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Gaethje doesn't deserve a title shot and fight won't be competitive anyway

lerobshow

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I don’t understand the people who are excited to see Justin vs Topuria. Do they hate Justin that much?

At this point, I honestly think Paddy has a better shot at beating Ilia than Justin does. We’ve all seen how Gaethje fights — he’s been in the UFC for almost eight years now. It’s not going to end well for him against Topuria.

Now, if Gaethje came in with a game plan focused on leg kicks and wrestling, maybe I could see it being more competitive. But we all know how he likes to fight — and when you combine that with his age, it feels like a recipe for disaster.

I just don’t like that fight because I don’t think it’s competitive. It has brain damage written all over it for Justin.

Topuria vs Arman is the fight to make.

Paddy vs Justin should be a #1 contender fight. Both of them need one more win anyway. Why should Justin get a title shot when he’s 2-3 in his last five and already fought for the belt twice in the last three years?

We’ll see what happens, but I’m calling it now — just like I did before the Charles fight — if they book it, Justin is getting finished early. It won’t be competitive.
 
Gaethje may hit Ilia a few times and maybe hurt him a bit, but he’s getting slept sooner than later. Unless fans are excited to see Gaethje get ko’d cold, there is just no point making that fight happen.
 
Gaethje may hit Ilia a few times and maybe hurt him a bit, but he’s getting slept sooner than later. Unless fans are excited to see Gaethje get ko’d cold, there is just no point making that fight happen.
I think that's what it is

everybody wants to see Gaethje get payback for killing Tony Ferguson
 
I don’t care if he’d probably lose if he actually earned it. But he hasn’t and I’m not sure why he feels so entitled to it. He got face planted badly 2 fights ago, you gotta do more than beat a guy you already beat returning from injury.
 
I say say let illa legend kill gaethje. gaethje is a legend and i'd love to see him fight for the title once more. then do armen vs paddy (armen still needs to win a fight since his weight debacle, if they were going to let him go next, they would have already, so just get it over with) then illa fights winner of paddy vs armen.

so might suggest that this is protection of illa because armen is harder, and he is but the UFC has to run their course on armen. I hope they can get illa to turn around quick for madison square garden for the gaethje fight IF they go that rout. I just hope it doesn't get dragged out just make the fight and make it happen

-Paddy should have to fight because chandler should get Oliveria a title shot really, so it definitely shouldn't get paddy one

-Armen has to make up for his weight miss, I wish they'd just forget about it, but they've made it pretty clear they won't.
-Gaethje bounced back from the BMF loss with a win over fiziev who recently looked great, gaethje won his fight soundly.
 
Even if I agree that the odds don't favor Justin, as the Sherdog "Fights to Make" article points out, he is coming off a win over Fiziev, and has won 3 of his last 4. Gaethje only fights the top comp, he doesn't duck, he fights all the time, he doesn't back out of fights due to minor injuries, and he has given us enough wars-- absolute fire-- in the Octagon he deserves a shot if nobody else can forward an irrefutably stronger case. He's earned that much.

Since the clear #1 contender is Arman, and Dana has already said it won't be him, who else?
 
Even if I agree that the odds don't favor Justin, as the Sherdog "Fights to Make" article points out, he is coming off a win over Fiziev, and has won 3 of his last 4. Gaethje only fights the top comp, he doesn't duck, he fights all the time, he doesn't back out of fight due to minor injuries, and he has given us enough wars-- absolute fire-- in the Octagon he deserves a shot if nobody else can forward an irrefutably stronger case. He's earned that much.

Since the clear #1 contender is Arman, and Dana has already said it won't be him, who else?
I think fighters like gaethje should be celebrated and I think the way dustin porier gets a whole ppv dedicated to his last dance getting to fight for the BMF that he already lost to gaethje, Im thinking Gaethje should get a special last dance aswell, and it should be objectively better than Dustins.
 
Gaethje has been good business for the UFC, and exceptional for the just bleed fans. He has made no secret that his fighting days are numbered, so I have no problem if he gets the next shot at Ilia and the belt. It was not Gaethje's fault that the UFC gave him Fiziev again as his last fight. Paddy & Arman will both be around for a while, so plenty of time for them to get their shots. Ilia & Gaethje will be a fun fight no matter how it turns out, and I personally would love to see one of Gaethje's most powerful shots land on Ilia's chin to see what happens.
 
Give Geathje a title shot. The UFC should look after its legends.

After he gets steamrolled let Charles have his 3rd opportunity whilst contenders like Arman are made to suffer.

Where does it end?

Geathje should fight Paddy and Arman/Ilia next.
 
He really does not and I think that Ilia is also man enough to not go with Gaethje just because he presents the easier opportunity!


Ilia seems like someone who will not make up alternative facts ala „I havent fought Gaythje yet so its an interessting option“ just because he wants to add a few easy defenses to his record. The dude wants a real legacy and not a „What if-legacy“ which only some hardcore nuttjob fans would celebrate.

No „what ifs“ for the Top, only real deal challenges!
 
The only interesting fight is Ilia vs Islam, the rest is awful.
 
Am I supposed to believe Justin would beat Paddy? I don't.

Paddy vs Ilia is the fight to make.

Arman is going to show off in front of Nina again and get injured so no point in him fighting next.
 
I think fighters like gaethje should be celebrated and I think the way dustin porier gets a whole ppv dedicated to his last dance getting to fight for the BMF that he already lost to gaethje, Im thinking Gaethje should get a special last dance aswell, and it should be objectively better than Dustins.

I get that Gaethje is an exciting fighter, no denying that. But let’s stick to the facts.

Dustin Poirier has been in the UFC since 2011. Gaethje joined in 2017.

Poirier has 31 UFC fights. Gaethje has 14.

Both have fought for the undisputed title twice, and both held the interim lightweight belt once. The difference is in longevity, volume of work, and consistency at the top level.

Dustin has spent over a decade fighting elite competition, across two divisions. He’s been in countless main events and has been part of some of the UFC’s most memorable moments.

That’s why his “last dance” makes sense and feels earned.

It doesn’t mean Gaethje doesn’t deserve respect, but their careers are not equal in length or contribution. And it’s okay if not everyone gets the same kind of send-off.
 
I would say that paddy, arman, justin, they all deserve it to a degree, none are undeserving, Illia doesn’t seem to care
 
He really does not and I think that Ilia is also man enough to not go with Gaethje just because he presents the easier opportunity!


Ilia seems like someone who will not make up alternative facts ala „I havent fought Gaythje yet so its an interessting option“ just because he wants to add a few easy defenses to his record. The dude wants a real legacy and not a „What if-legacy“ which only some hardcore nuttjob fans would celebrate.

No „what ifs“ for the Top, only real deal challenges!
This, I was just about to comment that Ilia probably doesn’t want any bs defenses in his legacy.
 
I get that Gaethje is an exciting fighter, no denying that. But let’s stick to the facts.

Dustin Poirier has been in the UFC since 2011. Gaethje joined in 2017.

Poirier has 31 UFC fights. Gaethje has 14.

Both have fought for the undisputed title twice, and both held the interim lightweight belt once. The difference is in longevity, volume of work, and consistency at the top level.

Dustin has spent over a decade fighting elite competition, across two divisions. He’s been in countless main events and has been part of some of the UFC’s most memorable moments.

That’s why his “last dance” makes sense and feels earned.

It doesn’t mean Gaethje doesn’t deserve respect, but their careers are not equal in length or contribution. And it’s okay if not everyone gets the same kind of send-off.
Porier has fought for the title 3 times gaethje twice which is criminal

All 14 of gaethjes UFC fighters are against ranked fighters he's only fought top flight competition his entire UFC tenure

Gaethje should be more celebrated and have a bigger send off than gaethje
 
No one should get a title shot before Arman. I get that he pulled out of a title fight last minute, but he beat the guy everybody loves to earn his shot over a year ago. That guy just fought for the title at 2-2. Gaethje is on a 1 fight win streak and his latest win is against Fiziev who just moved back into the top 10. I get Paddy has history and the UFC wants to likely strike while the iron is hot and get the big payday, but FFS this is still supposed to be a legit organization.
 
Porier has fought for the title 3 times gaethje twice which is criminal

All 14 of gaethjes UFC fighters are against ranked fighters he's only fought top flight competition his entire UFC tenure

Gaethje should be more celebrated and have a bigger send off than gaethje

I agree Gaethje should be more celebrated and have a bigger send off than gaehtje.

But not Poirier
 
Justin’s eye poking antics would put that whole fight at risk. Hopefully Gaethje get’s KO’d and doesn’t get anywhere near a title shot
 
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