Should the UFC start 'protecting' Champions?

[Roids]

From certain bad stylistic match ups in order to build up stars better like they do in boxing? I know one of the beauties of the UFC culture is forcing the best to constantly fight the best, but the downside is that is very hard for champions to stay established which results then constantly being recycled. Almost all the greatest Boxing champions have at one point ducked someone because it was a bad match up. Floyd did it, and Canelo has been doing it for years, and they remained stars for many years.

They were getting some real momentum with Omalley as a star, as he was becoming bankable yet decided to match up him up in a horrific stylistic match up to a boring grinder which he lost and now the UFC are left with another boring euro champion that won't draw flies while sacrificing a bankable star. It is pretty bad for business. That is not to say you just feed champions bums, but should they engage in smarter match ups in a stylistic level at least to build up fighters momentum and create real bankable stars. It felt like they shot themselves in the foot tonight. Just to confirm I am not arguing for bum fights, just more favourable stylistic match ups, meaning still fighting top fighters and just being a little more savvy in matchmaking.

 

[fortheo]

No

 

[swimba]

 

[ExitLUPin]

Thats what they were trying with the Chito rematch. One of the most baffling undeserved shots of all time.

There just arent a bunch of promotions and different belts in 1 division with like 4 different rankings for 1 division to cherrypick matchups in UFC so after the Chito fight he really couldnt hide from Merab who was on a 10 fight streak and beaten half the top 10 and 2 of the last 3 BW champs before Sean

Cory just lost to Umar or they wouldve given him the shot over Merab. Yan and Henry both lost to Merab. Song lost to Yan. Figgy only had 2 wins @ BW when Merab fight got booked over Font and Cody. Thats basically the rest of the top 10. Umar just had his only ranked win over Cory. There was no more hiding Sean from Merab.... What else could they have booked? Everyone else was coming off a loss or lost to Merab.

Kyler Phillips or Mario Bautista against Sean? lol they were stuck

 

[jk7707]

What do you think his title fight with Chito was?

 

[SuperAlly]

Lol!

Start? Fucking start?

How do you think OMalley got to the title in the first place?

At some point, even as champ, you can't just keep fighting favourable match ups.

Eventually you have to fight the best.

And when you've had a sheltered route to the title, this is what happens when you finally get those matches. You're totally unprepared for it

 

[OldBoy91]

Start? They been protecting Poatan for a while already.

 

[TeenageMutantLesnarTurtle]

They are already doing that with Jon and Poatan. They showed preferential treatment to Sean as well by giving him a title shot off the back of a gift decision over a single top 10 ranked opponent.

 

[World eater]

They often protect them. But every now and then the time comes when they can’t be protected.

 

[Thepaintbucket]

The UFC has done it since day one lol.

 

[Fahcough]

Yes. The fans should always vote who you have to fight next.

 

[BJJ4Tone]

Start? They been protecting Poatan for a while already.

Came here to say this

 

[TITS]

O'Malley fans are really taking this loss badly.

 

[ifindgifsforjackslack]

i don’t think they should protect them but they should use the japanese style of feeding them cans to hype the clash.

crocop and fedor were clearly the best of their generation, but if the ufc managed the build up its just a stale fight

preface all the big fights with some can crushing to really emphasis that these guys are on a new level

you know what would have made this fight better? if i’d watched merab suplex ko a bus driver in his last fight and o’malley koing a seven foot tall chinese man

in retrospect it’s silly, but letting these dudes have larger than life performances would increase the overall excitement for champion fights imo

o’malley had a good run, if he got two cans between every serious contender it would be way more hype

 

[Contempt]

Install lame paper "champions" that aren't the best to manufacture fake stars for the promotion?

...fuck no.

 

[Lights Out 101]

I think it’s obvious they’re already doing that with Pereira, otherwise we would have seen him fight Ank by now.

 

[Humongo]

2001 account and you come up with this? Shame on you

 

[Roids]

2001 account and you come up with this? Shame on you

The sport revolves around stars to sell tickets and make revenue. The sport is currently struggling to find stars, so this is bigger than simply a purity test of the best fighting the best period because it can actually become counter productive. PPV events dominated by boring east euro grinders is not in the interests of the sport.

 

[Humongo]

The sport revolves around stars to sell tickets and make revenue. The sport is currently struggling to find stars, so this is bigger than simply a purity test of the best fighting the best period because it can actually become counter productive. PPV events dominated by boring east euro grinders is not in the interests of the sport.

Yeah, Khabib was not a star or anything

 

[Roids]

Yeah, Khabib was not a star or anything

Without Conor he was a nobody.