Shavkat is the #1 Contender....and is now fighting to determine the #1 Contender

[El Fernas]

I get that interim belts are kind of a drag, and I appreciate Shavkat's balls for not sitting out and waiting for Belal to be ready, but something feels wrong about this being a "#1 Contendership Fight". Shavkat's already the #1 Contender. Dana should have thrown him a bone and put the Interim title on the line.

Weird take when it comes to Sherdog but i have been posting this for the past couple of days...he signed for a Main Event Title Fight, what did he eventually got? a #1 contender´s fight, this is sort of shit matchmaking, someone´s undefeated record will be gone in exchange of nothing, this fight deserved the Interim Title to be on the line, doesnt matter if Belal can go back in there in 2 months, Rakhmonov signed for something, got something else...

Don’t we all want Garry to get wrecked?
What am I missing here?

See comment above, Rakhmonov should had got an Interim Title fight, he signed for something else.

Shavkat is not an undeniable #1 contender. He was just best available for the champion. But since that fell through, it makes sense for him to solidify that claim.

Being the best available is basically being the #1 contender, which even if he wasnt, an interim belt solidifies that claim, he could beat Garry and still not get the fight if something happens, with a title he is more or less secure that he will either fight for it or be eventually promoted to Undisputed (what will happen with Aspinall, most likely).

 

[TheTickG]

I get that interim belts are kind of a drag, and I appreciate Shavkat's balls for not sitting out and waiting for Belal to be ready, but something feels wrong about this being a "#1 Contendership Fight". Shavkat's already the #1 Contender. Dana should have thrown him a bone and put the Interim title on the line.

I like this Bizarro World approach to running an organization. We should start a running list:

• Number 1 contender agrees to take a fight to decide...the number 1 contender.
• Create an interim champion. Then have the original champion defend their belt against... absolutely anyone else.
• Create a list of illegal actions called "fouls". Don't enforce penalties on any of them.

Probably a few dozen more I forgot.

 

[Boguentoo]

Shavkat is coming for that belt!

 

[JBJ was here]

I've been saying Shavkat needs one more anyway.

He wasn't a clear top contender in the way that say, Aspinall, or Arman is.

As far as Aspinall goes, he's the number one contender because the HW contender list has a length of one. Which isn't to say that Tom doesn't deserve number one contender status - he deserves it - but he's really not a useful comparison point.

 

[Alpha_T83]

I'm sorry but can you read OP? Are you illiterate or unable to read the rankings or something? He's not the #1 contender. He's the top ranked welterweight coming off a win. That's it. Leon Edwards, Kamaru Usman, and Colby Covington are all ranked ahead of him, but they are all coming off of losses.

Sorry but you cannot call him the #1 contender right now. That's just a braindead statement.

 

[blaseblase]

Belal will be ready to fight early next year, there's absolutely no need for an interim title. There are too many fake belts as it is. It devalues the concept of an interim title.

 

[SalvadorAllende]

Knowing the UFC they probably gave Shavkat the option of waiting for Belal but he is so Gigachad that he preferred to eat Ian Garry in the meantime.

 

[blaseblase]

As far as Aspinall goes, he's the number one contender because the HW contender list has a length of one. Which isn't to say that Tom doesn't deserve number one contender status - he deserves it - but he's really not a useful comparison point.

Blaydes just fought for a title. Gane and Volkov are fighting for a title shot opportunity. Aspinall has beaten 5 of the current top 10, 3 of the top 5. Forgot number one contender, he's the reigning, defending champ.

 

[SalvadorAllende]

I'm sorry but can you read OP? Are you illiterate or unable to read the rankings or something? He's not the #1 contender. He's the top ranked welterweight coming off a win. That's it. Leon Edwards, Kamaru Usman, and Colby Covington are all ranked ahead of him, but they are all coming off of losses.

Sorry but you cannot call him the #1 contender right now. That's just a braindead statement.

Colby is ranked 3 spots below Shavkat and should not be ranked at all.

 

[OldBoy91]

As far as Aspinall goes, he's the number one contender because the HW contender list has a length of one. Which isn't to say that Tom doesn't deserve number one contender status - he deserves it - but he's really not a useful comparison point.

You are right.

Tom is closer to being the actual champion than the champ is. Calling him a contender is an insult to him.

 

[Alpha_T83]

Colby is ranked 3 spots below Shavkat and should not be ranked at all.

Depends on which rankings you look at. Is there a consensus on the forums which is best? Fightmatrix? Tapology? But anyway I don't disagree. If Colby was removed from the rankings I would have no objection.

 

[Alpha_T83]

Belal will be ready to fight early next year, there's absolutely no need for an interim title. There are too many fake belts as it is. It devalues the concept of an interim title.

Agreed. There's no contract dispute with Belal like there was with Francis. No need to make an interim title less than 6 months after the champion just fought.

 

[blaseblase]

Agreed. There's no contract dispute with Belal like there was with Francis. No need to make an interim title less than 6 months after the champion just fought.

The Derrick Lewis/Gane interim belt wasn't over a contract dispute. They needed a fight on a specific date and Ngannou's team asked for an additional month. That title was bullshit as well.

 

[SalvadorAllende]

Depends on which rankings you look at. Is there a consensus on the forums which is best? Fightmatrix? Tapology? But anyway I don't disagree. If Colby was removed from the rankings I would have no objection.

I go by the UFC official rankings because 2 things:

1. They are the official rankings of the organization
2. Dana is so angry JBJ is not #1 p4p there it is taking years off his life.

 

[SalvadorAllende]

Agreed. There's no contract dispute with Belal like there was with Francis. No need to make an interim title less than 6 months after the champion just fought.

Also it is not like Shavkat already cleaned the division.

Shavkat was getting a TS because there was no one else and we all love him. But he hasn't beaten a top 5 guy.

Shavkat vs Garry is a very legit top 1 contender fight. No need for a fake belt.

 

[Urluberluu]

He is not the number one contender
JDM and Garry can also be contender for the title

I mean his best win his Thompson .... Buckley also beat Thompson

 

[Alpha_T83]

He is not the number one contender
JDM and Garry can also be contender for the title

I mean his best win his Thompson .... Buckley also beat Thompson

For real. The welterweight rankings are a mess right now. A bunch of people highly ranked contenders that haven't beaten other highly ranked contenders.

It doesn't help that Usman and Edwards seem content to rank squat, sit out and pray for an undeserved title shot. Dana White should publicly announce that neither of them will get a title shot until they fight and beat a contender at welterweight.

 

[Mike]

Interim titles shouldn't even be a thing

Back in the day they really weren't outside of very serious injuries. Once the UFC realized they could just make up fake belts whenever they wanted it was game over.

 

[Sycho Sid]

I never thought I would see the day people were complaining that top contenders were fighting each other. Or argue that we need more interim titles.




Ok, I lied, it's Sherdog, of course it was coming, but it is still stupid.

 

[Alpha_T83]

I never thought I would see the day people were complaining that top contenders were fighting each other. Or argue that we need more interim titles.




Ok, I lied, it's Sherdog, of course it was coming, but it is still stupid.

Too many people on these forums are hypocritical idiots.

They will praise Jon Jones for cherry picking Stipe, and yet criticize GSP for cherry picking Michael Bisping. That's all you need to know about how many stupid people are here.