Honest question: why some (or most) of you think JG doesn't deserve the TS?

[maximus__]

Justin isn't even in contention?? That's a big surprise to me considering he's pretty much been named the top contender likely to get the fight along with Paddy. So how if he not in contention lol??

The issue with Max is he just got blasted by Ilia recently and there isn't much interest in the fight. If it was up to me, I would give the fight to Arman. But I am not a match maker.

The guy has fought for the belt multiple times based off his wins and done pretty poorly each time.

Fought Khabib off a great run for the belt and lost. Beat Chandler and fought Charles again for the belt and lost.
Then beat Fiziev and Dustin for the BMF and then lost to Max before beating Fiziev again.

That's his last 5 years at LW. His wins are Fiziev x2 (currently 11) Dustin (great top 5 win, recently retired, but they went 1-1) and Chandler (has a win over Ferguson and Hooker who was training in his backyard with no coach)

Compare that to even Max who has only lost to Ilia (now champ) and Volk (gave Islam his biggest LW title reign challenge) and has wins over Justin (recently) and Dustin(Justin's best win)

Gaethje is exciting so people will always watch him fight, but the guy needs another win to fight for the title IMO.

Gaethje and Paddy would be great. A win there is a good argument for the next shot.
Charles is fighting Fiziev next, for a bounce back fight for them both.
You could do Max Vs Hooker, for another back up contender fight, with them both probably beating the shit out of each other in a stand up war.

Arman should be next for the belt, but keep Nina "bad luck"Drama out of there. Anything she touches turns to shit.She is the new Drake curse.

 

[whocares]

It is bizarre how many fans continue to put stock in some sort of merit based unwritten rules and standards towards fight booking that clearly do not exist, despite knowing full well that they don't. The UFC does not give one solitary shit about rankings, who beat who last, who's on what kind of streak and they haven't for a long time. So what are we talking about here? Right or wrong, Arman is in the UFC's doghouse, so he's out. Gaethje and Paddy are a coinflip decision at this point, neither has a strong case over the other. Everyone else is behind them in the pecking order. I genuinely don't see an angle for legit handwringing here, except for the fact that UFC's punishment of Arman is over the top, which is a different topic than this one.

 

[Rampage_Jackson]

my brain went to Jared Gordon for some reason and I was quite confused. Bit of a journeyman for a title shot yea?

 

[Kevster]

He doesn’t really, however we’re approaching 20 numbered events since Arman last fought, is he supposed to keep that spot indefinitely ?

Nobody forced him to sprain his vagina goofing around with a lassie on Instagram.

 

[whooty]

Sure lets expand on that Ilia highlight reel

 

[irimiasz]

One thing is what others have said - he's old, he already got two titleshots, is coming off a humiliating loss to another fighter champ has KOd and barely winning against short-notice guy whom he already beaten.

Second thing is that he's a stylistic dream for Topuria. If it gets through, everyone and their dog knows it's just to give Ilia another hightlight reel KO before moving into boxing or challenging for 170 belt.

Third thing is that it will show that the strategy of winning one fight and then whine about titleshot is what gets you the championship fight. Many veterans try this now, including Yair or Sterling, and it f'in sucks.

And the last thing - Gaethje just makes zero sense of both sides of a spectrum. You want the best to fight the best? Give the fight to Arman. You want marketable, exciting fights? Give it to Paddy - he's young, unbeaten, and we will have some questions answered about where his ceiling is. Gaethje is just a totally unexciting compromise, I feel exactly zero emotions about the possibility of it.

 

[Sensee]

It should be Paddy, heck those other entitled divas

Such harsh language! Mods there are children on here.

 

[KO Shotz]

Because he lost to Max in dramatic fashion & is coming of a win against Fiziev who is 1-3 in his last 4.

With that being said I totally understand why people don't think he deserves the next title shot. But my personal opinion is that he does. Paddy isn't next up by any means coming off a win against a washed up Chandler with a padded record. Max is out with a hand injury & Arman is booked with Dan. Nobody else makes sense but Justin Gaethje right now.

Many have forgotten, but Gaethje was next in line to fight Islam for the belt but Islam was being a diva & was taking his sweet time to accept a fight with Justin. So, with UFC 300 in jeopardy, Justin took a fight with Max gambling his number 1 contender status for the company. I do agree that on paper it doesn't look like Gaethje is deserving of a title fight next, but due to the circumstances I wouldn't be upset at all with Gaethje vs Ilia happening next. I mean Justin has been in title fights for almost every fight he's been in since 2020, so to say he's at the top of the division is an understatement.

 

[Limeade]

Justin versus Paddy.

Islam to WW.

 

[Mohawk Banditó]

It is bizarre how many fans continue to put stock in some sort of merit based unwritten rules and standards towards fight booking that clearly do not exist, despite knowing full well that they don't. The UFC does not give one solitary shit about rankings, who beat who last, who's on what kind of streak and they haven't for a long time. So what are we talking about here? Right or wrong, Arman is in the UFC's doghouse, so he's out. Gaethje and Paddy are a coinflip decision at this point, neither has a strong case over the other. Everyone else is behind them in the pecking order. I genuinely don't see an angle for legit handwringing here, except for the fact that UFC's punishment of Arman is over the top, which is a different topic than this one.

Business savvy says the answer still isn't Justin. First off, high excitement doesn't pull in as many casual numbers as random Instagram numbers do, so Paddy would get the nod first, and Paddy is full company man, while Gaethje has threatened to retire multiple times if he doesn't get a shot, and it's not good business to entertain that behavior. The juice is drying up for Justin with the squeeze

 

[Safton]

I mean, was the BMF fight an unranked exhibition bout that just so happened to be contested at 155 pounds? That's sort of the crux of the matter.

 

[TriangleMonkey]

I ain’t mad at JG if he gets one last hoorah

You know he won’t play safe and will die on his shield