Chimaev's first title defense

[BoxingFan653]

Well Khamzat is trying to fight again this year ... It's not up to him.

So probably 2026 after Ramadan. Can't have him cleaning out his division and leaving it empty for years thatle ruin dana white...

This…people forget prior to the health and visa issues the dude loved fighting a lot. UFC seems to fan him more than he ever canned himself.

Also he was getting the arman treatment after missing weight and this is where the myth that he’s inactive started. I know there’s more to it including missing the Whittaker fight due to ailment but seems like he can fight twice a year moving forward.

 

[flektarn]

We're just not educated enough in title reigns to appropriately enjoy this level of inactivity

maybe he'll have some ground and pound this time?

 

[Mike]

It's really unfortunate. Pereira was only able to even take 3 last year because they were last minute notice fights the UFC needed to fill a main event for, then it was like "spectacular" for mma fans. We used to see champs go 3 in a year pretty often. Not to mention contenders sitting around.

Even a 2 fight a year schedule is 6 months before fight 1, 6 months after fight 1, 6 months after fight 2. So even the gap of time of 2 fights a year is crazy. There is essentially an 18 month window that fans will see that fighter actually fight. Then throw in an injury or a rematch, then rank squatters. It's wild how much people have accepted today.

Yeah when I hear people talk about three times a year I always think oh they mean the past. Two times a year for a champ is notable these days, and when that happens you just wait for an injury or contract dispute and it's usually not long. Once a year is more common once you factor in training time, lining up a top 5 guy at the right time. Even a minor injury like a sprain fucks all that up. Sometimes the ufc or the champ wants a particular fighter for the contender or there isn't one they like so then we gotta wait for that. Special fights mean new contracts because they lowballed everyone on the original deal. So every time someone rapidly rises into contendership there's a random chance the ufc being cheap fucks that up too.

We didn't know how good we had it back then basically, with the top fights you wanted to see happening regularly and it being a notable thing when a champ was out injured for a prolonged period of time.

 

[Tweak896]

Yeah when I hear people talk about three times a year I always think oh they mean the past. Two times a year for a champ is notable these days, and when that happens you just wait for an injury or contract dispute and it's usually not long. Once a year is more common once you factor in training time, lining up a top 5 guy at the right time. Even a minor injury like a sprain fucks all that up. Sometimes the ufc or the champ wants a particular fighter for the contender or there isn't one they like so then we gotta wait for that. Special fights mean new contracts because they lowballed everyone on the original deal. So every time someone rapidly rises into contendership there's a random chance the ufc being cheap fucks that up too.

We didn't know how good we had it back then basically, with the top fights you wanted to see happening regularly and it being a notable thing when a champ was out injured for a prolonged period of time.

Yep and they did it because to get paid you had to really fight often, to be picked for a titleshot, you had to be top guy of the moment to get chosen for a titleshot, and there was less concern with safety and fighting for blood win or lose was more universally celebrated.

 

[Mike]

Yep and they did it because to get paid you had to really fight often, to be picked for a titleshot, you had to be top guy of the moment to get chosen for a titleshot, and there was less concern with safety and fighting for blood win or lose was more universally celebrated.

Yeah a lot of it imo is fighters having much more time to look and see how the ufc operates. People aren't dumb, and the guys we have established and coming up the ranks now watched the ufc. Nobody wants to end up like Sam Stout or Spencer Fisher. Damaged from all these wars only hardcore fans remember or care about, that you didn't really get paid that much for. When I heard an interview with Rich Franklin and he mentioned how ruthless they were at negotiating that's when I realized oh they just fuck everyone but certain guys over. If a company man that's filled in for them and taken all sorts of crazy fights is basically saying they lowball even guys like him, then very few are getting paid.

Which lead to this current climate of guys sitting out with even minor injuries once they have the belt. Look what they did to Sterling. Went and found a guy that was kind of a bad matchup and said hey take a quick turnaround and fight this guy right now for us, no sitting out to nurse injuries. Then when he lost, no rematch and go up to 145. Guys don't want to do favors for them like in the old days and you can see why.

 

[Tweak896]

Yeah a lot of it imo is fighters having much more time to look and see how the ufc operates. People aren't dumb, and the guys we have established and coming up the ranks now watched the ufc. Nobody wants to end up like Sam Stout or Spencer Fisher. Damaged from all these wars only hardcore fans remember or care about, that you didn't really get paid that much for. When I heard an interview with Rich Franklin and he mentioned how ruthless they were at negotiating that's when I realized oh they just fuck everyone but certain guys over. If a company man that's filled in for them and taken all sorts of crazy fights is basically saying they lowball even guys like him, then very few are getting paid.

Which lead to this current climate of guys sitting out with even minor injuries once they have the belt. Look what they did to Sterling. Went and found a guy that was kind of a bad matchup and said hey take a quick turnaround and fight this guy right now for us, no sitting out to nurse injuries. Then when he lost, no rematch and go up to 145. Guys don't want to do favors for them like in the old days and you can see why.

"Smart careers" are bad for the sport. There was also plenty of love for guys like Hunt who threw down and never reached a title and got paid great for it. The inactivity is going to kill the sport. Pereira fighting 3x a year boosted his profile so much, people forget how when Conor blew up to be a star, he was very active at that lead up to Aldo. Also most these guys can make decent money outside of UFC, where you couldn't before.

I just think incentives and penalties need to increase harshly to fix whatever exactly it is that brought these stale divisions. Flip it upside down. Smart careers drop your ranks. Exciting fights and being active helps you. I know even boxing has issues with activity right now. Tyson Fury (I know) was saying how much he wants to stay active when he was on top, but it was the whole system of boxing which had to promote and build up fights that slow all the fighters with names down to even get a match put together. Look at Usyk, 3 fights since 2023. There is a bunch of red tape everywhere in combat sports that slow and make it stale, even with more money than is even profitable.

 

[Mike]

"Smart careers" are bad for the sport. There was also plenty of love for guys like Hunt who threw down and never reached a title and got paid great for it. The inactivity is going to kill the sport. Pereira fighting 3x a year boosted his profile so much, people forget how when Conor blew up to be a star, he was very active at that lead up to Aldo. Also most these guys can make decent money outside of UFC, where you couldn't before.

I just think incentives and penalties need to increase harshly to fix whatever exactly it is that brought these stale divisions. Flip it upside down. Smart careers drop your ranks. Exciting fights and being active helps you. I know even boxing has issues with activity right now. Tyson Fury (I know) was saying how much he wants to stay active when he was on top, but it was the whole system of boxing which had to promote and build up fights that slow all the fighters with names down to even get a match put together. Look at Usyk, 3 fights since 2023. There is a bunch of red tape everywhere in combat sports that slow and make it stale, even with more money than is even profitable.

Thing is for every hunt there are like 10 Chris Leben's and these guys have had time to see that play out. There was a lot of goodwill there that is gone because people have seen how they use and throw away most fighters. Even the entertaining guys that don't cause problems or say no.

 

[Luthien]

Imavov early 2026

January vs Imavov

Should be in January

he will defend in January.

Chimaev is gonna fight in January

Well well well, already been moved to April 2026 at the earliest now

 

[Söze Aldo]

Probably end of 2026 if we're lucky?

Called it.

 

[188912345]

Well well well, already been moved to April 2026 at the earliest now

By all accounts, he wanted to defend in October.

Weird to gloat over a fighter getting injuries, but I guess maybe the sports culture is more ruthless in the USA.

 

[axe wound]

My understanding is that Weidman has stated that a few things haven't gone his way of late but he deserves the next title shot

 

[KO Shotz]

Well well well, already been moved to April 2026 at the earliest now

 

[FriskyRandy]

Called it.

Called what?

 

[Paolo Delutis]

Lol i totally forgot this goof actually won a title ...hes so inactive , he's already forgotten..

Wasnt an impressive/memorable performance i guess

 

[Poirierfan]

Imavov early 2026

If it ends up being RDR for beating Allen, what the fuck are we even doing here?

What's the reasoning in thinking RDR would beat Allen? I thought that was a pretty safe bet given Allen's BJJ and striking combined.

 

[BowserJr]

when will it be and who willl he fight , is this known already?

Whats your av though?

 

[Mohawk Banditó]

What's the reasoning in thinking RDR would beat Allen? I thought that was a pretty safe bet given Allen's BJJ and striking combined.

That wasn't a prediction, it was just saying RDR shouldn't get a shot over Imavov for beating Allen, who was a fill-in for Fluffy