couple of guys that could be top 10, why close the door on them competing for an arbitrary limit? Let's have Zulu vs Fedor type fights again