I can see where you're coming from and don't think it's baseless, but it's not just ppv vs live gate. In a world where PPV is dying, international superstars seem pretty clearly to be the most valuable commodity cus of functioning as bridges to markets with millions of loyal fans that bring value beyond traditional ppv sales in the form of growing the sport and building regional stars.
To your point, Colby is the best example of a guy getting undue preferential treatment and def a fair point, but tbh it’s pretty intellectually lazy to lump Dustin and Justin in w him when Colby’s a pretty unique example and entirely dissimilar to them beyond the shallow fact that they’re simply whiteys(w tattoos lol). Colby is very specifically and intentionally marketing himself to the ‘let’s go Brandon’ and trump segment of society who also happens to be one of Dana buttbuddies, so there’s a slimey connection that benefits him no doubt.
Now let’s dig in to the preferential treatment of the other guys:
Strickland wasn’t the plan, he was a replacement opponent vs Izzy then had the performance of his life which made him champ. He then loses the belt in a fight
some people think was controversial(not me). If he was getting the preferential treatment you say then the UFC had a golden opportunity to run it back and give him another chance at being the guy when he campaigned for the ddp rematch. Instead, they moved on to DDP vs Izzy, a fight with two guys who are international stars. So you’re right that the proof is in the matchmaking, but it’s going a different direction. And fwiw, I imagine Sean is gonna go back to being the apex/fight night guy now.
Justin and Dustin are literally walking performance bonuses and are tenured, world-class vets who both beat rising prospects in Fiziev and BSD to defend their positions. Now Gaethje is in a more or less meaningless (but fun af) fight he didn’t have to take, and if he wins, he’s not guaranteed to be Islam’s next fight, so not sure what’s preferential and unfair about that.
About Dustin, he’d only be Islam’s next fight cus the UFC fucked up w their timeline(plus Islam asked for it…), so now Arman, Olives, and Gaethje are all booked and can’t really be relied on to make the turnaround to fight Islam so soon after 300, leaving Dustin, who is also the guy Islam very specifically asked for.
That being the case, Dustin being the guy Islam asked for actually is moreso proof of Islam’s preferential treatment since he’d be getting the guy he tried to pick, prob in Saudi Arabia in June, who also happens to be a good matchup for him. This is all obviously for Islam. Dustin would just be the guy in the right place, right time to be offered up to a guy who is ‘
supposed‘ to beat him.
And if somehow Gaethje ends up as Islam’s next fight, it could again be argued that Islam would be getting favorable matchmaking since Gaethje’s weaknesses play to Islam’s strengths unlike someone like Arman. In other words, the UFC would be ‘feeding’ dangerous but beatable vets to bolster Islam’s resume and stardom before the matchups with less upside for him. Sending Justin or Dustin to fight Islam, a bad matchup for either, in the Middle East is not doing them a favor lol; it’s to Islam’s benefit.
If you’re looking for examples of what the UFC wants, look no further than Khamzat being set up to murder Nate Diaz in a supposed to be star-making performance
PS I don’t blame you if you don’t wanna read all that, I wouldn’t really either. It’s all good
www.tapology.com
