Media Paul Felder criticized UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria for avoiding a fight with Arman Tsarukyan

[BlackStrap]

If I was a top rated fighter in my prime then my list of priorities would be:

1. Money
2. More Money
3. Even more money
4. Everything else.

Each top ranked fighter should take care of themselves and Paul Felder, while I like him generally speaking, can f$ck off. Fighter's careers are short and the UFC is a business. Fighters should treat their career as a business and be smart.

I agree with everything you said, but also take the cynical position of stating that Paul is doing exactly what he should be doing as a fan and a shill. From that perspective, we want to see who is objectively the best in each division, not who can maximize the monetization of their position. That's why characters like Mayweather are loathed to the degree they are. It also should be noted that a fighter makes his money by fighting, once they shift to monetizing their likeness and dictating terms they move away from being a fighter and turn into celebrities or business people, which is better for their health and wallet, but worse for the fight game.

 

[MDoza]

Eventually these ducks will deny each other's chances at advancing in the name of the low risk/ high reward and they'll get stuck. Like Ilia ducks contenders, Islam ducked Ilia and if Islam wins the belt he'll duck Ilia again.

Making money with low risk/ high reward would be the ideal for every professional in every trade, but practice has showed that you need at least a modicum of ethics and reputation on the long run.

Illia won’t deserve a shot at Makhachev at WW unless he defends the belt 4 times at LW like Makhachev did.

Makhachev was at least willing to sign to fight Tsarukyan. It’s not his faught Tsarukyan pulled out. Meanwhile Topuria is outright avoiding him.

 

[gibson5413]

I don't blame the fighters. I blame the UFC for allowing this kind of thing to happen. It's been going on for years and the UFC has allowed fighters to call their shots. Fighter contracts should have T&Cs built into the contract, preventing fighters from denying fights and calling their next shots. Whether I'm wrong or not, that's my $.02.

 

[Qays Stetkevich]

If I was a top rated fighter in my prime then my list of priorities would be:

1. Money
2. More Money
3. Even more money
4. Everything else.

Each top ranked fighter should take care of themselves and Paul Felder, while I like him generally speaking, can f$ck off. Fighter's careers are short and the UFC is a business. Fighters should treat their career as a business and be smart.

And you would, rightfully, have haters.

 

[agibmxmma]

'I hate that!'…UFC legend scolds Ilia Topuria for alleging he'd rather vacate title than fight Arman Tsarukyan

Paul Felder believes Ilia Topuria is continuing a concerning trend amongst UFC champs.

bloodyelbow.com

10-7 Felder

“I mean the guy’s the number one contender,” Felder asserted. “And to say that you would rather relinquish the belt than fight him is- come on man, we’re getting a little carried away.

“In this generation of fighters, when they get to the top position, they are so willing to jump around weight classes and try to deny fighting guys. It’s not how it f****** works. If you’re the best and he’s not on your level and all this kind of stuff, then prove it. Just go out there and prove it, I hate that.

+1

 

[agibmxmma]

He made weight as a backup fighter for the last championship fight. The guy deserves to fight for the title. It's funny how everyone is scared of fighting him.

+1

 

[agibmxmma]

If I was a top rated fighter in my prime then my list of priorities would be:

1. Money
2. More Money
3. Even more money
4. Everything else.

Each top ranked fighter should take care of themselves and Paul Felder, while I like him generally speaking, can f$ck off. Fighter's careers are short and the UFC is a business. Fighters should treat their career as a business and be smart.

Yet you aren't nor have the mindset of what crosses their mind. So you yourself would do so, while actual Martial Artists who live the sport as career, have a vastly different end game and mindset as the typical couch surfer who call self a "fan".

 

[KO Shotz]

Let's settle down. Ilia just became the LW champion last month. It's not like he's gone months & months without fighting. Plus he's talking shit about Arman because he's going along with the narrative of punishing Arman for pulling out against Islam.

Fielder is right about Arman being the number 1 contender & guys jumping around divisions & cherry picking who they fight. But Ilia is chasing the top guys & looking for the big fights. He left a division he was dominating for a literal bigger challenge. So insinuating that Ilia is ducking or scared of anyone is absurd. Guaranteed if the UFC gives Arman the title shot then Ilia will fight him. But the only reason why there is a debate of Arman getting the next shot or not is because the UFC is allowing it & entertaining other fights for Ilia next.

 

[rjmbrd]

If I was a top rated fighter in my prime then my list of priorities would be:

1. Money
2. More Money
3. Even more money
4. Everything else.

Yes and, I would add the more nuanced priority is "make the most money for the least brain damage."

This isn't a karate movie. These guys are exchanging health for cash, and the UFC is aligned to leverage them for the least pay. Any fighter who doesn't track for maximizing their income with the least risk is a fool.

If the UFC ran like a professional sports org, this wouldn't matter. It would be a 50/50 revenue split and a meritocracy. These guys run it like the circus coming to down, so fighters are absolutely right to advocate for their wallet and brain.

 

[Tweak896]

Arman gave us Islam/Moicano for Islam's last LW defense for the forseeable future. Just another fucked up spot on his resume where his opponent pulled out and he gets a last minute shoe in, further ruining his legacy. To make up for it, UFC offered him Gamrot to avenge his only recent loss, and would've had the LW titleshot locked, but instead he's been waving around that he weighed in as backup fighter, yet supposedly "the weight wasn't the issue". Arman pulled out the last day, last minute. I hope his ass sits around like Gaethje and UFC ignores both guys crying for a title shot for waiting around.

As far as the fight goes, I don't think Arman is an amazing offensive wrestler and Topuria started mma as a wrestler and has been on fire so far. I still think Arman loses, diving for legs the whole fight while getting lit up on the feet. Topuria's grappling hasn't been tested to the same extent as his striking, but rather see him fight Evloev at FW or Islam at... LW hopefully?

Seems like Arman is getting desperate to not get passed up after he pulled out his big fight.

 

[Pancake Sprawl]

If I was a top rated fighter in my prime then my list of priorities would be:

1. Money
2. More Money
3. Even more money
4. Everything else.

Each top ranked fighter should take care of themselves and Paul Felder, while I like him generally speaking, can f$ck off. Fighter's careers are short and the UFC is a business. Fighters should treat their career as a business and be smart.

the problem with that is in fighting, if you want the money you almost always have to take the risk. it's not like some unranked LW is asking to fight Ilia.

 

[NoStoneUnturned]

the problem with that is in fighting, if you want the money you almost always have to take the risk. it's not like some unranked LW is asking to fight Ilia.

For sure. I’m talking only the top guys here. The ones who took some risk and now find themselves in a position to be choosy and angle for the best matchup and money. I don’t like it as a fan, but I do understand.

 

[richardjohnson]

Arman's only wins worth talking about are 2 questionable wins over Charles and Gamrot unless you also include old folk's home people like Dariush. lol Arman has a nice list of fighters but who on it is really worth talking about that he's beaten cleanly?

Dude pulled out of a fight with the champ and hasn't fought since. He literally has no one to blame but himself.

Sure you can comb through his resume and pick it apart but you can do the same for any of the other options, and Arman’s body of work will still be more impressive. Ilia vs Arman is the fight to make and it’s bizarre to me that fans of this sport would rather watch an inferior product just to spite the guy.

 

[CC27]

He said he wouldnt fight Max and he did. Now I think he fights Justin or Paddy next and if he wins and Islam wins he's gonna push for a WW title fight and history. Will he get it, dont know but if it comes to point after this next fight that he's not fighting at WW and has to defend LW title again and refuses Arman then we can talk about it. But right now, it really means nothing.

Arman fucked himself, he's gonna have to fight again before getting a title shot, its just what it is. Justin or Paddy is next whether anyone likes it or not.

 

[TheNewGame]

I, as a fan, do not care about getting a less intriguing fight because it makes more money or because it punishes a fighter. There is zero benefit for me in that. The most compelling, competitive fight is always the best outcome.

It's a strange phenomena. Wonder what the psychology behind this is.

The first time I noticed this was last year when so many fans were happy about Rountree getting the title shot over Ankalaev.

 

[WildShrimper]

This is true but sucks as a fan because we, or at least I, want to see the best vs the best to find who is the number one at the top of the mountain.

Most people would rather see Ilia vs Islam, as unfair and bullshit as it is to top contenders.

 

[wrb]

Most people would rather see Ilia vs Islam, as unfair and bullshit as it is to top contenders.

That disrupts two divisions and is really just unacceptable, as it amounts to only one title defense across two major divisions, which completely throws off the entire timeline. If Paul said this, it means Ilia is likely facing someone like Arman next, which is exciting. Additionally, he might change his opinion about Islam depending on how Islam performs in his next fight. Islam should not fight Ilia until he fights Arman and Islam has the right to say this as he defended 4 times and never denied anyone.

 

[YesForGayJesus]

Arman doesn't deserve the title shot right now, he should fight Gaethje or Paddy. That does leave Ilia without a clear contender but the contenders need to be sorted out first, thank Arman for this.

I don't get it either. He comes across genuinely unlikeable but his fights are can't miss for me.

 

[VinceArch]

I don't get it either. He comes across genuinely unlikeable but his fights are can't miss for me.

Who would you prefer Arman fight next?

 

[WildShrimper]

That disrupts two divisions and is really just unacceptable, as it amounts to only one title defense across two major divisions, which completely throws off the entire timeline. If Paul said this, it means Ilia is likely facing someone like Arman next, which is exciting. Additionally, he might change his opinion about Islam depending on how Islam performs in his next fight. Islam should not fight Ilia until he fights Arman and Islam has the right to say this as he defended 4 times and never denied anyone.

Unfortunately it's been a trend as of late to hold up two divisions at once to get the money fights done. And yes, I agree that Ilia should be defending.