Is Jones the first (active) fighter who's refused to unify a belt???

[snaportap21]

Is that what set up Lesnar/Mir 2? I guess that would make sense

Exactly. That’s how Lesnar somehow got the belt while Mir had the interim title. To be fair, Randy chose to fight Lesnar instead of waiting to fight the interim champ because it made him more money. I’m sure he intended to fight the winner of Mir Nogueira.

 

[markg171]

I like how we're completely igonring that Tom only defended the interim belt

- So he could avenge his loss to Blaydes who was on a whopping 1 fight win streak
- It was a PPV in England and they needed to keep people awake until 6am for Belal/Leon

Let alone the problems with him ever even being a fake interim champ in the first place. He won his "title" defeating another contender who also didn't have a title shot yet, not Stipe who had the title shot in the first place. You're acting like Jon fought a total random to avoid Tom instead of the dude he was originally scheduled to fight who hadn't lost to Tom.

The UFC created this mess.

 

[Meathead Jock]

GDR deal was still way worse. She was a true active fighter and not rich and just forfeited. Jones is a nearly retired "money fighter" who is ducking a guy who isn't in his main natural weight class.

This is closer to GSP beating Bisping and retiring. Or McGregor KOing Aldo and refusing a rematch despite his long run as champion and it being a KO before we could see if it might play out differently in a rematch.

 

[blaseblase]

GSP gave up his belt pretty quickly rather than fight the number one contender. But Jones is flat out refusing while still holding onto the title.

 

[blaseblase]

I like how we're completely igonring that Tom only defended the interim belt

- So he could avenge his loss to Blaydes who was on a whopping 1 fight win streak

What win streak were Stipe and Gane on again?

It was a PPV in England and they needed to keep people awake until 6am for Belal/Leon

What's your problem with England?

Let alone the problems with him ever even being a fake interim champ in the first place.

Jones is injured for a year and 8 months and somehow you come to the conclusion there shouldn't have been an interim title. You absolute dummy. This exact situation is the reason the interim title exists in the first place.

He won his "title" defeating another contender who also didn't have a title shot yet, not Stipe who had the title shot in the first place.

So just like how Jones won his title

 

[Meathead Jock]

GSP gave up his belt pretty quickly rather than fight the number one contender. But Jones is flat out refusing while still holding onto the title.

I mean he has said they can strip him if they want, that's on the UFC. I'm sure they will once he takes a fight that isn't Tom.

 

[blaseblase]

I mean he has said they can strip him if they want, that's on the UFC. I'm sure they will once he takes a fight that isn't Tom.

He should have been stripped when he demanded to fight the retiree instead of the top contender.

 

[Meathead Jock]

He should have been stripped when he demanded to fight the retiree instead of the top contender.

The Stipe fight wouldn't have been a big deal of he didn't get injured pushing it back. At that point it turned into a ridiculous fight because there was an obvious fight to make but the other had been announced.

Kind of like with DDP being announced Strickland but closer to time Khamzat makes more sense. Will see if they stay the course like they did with Stipe or if they pivot on that one.

 

[icemun]

Not a Jones hate thread.

Simply asking.

There have been plenty of fighters who have relinquished their belts, left the organization, or refused to fight certain fighters and were either stripped (De Randamie-Cyborg), or given alternate fights (Tito- Chuck-Randy).

But has there ever been a case where there is an "undisputed" title holder and interim title holder each ACTIVELY defending their belts, but not fighting each other, because one fighter refused to?

Jones was scheduled to fight Stipe and that fight just happened.

He said he would give up the HW belt to fight Alex

Sounds like people really wanted him and the UFC to cancel the Stipe fight after Tom came on the scene with his first PPV win ever

This is nutty

 

[icemun]

He should have been stripped when he demanded to fight the retiree instead of the top contender.

Tom wasnt or barely ranked when Jones beat Gane.

Gane was #1 HW Stipe #2


Jones was supposed to call out some unranked unknown fighter who never appeared on a PPV and just lost to Blades?


What are you talking about man???

 

[mkess101]

I'll be right there with everyone else ripping Jones if he doesn't A) fight Tom or B) vacate.

But can we at least let it play out more than 6 days before we just all agree that Jones is "refusing to unify". Yes, I know what he said. But there's at least a chance that he's just using it as a negotiating tool and if he gets his # ($15m, whatever it is) he agrees to the fight and we're all happy.

 

[HHJ]

I would say GSP but he was not very active, it was a one off thing

He had no intention of keeping it. He won it and went back to retirement

 

[HHJ]

who is ducking a guy who isn't in his main natural weight class.

What the fuck is the point of moving up if you arent gonna fight people there??

 

[Islam Imamate]

Exactly. They're both defending concurrently. There have been several instances of interim fighters fighting other guys while the undisputed is injured or out for awhile, but I can't think of ANY that defended concurrently.

Randy was set to defend his title against Brock in November of 2008 when Big Nog was scheduled to defend his interim title against Mir the next month in December. Of course both lost and it was Borck and Mir who went on the unify the titles. That was a little bit before I became more of a serious fan of the sport so idk what happened with that timing but the obvious explanation would be that it was in the UFC' and Randy's best interest to defend against Brock before Big Nog for the obvious reasons. Sad because we know Big Nog would've worked Randy and taken that belt.

 

[Meathead Jock]

What the fuck is the point of moving up if you arent gonna fight people there??

Collect a belt for history books?

I hope he fights Tom, just saying GDR's was 10x's more cowardly.

 

[HHJ]

Collect a belt for history books?

I hope he fights Tom, just saying GDR's was 10x's more cowardly.

He's basically doing the same thing, just has way more leverage to get away with it.

 

[markg171]

What win streak were Stipe and Gane on again?


What's your problem with England?




Jones is injured for a year and 8 months and somehow you come to the conclusion there shouldn't have been an interim title. You absolute dummy. This exact situation is the reason the interim title exists in the first place.




So just like how Jones won his title

Tom’s interim was fake because he beat Pav for it instead of Stipe, like 99% of other interims and why that winner gets a title shot.

Cause he never beat Stipe who had the original shot Stipe kept his shot again.

It was always an illegitimate title, even if the Tom/Pav winner likely deserved to be #1 over Stipe. But neither actual beat him to win the interim so quit acting surprised the UFC ignored it when it was so illegitimate after nobody beat Stipe to take his

 

[markg171]

What the fuck is the point of moving up if you arent gonna fight people there??

He literally beat the #1 HW in his debut. Who Tim has never beaten.

Y’all are salty as fuck and probably have been since 2008.

 

[HHJ]

He literally beat the #1 HW in his debut. Who Tim has never beaten.

Y’all are salty as fuck and probably have been since 2008.

Gane's been ducking Tom too, that's why.

 

[Lord Pyjamas]

Not a Jones hate thread.

Simply asking.

There have been plenty of fighters who have relinquished their belts, left the organization, or refused to fight certain fighters and were either stripped (De Randamie-Cyborg), or given alternate fights (Tito- Chuck-Randy).

But has there ever been a case where there is an "undisputed" title holder and interim title holder each ACTIVELY defending their belts, but not fighting each other, because one fighter refused to?

Pretty sure the UFC will not pay him for it.