Okay, So what is the point of a back up fighter?

[felmmando]

Acting as if Stipe beating Aspinall would somehow be a bigger achievement and better for his legacy than being the first fighter to (actually) beat Jon Jones, is straight up ridiculous.

Well, I respect your point of view, but to me, acting like Jones is a greater threat than Pavlovic or Aspinall is ridiculous. You think Miocic backed out because they're beneath him; I think he backed out because he didn't like the risk. Only he knows for certain which of us is right.

 

[felmmando]

I disagree. Stipe is in the discussion as one the best HW ever. Even older, he would still be the best HW name on Jones' resume should Jones beat him. Stipe beating the GOAT MMA fighter would also be the biggest win on his resume. Nobody else compares for either man's resume/legacy.

It's pretty standard in combat sports to feed aging greats to rising prospects in order to build up the latter. Sure, those faded stars have much more name recognition, but that doesn't mean beating them is a comparable accomplishment to beating a real prospect. It's entirely possible that neither Pavlovic nor Aspinall will go on to have as stellar a career as Jones had, but that doesn't mean that at HW, in 2023, beating Jones is a greater feat.

 

[dog y]

Yeah. They get paid, usually show money for showing up and making weight.

I assume they get much more if they are actually called upon to fight.

Really? Wonderman showed, weighed in, and didn't get paid when his opponent failed to show up.

 

[Khaosan]

Hey bro I heard you like backups so we got your backups some backups

 

[Bowel-forged Stool]

The point of a back up fighter is to stand and bang

 

[TheTickG]

I just don't get it.


They have a back up for the fight last weekend, they don't use him. They have a back up for the up coming ppv and they dont use him against the original opponent. We know both stipe and jones weren't going to either Aspinall or Pavlovich, So why have an official back up if the back up isn't going to replace the initial fight?

If you need someone on 30 minute notice.

 

[Thepaintbucket]

Ideally the UFC will have enough leverage to pressure a fighter into accepting the backup opponent. But it won't work in this instance because both Jones and Stipe have made it loud and clear about fighting each other

 

[Harlekin]

Like every thread:

Money

Backup fighter doesn't cost much. You get them to make sure you get a return of your money.
But if another fighter is willing to jump in, who brings more money, you take him.

 

[Dana's Conscience]

Backups are for if one of the scheduled guys collapses on the scale during weigh in day or something. They're not necessarily next man up from a meritocracy standpoint. They're someone adequate enough who agrees to cut weight in case the event needs to be salvaged at the very last minute.

 

[wwkirk]

Backup Fighter = Glorified NPC

 

[jeff7b9]

Really? Wonderman showed, weighed in, and didn't get paid when his opponent failed to show up.

He is getting the show money from that fight along with his pay for his next fight at his upcoming fight, that is the agreement I heard they came to.

WB was not a backup fighter, and the UFC should have paid him at the time that happened.

 

[tasticles]

I'm still pissy about Gamrot not getting the Islam fight lol.
For Stipe not fighting Pav, I guess he looked at the risk/reward factor along with knowing he's at the end of his career with not many fights left and decided to reject it.

The UFC probably aren't too happy with that and now he's gonna have to actually have to work his way back to another shot this time, tbh I'm kinda glad with how things turned out since now we got a fucking awesome fight in Pav/Aspinall.

Stipe should be counting his blessings right now. He has more time to get ready, doesn't fight Pav who would seriously hurt him and add another concussion to him. Bones will likely outpoint him or get a sneaky submission

 

[richardjohnson]

The back ups are there in case something happens close to the fight to make sure there is a fight. If they had put Gamrot in they would have had to find another backup for that fight which likely would have been impossible on 10 days notice or whatever it was.

 

[HaulParris]

How much backup guy make?

That's a great question. I do hope Gamrot got paid well, as (unlike a HW) he actually had to cut weight, presumably on short notice. Knowing Dana though, Colby probably got paid more than Gamrot, Smith* , and Pavlovich combined for when they agreed to be back-ups.

* IIRC Smith was backup for Glover-Hill, but he missed weight?

 

[Fergelmince]

Really? Wonderman showed, weighed in, and didn't get paid when his opponent failed to show up.

The UFC's argument is that they were paying Thompson to fight. The UFC is paying a back up to show up and fight if needed. There's no way volkanovski took his team and went to abu dhabi for UFC 280 for free as a back up.

 

[ferrisjso]

I just don't get it.


They have a back up for the fight last weekend, they don't use him. They have a back up for the up coming ppv and they dont use him against the original opponent. We know both stipe and jones weren't going to either Aspinall or Pavlovich, So why have an official back up if the back up isn't going to replace the initial fight?

See UFC 200 which was the biggest clusterfuck in sports since the 1904 Olympics. Also UFC 151.

A lot of cards with big main events would not be worthy of being PPVs without their main fights and the UFC would be forced to cancel them if that fight fell through. The replacement fighter(who is usually next in line or someone good) is there to ensure that doesn't happen. Making it official is to give confidence to the people buying PPVs that if A doesn't happen you'll get B instead so they can't complain they got screwed over.

 

[Psychojoe86]

The backup fighter is just so the ufc has options. Apparently it always has been. We just now have seen it Helen more often recently and that’s revealed some things.

major props to all the fighters willing to be supportive of the sport. It’s been good for the fans.

 

[Poirierfan]

I just don't get it.


They have a back up for the fight last weekend, they don't use him. They have a back up for the up coming ppv and they dont use him against the original opponent. We know both stipe and jones weren't going to either Aspinall or Pavlovich, So why have an official back up if the back up isn't going to replace the initial fight?

Jones is a special case for the most part, he only fights who he perceives to be weak or old.

 

[Poirierfan]

none of this shit makes sense anymore. So Aspinall vs Pavlovich, short notice title dream fight, and then what? Jones vs Stipe for the super REAL HW belt next year? and then a real HW title showdown between the winners of both late 2024 / 2025? what in the flying fookery is going on

Neither Stipe nor Jones will fight again after their fight, so the interim fight is for the real HW belt. Lol

 

[MRT]

It's nothing but a fallback position...a safety net.

UFC is still going to chase the 'best' option...especially when there is a big difference in what 'makes sense' (re: what makes money) that depends upon which fighter pulls out of a fight.