Hot Take LW is a mess because UFC sidelined Arman

[RockyLockridge]

M
I've been around sherdog for more than 15 year and it's legit in the top 10 worst takes I have seen here. And boy did I see bad ones.

My take: FIghters who are active and actually fight should be rewarded with title shots

If that's the worst take you've seen, you might be illiterate. Your argument is like "cena and brock have the most heat, so they should headline summer slam"

 

[Koya]

It's a normal wrestling drill. It's done everywhere

 

[Koya]

My take: FIghters who are active and actually fight should be rewarded with title shots

If that's the worst take you've seen, you might be illiterate. Your argument is like "cena and brock have the most heat, so they should headline summer slam"

No, if it was that much I'd agree.

You're arguing that doing the champion Vs real #1 is WWE matchmaking because it's what the fans want. That's the worst take.

 

[Koya]

Ilia is clearly likely to win but it's hardly making LW a mess, is it? Arman is the one who has caused this problem. As I said, Gaethje and Ilia can fight and Arman can go next.

He didn't make weight when it was his time. Headbutted his next opponent at the weigh in. He generally struggles making weight.

He fought at the end of November. I suspect the UFC (quite rightly) didn't want to gamble on him not making weight again at the end of January. Imagine your first numbered event with your new broadcaster and your main event gets pulled because one of the fighters didn't make weight. Not a great look. They cannot rely on him.

Ok my bad because I didn't fully develop my idea.

It's making LW a mess because every interview that Ilia does hints strongly at him refusing to defend the LW belt again after Gaethje and doing everything in his power to have a crack at the WW belt, even if it means holding the division hostage even more.

 

[RockyLockridge]

He said repeatedly he wanted to fight sooner but the UFC didn't offer him anything.

He offered to fight Gamrot on short notice as a replacement at catch-weight but the UFC refused, he just couldn't make the weight on one week notice which is the case of 99% of fighters.

fight was offered for july of 2025, he said no. the video of him saying no was in may of 2025. Months before the fight. not on short notice.

 

[Only Here for Attachments]

It’s amazing what being in the UFC’s doghouse can do for a fighter’s popularity

 

[Koya]

View attachment 1132726

fight was offered for july of 2025, he said no.

So it was offering again after the short notice offer ?

Edit: I smell bullshit because he accepted the short notice one against Gamrot with the condition that is catch-weight

 

[RockyLockridge]

So it was offering again after the short notice offer ?

Edit: I smell bullshit because he accepted the short notice one against Gamrot with the condition that is catch-weight

What bullshit? this is from Arman himself.

This was the UFC trying to give him the lay up to put him back into contention and he said no. There is an accompanying video of him saying no. Arman says gamrot was ranked 10, he was not, He ended up fighting klien later in a main event, and on that night gamrot was ranked 7th.

 

[Koya]

I want illa vs arman as much as the next guy, But the entire world shouldn't stop for Arman to get his fight. He could have bounced back in a QUICK AND TIMELY FASHION but chose to waste his time. You arguments and excuses for Arman are so disingenuous and pathetic i dont even know where to start. Gamrot Fought klien when he was ranked 7th. thats when he would have been fighting Arman. (May 31st 2025) Gamrot ALSO HAS A WIN OVER ARMAN. you seem to conveniently ignore that. So it was worth worth it in your eyes and retard armans, to wait SIX MONTHS to fight someone who was ranked higher by ONLY ONE POSITION?(6) because hooker is "so totally champ material." according to you?

Get real.

The thing you're missing is that Ilia Vs Gaethje is unappealing. Ilia will KO him inside two rounds 100% sure except if he shows up injured or sick. That's not a fight you look up to as a fight fan

 

[RockyLockridge]

No, if it was that much I'd agree.

You're arguing that doing the champion Vs real #1 is WWE matchmaking because it's what the fans want. That's the worst take.

Number 1 is the interim champion. You want number 2 to go over number 1 because that's what you want. THATS WWE.

 

[PeterGriffin]

It seems fairly obvious to me they expected Paddy to beat Gaethje just like they expected Fiziev to beat him to prop up the rising star like they have done so many times in the past by sacrificing a 'washed' legend.
Well that didn't work out. Just like when Rashad was supposed to cement his legitimacy on Lyoto's corpse... which back fired spectacularly. Now as Mohawk has correctly pointed out their stuck. That said this wouldn't be the first time a "Champ" has side stepped an interim belt holder to fight a "Washed Ex-Champ" (No shade on Stipe. But let's be honest, he had moved on with his life.) Meanwhile you can't blame Gaethje for wanting to Stay Active/Fight/Get Paid doing what he loves. Who's Idea the interim belt was and the reason behind it... Is it really that important???

Paddy vs JG was a win-win for Ilia and the UFC, but the fans suffered for it. The fans got an artificially installed champ, and in a stroke of luck poor fight IQ... now 'Murica will claim JG and Kayla as champs on the WH lawn and Ilia gets a lay up opponent. I would be surprised if JG continues fighting if he loses on the WH lawn, and I don't really see him winning... I believe Ilia wins emphatically. Seems like the perfect swan song for an American fighter.

I don't even really give a shit about Ilia vs. JG. Two beggars for title shots, but JG's shopworn as fuck and it will not even be competitive. And the UFC angling to put the winner of Max and Charles next in ine isn't super-exciting either. Has Max or Charles evolved at all since they all last met, as it sure doesn't seem like it.

Ilia vs. Max 2 or ilia vs. Charles 2? Meh.

Shaft Arman and BSD again in lieu of "veteran dues paid" on their way out while real up and comers get ignored? Screw Dana... the UFC needs Frank and Lorenzo back in charge. The current roster of champs wouldn't be acting like prima donnas at all.

 

[Koya]

Number 1 is the interim champion. You want number 2 to go over number 1 because that's what you wanna.

Well all know he's a paper champ, worse a paper interim champ. He didn't get his "belt" by fighting the best fighter available at the time and you know it.

Also and again: ilia Vs gaethje is a shit fight, just a highlight reel for Topuria and we all know it

 

[RockyLockridge]

The thing you're missing is that Ilia Vs Gaethje is unappealing. Ilia will KO him inside two rounds 100% sure except if he shows up injured or sick. That's not a fight you look up to as a fight fan

Leon vs belal was unappealing. but belal deserved it.
Merab vs yan 2 was unappealing, but yan deserved it.
Maia vs woodley was unppealing, but maia deserved it.
Nunes vs Pennington was unappealing, But Pennington deserved it.

Only the WWE makes matches PURELY on appeal. And that seems to be what you want.

Well all know he's a paper champ, worse a paper interim champ. He didn't get his "belt" by fighting the best fighter available at the time and you know it.

Also and again: ilia Vs gaethje is a shit fight, just a highlight reel for Topuria and we all know it

WWE brain. You probably thought it was wrong for stipe to go ahead of tom and get the jones fight when tom was interim champion, probably called it a circus. Now there is an interim lw champion and you're fine with someone going over him and it's a circus if they don't.

 

[RockyLockridge]

Paddy vs JG was a win-win for Ilia and the UFC, but the fans suffered for it.

im actually doing fine thanks.

 

[188912345]

that's a bit silly.

If a player in "most sports" gets suspended for breaking a rule and they are the best player, should they just get exempted from Disciplinary action because they are the best? If SGA gets a 5 game suspension during game 1 of the NBA finals, Should we just let it slide because we want to see a better game and a better finals series? because in my eyes, thats what you're asking for. and as far as im concerned, that's MORE politics via exemption from what we expect to be commonplace guidelines.

MMA isn't a team sport, there is going to be much more politics because you don't have 16 teams vying for a top 8 placement. you have 6-7 people at a time vying for JUST one spot. So every little thing you do is going to be weighed against your contemporaries. Those who appease the wishes of the promotion will be rewarded. Arman viloated the promotions wishes then did absolutely nothing to get back into their good graces. I'm not sure why the promotion SHOULD bend over backwards to give him what he wants. MMA has ALWAYS been a game of what you've done lately. It seems like you want to forgo this just for a guy you like.

If when Hooker pulled out of the gaethje fight, Justin said "Nah Im not fighting fiziev. He doesn't move me forward in the division and I gain nothing from taking that fight, because not only have i areadly beaten him, but he's coming off a serious injury on short notice. Pull me from the card" Do you think he'd have gotten the interim title headliner against paddy? the answer is obviously not.

I think it was "punishment" enough that he first cut weight and weighed in as a back up for the summer title fight.

And then that he actually fought and finished Hooker in a very impressive fashion, but now he will have to fight once more while someone he would be favored to demolish plays interim champ.


Gaethje would obviously not deny the Fiziev fight, since it's one of the few non-grapplers at the top, and he only fights grapplers if it's for a title.

It is what it is, hopefully things get moving at the top of the LW-division this year .

 

[Koya]

Leon vs belal was unappealing. but belal deserved it.
Merab vs yan 2 was unappealing, but yan deserved it.
Maia vs woodley was unppealing, but maia deserved it.
Nunes vs Pennington was unappealing, But Pennington deserved it.

Only the WWE makes matches PURELY on appeal. And that seems to be what you want.

Belal comparison is silly. Belal had a 11 fights winning streak, never fought for a belt and had history with Leon.

Same for the other ones.

And Mera Vs Yan 2 was unappealing? WTF it was a sick fight we all looked up to it.

Gaethje is on a two fight streak, fought and lost twice for the belt via finish, and fought and lost for the BMF belt via finish. At this rythm he'll get more opportunities than a cat got lives. Give us a new face, like the rightful #1 contender, not a paper interim champ.

You're the one matching on appeal. Everyone knows that Ilia and Arman are the two best LWs in the UFC today and that's the highest level fight.

 

[RockyLockridge]

I think it was "punishment" enough that he first cut weight and weighed in as a back up for the summer title fight.

And then that he actually fought and finished Hooker in a very impressive fashion, but now he will have to fight once more while someone he would be favored to demolish plays interim champ.


Gaethje would obviously not deny the Fiziev fight, since it's one of the few non-grapplers at the top, and he only fights grapplers if it's for a title.

It is what it is, hopefully things get moving at the top of the LW-division this year .

Hope so too.

 

[RockyLockridge]

And Mera Vs Yan 2 was unappealing? WTF it was a sick fight we all looked up to it.

No we didn't the first fight was a borring super one sided affair no one thought yan would win a rematch (let alone dominate with a shut out). He made it an exciting fight. No one was looking forward to it. They were just trying to get it out of the way so merab could get his 4th title defense in a year.


and this is coming from the biggest yan supporter on here.

gaethje last fought for a title in 2022. so much for "lets leave the past in the past" like you wanted to earlier.

 

[RockyLockridge]

The UFC needs Frank and Lorenzo back in charge. The current roster of champs wouldn't be acting like prima donnas at all.

frank and lorenzo would never tolerate arman pulling out on a days notice and turning down fights to give him a title fight in his next match up.

 

[PeterGriffin]

frank and lorenzo would never tolerate arman pulling out on a days notice and turning down fights to give him a title fight in his next match up.

They would have given Arman the Interim LW title fight and they wouldn't tolerate one fight a year champs.