What would your thoughts be in the following scenario?

[johncola]

Khabib has talked about refusing to fight Conor McGregor. Because of this, fans have speculated on the possibility of Khabib being stripped. Well what would your thoughts be in the following scenario?

Conor beats Gaethje in March. Khabib decisively beats Tony in April, affirming his status in most fans eyes as the clear top Lightweight, making it hard to strip him. Then, the UFC tries to make the Conor/Khabib rematch, but Khabib refuses to sign. So instead, they schedule Conor vs the Lee/Oliveira winner for the interim title, and Conor wins. After that, again, the UFC tries to make the Conor/Khabib rematch, but Khabib refuses to sign. Conor then fights another contender (whoever the top guy is at that point), and the UFC makes it for the undisputed title, stripping Khabib.

Would the UFC be justified in their actions at the end there?

 

[OneManGang]

You forgot motivated Penn and sea level Cain. Must be included in the scenario.

 

[BRASIL WAND]

Here’s to the memory of “confident Conor”.

 

[2sk]

lol @ conor being in any title picture

 

[Wizzlebiz]

That would cover the requirements for a khabib rematch.

Beating a couple of legit contenders is exactly what khabib is saying Conor needs to do.

Your scenario covers that. Khabib fights and again smeshes your boy.

 

[El Fernas]

After beating Gaethje is not like Khabib could say that Conor does not deserve a rematch...and no, he wont get stripped so Conor can fight for a paper belt against who knows who, at this point is CLEAR that Conor does not need a belt to draw.

 

[johncola]

After beating Gaethje is not like Khabib could say that Conor does not deserve a rematch...and no, he wont get stripped so Conor can fight for a paper belt against who knows who, at this point is CLEAR that Conor does not need a belt to draw.

Liked your post for it being the first one to try and answer the question.

Agreed about Conor not needing a belt. But were Conor to be on a streak over Cowboy, Gaethje, Lee/Oliveira, and Khabib is still refusing to fight him, then how can they allow him to remain champion? The belt wouldn't be so paper, in that Khabib would have the moral loss for having turned down the fight.

 

[Siesta]

Khabib has talked about refusing to fight Conor McGregor. Because of this, fans have speculated on the possibility of Khabib being stripped. Well what would your thoughts be in the following scenario?

Conor beats Gaethje in May. Khabib decisively beats Tony in April, affirming his status in most fans eyes as the clear top Lightweight, making it hard to strip him. Then, the UFC tries to make the Conor/Khabib rematch, but Khabib refuses to sign. So instead, they schedule Conor vs the Lee/Oliveira winner for the interim title, and Conor wins. After that, again, the UFC tries to make the Conor/Khabib rematch, but Khabib refuses to sign. Conor then fights another contender (whoever the top guy is at that point), and the UFC makes it for the undisputed title, stripping Khabib.

Would the UFC be justified in their actions at the end there?

The UFC has proven that they do what they want. No justification needed. Just listen to Dana after 246.

P.S. Lee\Charles winner isn't getting Conor fight.

 

[PulsingJones]

If Khabib was actively fighting top contenders, then they have no right to strip him. Even if he refused Conor.

However this is pure fantasy on OPs part, because Conor refuses to fight at 155 unless it's for the rematch, so he'll never be a legitimate top contender in LW again.

 

[DeathStroke]

If Khabib was actively fighting top contenders, then they have no right to strip him. Even if he refused Conor.

However this is pure fantasy on OPs part, because Conor refuses to fight at 155 unless it's for the rematch, so he'll never be a legitimate top contender in LW again.

In OPs fantasy scenario, if Khabib beats Tony and Conor beats Gaethje (a big if I know, but whatever) then Conor would be a pretty clear top contender. In that case if Khabib refused based on disliking Conor, I think itd be a valid strip.

 

[El Fernas]

Liked your post for it being the first one to try and answer the question.

Agreed about Conor not needing a belt. But were Conor to be on a streak over Cowboy, Gaethje, Lee/Oliveira, and Khabib is still refusing to fight him, then how can they allow him to remain champion? The belt wouldn't be so paper, in that Khabib would have the moral loss for having turned down the fight.

IMO he wont refuse after 1-2 legit wins, im not saying Cowboy is not legit, but well, he is not elite at this point, after Conor wins 1-2 legit fights he wont refuse imo, the whole refuse thing iirc comes from the idea that Conor would get a title shot by beating Cowboy, once he beats legit(s) contender then fight will happen, if Tony beats Khabib then Conor will get the shot whenever he asks for it.

 

[Local Plata]

Conor fighting that many contenders? In a row? lmao.

 

[Max Power]

If Khabib refuses to fight the GOAT, he gets stripped.

 

[SeattleFightFan]

At least the needle is moving. Now we have people asking what if Conor fights and wins multiple times before the title shot, instead of just assuming he'll be gifted one.

Let's keep hammering away at this. Conor should not get a title shot without first beating one of the other top 5 LWs. And beating Poirier half a career ago in a different division doesn't count.

 

[SKYNET]

Khabib has talked about refusing to fight Conor McGregor...

Khabib already fought Conor Mcgregor, didn't read the rest.

 

[LampShade94]

If Conor beats Gaethje then hes the clear #1 contender. If Khabib refuses to fight him after that hes a little bitch and should get stripped. Make it Tony vs Conor for the title.

 

[Pitier of Fools]

Conor hasn't beaten a top 10 fighter in years. Let's not get ahead of ourselves here.

 

[pv3Hpv3p]

Ok ok ok... Conor stomps out the entire Lw & Ww roster... Khabib stil refuses to fight him because he's so scared that that the disastrous first fight might repeat itself (the one where Conor almost won a round before getting wobbled & strangled)...

Since Khabib is now considered a paper champ, they strip him... coronate Conor with the belt after a token fight which consists of him kicking the corpse if BJ Penn... now Conor has his belt and proves once and for all that "nothing is ever given to anyone" in this sport...

And then the UFC remembers that BJ was once the WW champ, so they immediately strip Usman, & humbly award Conor the 170 title, and immediately schedule Conor vs Frankie Edgar for the 135 belt (I don't get it either?)

Conor is now the Champ-champ-champ-champ and then he starts angling for that trilogy fight against Nate Diaz with the stipulations being that Nate has to cut to 140#s, literally has one arm tied behind his back & is not allowed to grapple while Conor gets a gun or a knife or both.

After a razor thin split decision, Conor's legacy is cemented, he rides off into the sunset as the greatest to ever do it.

The end

 

[Luvhawky]

If Khabib was actively fighting top contenders, then they have no right to strip him. Even if he refused Conor.

However this is pure fantasy on OPs part, because Conor refuses to fight at 155 unless it's for the rematch, so he'll never be a legitimate top contender in LW again.

Refusing to fight the interim champ seems like cause to strip someone. It's a shady loophole in my book, but valid.

 

[NicholasJBasile]

Khabib has talked about refusing to fight Conor McGregor. Because of this, fans have speculated on the possibility of Khabib being stripped. Well what would your thoughts be in the following scenario?

Conor beats Gaethje in March. Khabib decisively beats Tony in April, affirming his status in most fans eyes as the clear top Lightweight, making it hard to strip him. Then, the UFC tries to make the Conor/Khabib rematch, but Khabib refuses to sign. So instead, they schedule Conor vs the Lee/Oliveira winner for the interim title, and Conor wins. After that, again, the UFC tries to make the Conor/Khabib rematch, but Khabib refuses to sign. Conor then fights another contender (whoever the top guy is at that point), and the UFC makes it for the undisputed title, stripping Khabib.

Would the UFC be justified in their actions at the end there?

In that scenario, I tend to believe it would be justified. Should Conor defeat all contenders ahead of him, I personally see no reason to accept the fight. I respect Khabib for not taking the Conor fight (thus far at least), but if Conor earns it, I personally believe he should be stripped if he doesn't take it. Obviously my opinion isn't an important one, but I reckon some others share the same view. The first fight simply didn't end in a way that suggested an immediate rematch. It was a thoroughly decisive win that didn't end in a fluke whatsoever. That type of loss, in my opinion, warrants a hard earned rematch -- I give McGregor great credit for his win against Cowboy, but I feel that a couple more wins would make him a more reasonable contender. 155 is a very stacked division.

Please keep in mind that Khabib still has Tony ahead of him (fingers crossed). Should Tony win, a lot of these hypotheticals will greatly be affected.