How is Rockhold vs. Romero for the interim title?

[Combat Wombatt]

So Whitaker pulls out of 1 fight because of injury and now Rockhold vs. Romero is for the title? (If I’m correct)

Why wouldn’t they just have Rockhold fight Whitaker once Whitaker has healed?

How long has Conor and not defended the belt? How long did Mir go without defending the belt? Wasn’t/isn’t it over a year?

 

[superpunch]

Whittaker isn't the interim champ. He's hte champion

 

[joeyjoejoe]

The show must go on I guess.

 

[Arm Barbarian]

Fair enough question.

WTF belt is this fight for, officially?

 

[Weidman]

Are you people dumb? Whittaker is champion since GSP vacated, those two are fighting for interim belt.

 

[Matthew Fedler]

Marketing purposes I would assume. I think I have also heard that agreements with the hosting arenas sometimes include mandatory title fights (or equivalent non-title fight, ie. Silva vs Diaz).

 

[Epicness]

Fair enough question.

WTF belt is this fight for, officially?

Officially, the middleweight belt is a joke at this point. People praise GSP for taking it from Bisping but in reality he just made the division even more of a clusterfuck by dropping it right away and now this. Shit is a circus

 

[Lay N Pray 101]

Wait, what? When did this happen?

 

[Epicness]

Are you people dumb? Whittaker is champion since GSP vacated, those two are fighting for interim belt.

I think TS’ point is that it should just be a #1 contender fight but UFC seems to think pointless shiny belts make everything more appealing

 

[Dertysandal]

Should be a interim title match for the Real interim title to get to the real title

 

[Emjay]

They want to deliver a title fight.

 

[Lay N Pray 101]

Wait, what? When did this happen?

Thought this was fake but read the report. Nooooooooooo! But Rockhold vs Romero is good so I'm not too-too hurt.

 

[Weidman]

I think TS’ point is that it should just be a #1 contender fight but UFC seems to think pointless shiny belts make everything more appealing

I do like idea of interim belt, should be silver belt or something. Also all winning fighters should win some type of trophy. You can go 10 years of fighting in UFC and if you were never champion you don't have a single trophy.

 

[Tze]

' Interim belt. GSP vacated. Whit is the Champ. Yoel vs. Rockhold for interim until Whitaker recovers. Winner, agains recovered Whit for the BELT. I love Whitaker, but see Yoel taking the belt after all. Time is now for Cuban Yoel to win it all, or maybe never... Hope never die! Same as PRIDE. '
- Tze

 

[Danespina]

Basically the real champion vacated his belt, so the interim champion became promoted to real champion, thus making the interim spot empty, meaning UFC now needs someone new to fill that space, hence Rockhold vs. Romero.

 

[Sapp]

Marketing purposes I would assume. I think I have also heard that agreements with the hosting arenas sometimes include mandatory title fights (or equivalent non-title fight, ie. Silva vs Diaz).

Pretty much.

 

[Pitier of Fools]

The interim champ is injured, so they have to fight for an interim interim belt. What don't you understand?

 

[Mga223]

They want to deliver a title fight.

Exactly.

They promoted a title fight to sell the card so they'l ggive a title fight to sell the card.

 

[DRMZ]

Because the new age breed of MMA fan can’t summon the brain power to be interested in a high level fight unless it’s for a shiny leather belt with gold on it.

 

[GSP_37]

Who cares. They should all fight each other. I wouldn't have frowned if it was Gastelum vs Luke either.