Media Dana White: Pavlovich / Aspinall winner could possibly defend the interim belt

[Thatlookinhiseyes]

What’s the point of an interm belt unless it’s going to be defended? If there’s no intent on defending, it’s just #1 contender status. The point of it is to keep the division moving while a champ is busy with other things. Injuries/gimmick fights etc. this hw interm is a fight between two legit contenders. Imagine the winner goes on to beat almeida after? He would be looked at as champ favourably more than jones would.

also, does it bug anyone else when the champion is introduced as “undisputed” when they’re fighting the interm champ? The whole existence of another “champ” in that weight class makes the status of the original champ disputed.

 

[ferrisjso]

What’s the point of an interm belt unless it’s going to be defended? If there’s no intent on defending, it’s just #1 contender status. The point of it is to keep the division moving while a champ is busy with other things. Injuries/gimmick fights etc. this hw interm is a fight between two legit contenders. Imagine the winner goes on to beat almeida after? He would be looked at as champ favourably more than jones would.

also, does it bug anyone else when the champion is introduced as “undisputed” when they’re fighting the interm champ? The whole existence of another “champ” in that weight class makes the status of the original champ disputed.

Well the UFC doesn't really do interim defenses anymore so it would be a departure from the status quo. Remember Barao reigning for years as the interim champ but one day the UFC decided they ain't doing that anymore and will strip the real champ right away instead of building up to a unification bout for years. The reason they're going back to the old policy is they aren't stripping Jones.

Given it's HW I highly doubt this happens they are just expressing they're willing to do it.

 

[VenomCarnage]

If we are honest, this fight is a lot more legit than Jones vs Gane.

Jones had never fought at Heavyweight before.

Gane had a good resume, but had literally just lost to Ngannou a second ago.

At this these lads have had a bit of a ‘run’. You subtract Tom’s ‘loss’ to Curtis, and this is a perfect fight, meritocracy wise.

 

[Koya]

Defending an interim belt lmao

sadly there's a precedent. Barao did it. A lot

 

[Diktaattori]

Idk last two LHW champs relinquished their belts. Why won't Jones?

 

[TheWobbler]

As long as the fighters are paid as champions then don't see the problem.

 

[Takes_Two_To_Tango]

As long as the fighters are paid as champions then don't see the problem.

Yes, this. If they get paid just as the same as being the champion. Then that's awesome.

 

[Cooliox]

Dana is dumb


His dumbassery is going to come back and bite him in the ass eventually

Losing to Ngannou and Losing a billion dollar class-action lawsuit are just the first steps

 

[Paul E Gensinger]

Yes he did.

The ugliest little hammer fist Bruce Lee one inch punch KO.

Brocks title run was nuts.
All finishes.
Every fight against a guy who brought a belt to the cage.
Brock beat TWO 2x UFC HW champs.
Won a UFC title in his 4th pro fight over a 5x UFC champ.

I loved him.
His Cain and Overeem loss was due to the serious health issues. (though I don't know if he could have ever beaten Cain). He was still green and needed a real team, needed to learn pacing, and my goodness his striking got worse over time. He gets little respect on Sherdog.
Remember his destruction of Mir?
And his comeback against Carwin was bad ass.

 

[jeff7b9]

I loved him.
His Cain and Overeem loss was due to the serious health issues. (though I don't know if he could have ever beaten Cain). He was still green and needed a real team, needed to learn pacing, and my goodness his striking got worse over time. He gets little respect on Sherdog.
Remember his destruction of Mir?
And his comeback against Carwin was bad ass.

Brock holding Frank Mir's right arm behind his back while smashing the shit out of his face for several seconds longer than frank will ever remember was one of the most beautiful displays of martial arts violence I have ever seen.

 

[Dirty Frank]

Dana's a steadfast believer in Saint Jones.

 

[Dirty Frank]

I loved him.
His Cain and Overeem loss was due to the serious health issues. (though I don't know if he could have ever beaten Cain). He was still green and needed a real team, needed to learn pacing, and my goodness his striking got worse over time. He gets little respect on Sherdog.
Remember his destruction of Mir?
And his comeback against Carwin was bad ass.

I don't think he could have ever beaten Reem either, even if healthy.

 

[Wreckless]

The whole point of having an interim belt was to decide who will fight for the title when a champ is out or injured.

Having to defend this belt makes no fucking sense whatsoever.

Bald goof is losing it with age.

 

[TRUS8888]

This is for the real HW belt imo.

He just doesn't want to strip Jones because that lowers the chances he ever comes back and provides Dana/UFC with another fat PPV. Jones seems to only want to fight against Stipe too, I'm calling it now... it's going to be a fucked up situation at HW for a while where the winner of Tom/Sergei has an interim HW belt.. then probably defends that interim belt... then we see Jones v Stipe for the 'real' belt... before a unification finally? Or maybe Jones/Stipe just retire and then the interim HW champ gets upgraded to the official champ.

Just like when GSP wanted the MW belt (but only fight against a certain guy).. they throw integrity out the window in order ensure that PPV headline can be delivered.

 

[Bobby Boulders]

Bc this is what the fans are clamoring for.

 

[Captain Herb]

Loser fights Gane for 2nd Interim Championship of the World

 

[PaddyO'malley]

It is my belief that we was need to keep track of the interim defense, this was to #Ensure that we will having been knowed in the future who the #VeryBest paper champ historically was been inside of each every weight class across UFC

 

[Thepaintbucket]

I completely understand business is priority above all but damn it's so disrespectful towards the future champion of the division

 

[humdizzle]

"the reigning defending interim heavyweight champion of the worrrrrlllddd"

but yeah they had to do it to get aspinall and pav to sign. interim belt = championship pay and ppv points.

 

[BFoe]

A bunch of you guys are being ridiculous.

Interim belts are supposed to be defended. The whole point of an interim champ is to have someone to defend the belt while the actual champ is out for an extended period.
If the very first thing an interim champ does after winning the belt is turn around and unify it, then you didn’t fucking need an interim champ.