Should the UFC do a better job of giving the #1 contender a title shot??

[Break Brick]

Combat sports has always had what you could call "undeserved title shots", and they have never truly hurt the legitimatcy of them. Worrying over nothing in my opinion, enjoy the fights.Just let 'em bang bro.

 

[Break Brick]

Combat sports will never stick to real rankings. It closes up matchmaking far too much. If fighters had published rankings, you would see guys turning down fights a hell of a lot more than they do now. Guess who wants to take a fight with someone declared below their level?

This guy nailed it

 

[PunchFaceToWin]

The UFC has decided to be more of a business than a fight league of late, in my opinion. It's a shame, but if they want to be as big as boxing, they gotta copy boxing.

 

[born2killl]

I dont care who the champ fights as long as they stay active. I hate HATE champs only fighting once every 10 months, because of injury, coaching TUF, or they just dont feel like it. That kills the sport for me & is far worse than the number 1 contender situation.
IE: if GSP fights in march, i'm happy & dont care if its hendricks, diaz, or the brooklyn brawler

 

[Grob]

Another problem is that people want to see the champions in action. I don't want to wait 6 months to see a title fight while the contenders sort themselves out.

If there's no clear #1 contender, do you shelf the champ until there is?

edit: ^ also what born2kill said. Beat me to the post by a few seconds.

 

[Mikedh]

The UFC has decided to be more of a business than a fight league of late, in my opinion. It's a shame, but if they want to be as big as boxing, they gotta copy boxing.

LOL. Boxing follows rankings and always gives the right guy a title shot?

Paulie Malignaggi is probably about to fight Shane Mosley for a world title and Mosley hasn't won a fight in four years.

All combat sports do this shit.

 

[kflo]

baseball championship is a once a year, season ending title. they play a season, and that season ends.

mma is a continuum. the champ doesn't get to play a season as the champ. he puts the title on the line every time he fights in his weight class. don't compare it to team sports or tournaments.

being a champ is not a sprint. it's a marathon, and things have a way of working out. look at the guys at the top today.

 

[TH1RTE3N]

So hendricks is the #1 contender for winning two ultra tight split decisions, and Diaz isn't for losing one highly controversial one?

I'm not sure that necessarily follows.

It's the same reason why Edgar got the title shot before Maynard. Maynard should have lost to Diaz. Everyone knew it.

I'm not sure why you're ignoring the fights that are actually recent. He has 2 KOs in a row over Kampmann & Fitch, not close decisions.

 

[maccer349]

So hendricks is the #1 contender for winning two ultra tight split decisions, and Diaz isn't for losing one highly controversial one?

I'm not sure that necessarily follows.

It's the same reason why Edgar got the title shot before Maynard. Maynard should have lost to Diaz. Everyone knew it.

I really thought Kampman and Fitch should have won those decisions.

 

[Mikedh]

I really thought Kampman and Fitch should have won those decisions.

Kos probably should have beat him via decision. Well, it was close.

 

[Saskatoonmike**]

If you believe Condit/Diaz was a battle for #1 contender and #2 contender in the UFC then Nick losing to COndit does not drop him below the #2 contender.

Just because #8 beats #4 and #5, does not necessarily put him above #2 even though #2 lost and #8 won.

For the record I think Hendricks deserves it more but there is a strong argument for Diaz.

 

[Shadow Box]

Like they care. Sometimes the #1 contender doesn't make for a match up people want to buy.

 

[csroster]

Fighters should do a better job of solidifying themselves as the #1 contender.

 

[blingking]

I think it's more or a case that Dana should shut the fuck up more often when it comes to promoting things and #1 contender fights and then reneging as soon as the fight is over. I mean when Dana promises that something will happen I'm inclined to believe it wont

 

[Magooglie]

They need to do a better job of promoting the roster.

 

[ThatGuyJovi]

The UFC is a business first and foremost. The #1 contender will be based on money to some degree.

 

[Kryptik]

So hendricks is the #1 contender for winning two ultra tight split decisions, and Diaz isn't for losing one highly controversial one?

I'm not sure that necessarily follows.

It's the same reason why Edgar got the title shot before Maynard. Maynard should have lost to Diaz. Everyone knew it.

I still don't get this, where Diaz is being rated higher for a loss than Hendricks for wins. Especially as others have said, this is even ignoring the unambiguous KO wins against Fitch and Kampmann. Again, would'a could'a should'a are not a good basis for determining who's who, especially how subjective it is.

Combat sports will never stick to real rankings. It closes up matchmaking far too much. If fighters had published rankings, you would see guys turning down fights a hell of a lot more than they do now. Guess who wants to take a fight with someone declared below their level?

The big problem here specifically is that GSP and Hendricks fought on the same show, and didn't have anything debilitating or long-term that would screw things up. So the argument of closed matchups and layoffs waiting for contender sorting out just doesn't feel like it hashes out here.

 

[The Real Pedro]

So should number two always get it? In that case we will get endless re matches. If they can pick a top five fighter then gsp would fight diaz anyway. And then we can't have fighters move up and down and get big fights that we want.

Rankings are subjective so it is stupid for the ufc to do them.

I completely agree with this take.

I see why people are complaining, but the solution being offered will cause more problems than it fixes.

 

[NAS451]

Just remember Anderson Silva vs Cote.....Anderson Silva vs Thales Leites....

Those were supposedly #1 contender fights. And no one cared. I'm all for making the matches that make the most sense, and make the most money and grow the sport.

 

[fightdonttweet]

Lately it just seems like they throw out there the fight they think will sell the most, I know people will say "yes of course, it's a business" I feel like it takes away some it's legitimacy as true sport. Other sports leagues don't do this, whoever earns the right to fight or play for the championship is who plays. If the world series ends up being Milwaukee vs. Seattle that's who plays, even though the ratings would obviously be way better if it were the Yankees vs. the Dodgers. Etc... I would love to see the UFC take a more straight forward approach of giving the #1 contender the title shot, and just keep things rolling like that.

MLB is a league where every team holds a stake. Its an entirely different entity. A better comparison is a boxing organization.