If Strickland hadn't accepted a fight with Alex, none of current MW/LHW drama would be happening.

[Herwald]

Strickland agreed to fight Alex when no one else would and when he didn't need to. Alex wasn't even ranked then, while Sean was undefeated at MW and just one away from a shitle tot. Sean brought Alex into the TOP 10 of MW by losing, which began this torrent of horrors for Izzy and the LHW roster. Without Sean, who knows - maybe someone would've grapple fucked Alex along the way never to reach a top ranked MW opponent and Izzy would still be calf kicking fools to a decision today. But nah, Sean let the wolf into the shed. And AP's MW shine is what then propelled him to get a better name in Jan at LHW.

Jiri, Izzy, Blach, Hill - they can all thank Sean for their problems. Meanwhile, the MW division would've kept stalling with Izzy at the top. Now there's at least some commotion.

What do you think about this?

 

[b00tysweat]

Strickland wouldn't have beaten Izzy in this scenario?

 

[Herwald]

Strickland wouldn't have beaten Izzy in this scenario?

Obviously, a what if topic and maybe Alex would've smashed through every anyway, but I think Izzy's 2 Alex fights changed him. Pre-Alex Izzy would've been a more driven problem for Sean.

 

[TheMadHatter]

Another big what if is if Jan had won the split decision against Alex. Alex may have earned a title shot by now anyway, but it still leaves lots of other options.

 

[Question]

I think the UFC or Paradigm(at the time of this, they managed both Izzy and Strickland) guaranteed Sean a shot if he beat Pereira.
I wouldn't be surprised if his own management pushed him into taking it considering on paper it looked like his easiest matchup in the top five during that period(Alex sure as hell made it look like that lol)

At the time there wasn't really much for Izzy at middleweight either, however I'm guessing they saw the Pereira matchup as a massive bout. He just needed a way into the top five at least.

 

[AldoStillGoat]

So what you are saying is.. Alex has been pushed from the start by being granted fights he didn’t necessarily earn?

 

[World eater]

Yes, it would have been more boring. This timeline is better.

 

[RockyLockridge]

Without Sean, who knows - maybe someone would've grapple fucked Alex along the way never to reach a top ranked MW

there were no people like that At MW at the time. no one between Alex and sean anyway.

MW is like that, It's not dominated by grapplers like WW is

 

[Skarsgard]

I still wish we had gotten a matchup with Weidman somewhere in there.

 

[Kevster]

If my Auntie had balls she’d be my Uncle.

Who the fuck cares, as if it hasn’t worked for the better.

 

[BangBang]

Cream usually rises to the top. Hence Strickland hasn’t been too set back by his loss and is still very much in contention.

I was much more annoyed by the Akren- Masvidal debacle but I think im over that now lol

 

[RockyLockridge]

I still wish we had gotten a matchup with Weidman somewhere in there.

I love chris too much to ever want to see that!

 

[Skarsgard]

I love chris too much to ever want to see that!

I'm on the opposite side. I couldn't stand the dude from his debut on.

 

[mjoln]

Only in sherdog you look at poatan and think "I wish he would still grind in prelims". I am not pointing to ts.

Mw = mystery wrestlers

 

[Thesnake101]

"Drama" and it's just a fighter beating other fighters.

 

[Nobru]

if you mom was your dad you would have two dads
I dont see the purpose for these 'what if' discussions

 

[Gamer2k4]

Another big what if is if Jan had won the split decision against Alex. Alex may have earned a title shot by now anyway, but it still leaves lots of other options.

Oh, there's no question the mindset would be "He's just not ready for LHW" if Pereira had lost to Jan. The landscape at both LHW and MW would be completely different now.

 

[checktheknuckles]

Another big what if is if Jan had won the split decision against Alex. Alex may have earned a title shot by now anyway, but it still leaves lots of other options.

Nah. Voodoo >>>> suicide rope.

 

[Simple Southerner]

shitle tot.

Those are important

 

[jeff7b9]

Oh, there's no question the mindset would be "He's just not ready for LHW" if Pereira had lost to Jan. The landscape at both LHW and MW would be completely different now.

After a split decision vs a guy who fought for titles in 4 of his last 5?

That's pretty harsh sir.