Media Oliveira open to the idea of an interim title fight vs. Gaethje if Islam wants to move up to 170

[Benoitthegr8]

Everyone has this backwards, Islam is actually going down to FW to double champ, it’s Mak vs. Volk 3, Topuria is going up to 155 for the TS. against McGregor and Gaethje/Olives are just shit out of luck….

 

[italiamusica]

If true this is just stupid, almost like they're trying to force their good champs to only fight once a year.

 

[HCS]

Islam fights the winner of Leon/Colby?

Yeah, that's what I'm assuming this is all hinging on. Colby wins and we get him and Islam. Leon wins and we get Islam and Charles.

 

[spooNN]

The goof probably liked the other goof's idea when he said Islam should fight McGoober. Interim makes no sense at LW right now.

 

[dc007]

Weird but maybe as others have said, Islam will fight for the WW belt. If not, I don't get it.

 

[ComfortablyNumb55]

LMAO.

What a shit show.

Maybe Islam can't make 155 anymore?

 

[Flower2dPeople]

LMAO.

What a shit show.

Maybe Islam can't make 155 anymore?

He can. In the UAE.

 

[legedema]

Ramadan is early this year ( march ) , hope Islam agrees to fight just before Ramadan.
end of February would be perfect

 

[Dink676]

Charles fan checking in.

The Champion has a name....and it's Islam Makhachev. Charles is must see TV for me, but I will not buy this event if an interim is attached to it.

Dont

 

[Conan the K-9]

LMAO.

What a shit show.

Maybe Islam can't make 155 anymore?

We might have entered the era again, where LW belt is on line, only once in a year in Abu Dhabi. Making weight is just easier there.

And if Monkey-boss will surprise us all and fight Charles at 155 on neutral ground, before march, he has earned all the hespect from me.

 

[trenton123]

None of this is adding up. I don't believe any of it.

 

[Killer Kadoogan]

think about it people. there announcing this, because islam will go up to 170. he will either fight the winner of leon/colby, or now, as DC is seeding into the minds of MMA fAnS, Islam vs Conor at 170. otherwise you would never announce an interim LW title fight. this was predicted. islam beats the easiest volk ever, they announce him as the goat, then he goes up to 170 to fight more greatness. its all wolf tickets and marketing. trying to sell you islam as a goat, even though he has defended the LW title against 0 LWs. he beat oliveira for the belt. this is all bullshit. interim fight in feb, islam fights the winner of leon/colby/conor sometime summer/fall 2024. then the LW belt is actually defended late 2024 / early 2025. get ready. stagnation. more marketing bullshit.

 

[The_Renaissance]

If true, I absolutely won’t get it.
Islam came out the Volk fight totally unscratched, and he wants to stay active. Just let him defend his title

If this happens it's - like most interim title fights - because they need a headliner for a PPV. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

[Rektkid]

I'd still have Khabib slightly ahead but I'm biased. He is my favourite fighter along with Jones

I think Islam is more than capable of breaking the record and capturing a title at 170, then he would go ahead of Khabib imo

Yeah agree...in terms of achievements he would probably overtake Khabib but the ferocity and domination Khabib brought to the cage was frightening. Islam doesn't have that.

Hindsight is an amazing thing. You can look back on Tony now, but you need to look at what happened at the time.

At the time the Chandler vs Charles was made Islam hadn't even beaten Dober. His last win was Davi Ramos.
You reckon he deserved a title fight at that point over an ex multi time Bellator Champ who just beat Hooker at 5?
He was the only top 5 ranked guy who hadn't just lost to Khabib available with Tony also having just lost. The top 5 was made up of Gaethje, DP, Charles,T Ferg and Hooker at that time. Charles beat T ferg and Chandler beat Hooker. They didn't want to throw two guys who lost to Khabib straight back in there with no wins. Islam didn't have any ranked wins prior and was 14.

It's part of a bigger interview from that time. He said he would love the money fight but would fight whoever they put in front of him. Islam wasn't on the radar as a ranked guy at that point.

As you said we had Dariush vs Islam to get them both that signature top win for a shot. They both needed it at that time.
What actually should have happened is Chandler vs Gaethje never should have happened and they should have fought Islam and Dariush instead.

Islam gets crap because if you look back all his pullouts were against ranked fighters and for everything but an injury.
People go with a narrative that ranked guys were ducking him, but he was signed to fight multiple ranked fighters and pulled out. Nobody would care if there wasn't a narrative about people being scared to fight him.

I don't have double standards. My position is pretty consistent to be honest.

I have no issue with Charles having to fight another contender, but do have issues with people thinking he pulled out because he was scared. It's stupid to get a cut like that this close to a fight for a single round of sparring, but he does train at Chute Boxe 2.0 so it happens. I would love to know if it was a headbutt or some idiot throwing spinning shit. I won't hold it against him though

I didn't for one minute say Islam deserved a title shot after beating Dober so please don't put words into my mouth.

Before fighting Islam last year Charles said Islam needed to fight more top fighters and didn't deserve a title shot BUT on the other hand he was ready to fight Connor who got his ass handed to him by DP.

My point was if Islam after beating Ramos, Dober, Hooker, Green and then Beneil pulling out didn't deserve a title shot then neither did Charles for beating the corpse of Tony nor Chandler for beating Hooker. Bear in mind Islam was on a 10 fight winning streak too and looking more and more impressive each time.

What's interesting is most who opposed Islam getting a title shot never really gave us an alternative so my question is...If not Islam, then who?

There are OTHER reasons why people pull out other than injuries, surely you're not that naive to know this, right? They come from different parts of the world...visas, travel restrictions, family related, covid... there's a plateau of reasons just like a cut (wink, wink).

 

[BangBang]

Much rather see Justin v Islam

 

[Kohelet]

until february it can also be oliv vs islam

 

[daniel san]

Unbelievable how poorly managed the UFC is, why on earth have an interim title fight at LW days after the champ just defended and did not get a single scratch? A couple of years ago, you would have Cruz as the BW champ but not fighting for years. It makes no sense to completely devalue the meaning of interim champ.

 

[wwkirk]

Unbelievable how poorly managed the UFC is, why on earth have an interim title fight at LW days after the champ just defended and did not get a single scratch? A couple of years ago, you would have Cruz as the BW champ but not fighting for years. It makes no sense to completely devalue the meaning of interim champ.

I used to chuckle when posters would accuse the UFC of not being an authentic sports organization. I'm chuckling less and less these days.

 

[Mohawk Banditó]

think about it people. there announcing this,

Who is "announcing" this? There's no announcement. It's just Charles making shit up

 

[Shaddows]

I can't understand this BS....
Gamrot was supposed to be the replacement to the title fight... then they call Volk from his couch instead.
Now there's an interim title fight... and instead of Gamrot, they call Gaethje.

Mind you, I like both fighters, but isn't this illogical???
If someone "deserved" to get a title shot, it should be the one chosen to be replacement of that very same fight (a title shot).

Did Gamrot slapped Dana's wife??? Stole his cookie???
Why is him in a shit list???
What am I missing here?