So if Islam moves up to 170 he has to fight a contender first right?

[Kenny Powerth]

Ali has too many accounts and the neckbeard nation is as annoying as the Conor fans were.
Khabib won his paper title vs Iaquinta
Islam got his title shot by beating short notice Bobby Green....

Rules only apply for others. Islam is ducking

#NeckbeardNation

I can't say it's possible to love that anymore than I do lol

 

[AL-Tappo McSnappo]

Arman
Ilia
Charles
Max
Paddy
Justin

Islam has plenty of contenders right now he could defend against. There's no shortage of guys here. He has excuse for not simply fighting any of the above like he's presently doing just sitting out twiddling his thumbs. As usual though, he's seemingly instead hoping they all get frustrated and fight each other for him. Max already did go and take the Poirier fight even though really he kinda was like the #2 contender. Ilia moving up too did complicate that for him though but beating Poirier does re-solidify him if he's got wins over Gaethje and Poirier so I understand his reasonings.

Expect Islam to magically reappear in the fall after everybody's already got other fights and announce he'll arbitrarily fight one of the winners 6 weeks from their fight and they need to shut up and accept that outrageousness.

Arman? maybe but he already should doesn't want to risk it.
Justin? lol
Max? lol
Charles? been there done that, nothing interesting about that.
Paddy? its interesting but he needs one more big fight to prove himself.
ilia? let him earn the no.1 contender first.

 

[cburm]

Because illia didn't prove himself when he became a champion and kod volk when Islam had a hard time and arguably lost to volk in the first fight but def got the nod on a short notice volk

 

[markg171]

Arman? maybe but he already should doesn't want to risk it.
Justin? lol
Max? lol
Charles? been there done that, nothing interesting about that.
Paddy? its interesting but he needs one more big fight to prove himself.
ilia? let him earn the no.1 contender first.

Buddy Islam is coming off defending against short notice Volk, short notice Poirier, and short notice Moicano. You might want to sit down about who's worthy of a title shot.

Arman, Ilia, Charles, Max, Justin, and Paddy would be VASTLY better than who he's been defending against. Just fight any one of them this summer THEN we can talk about the others needing to fight each other too to get closer to the NEXT title shot in the fall/winter.

 

[jsbx45]

Fuckin' A right!

 

[Mammothman]

Just like what him and his team want Illa to do before he gets a TS at 155.

Why is Islam and his team making Illa jump through hoops but he's to cakewalk himself into a 170 title fight?

Thoughts?

No, Islam have 4 title wins at LW which grants him an automatic TS at WW and have no clear contender at LW unlike that moron Ilia that just defended his belt one freaking time and have a lot of contenders lined up to fight him.

 

[Aurelian]

Lol at all these standards people want to apply to who gets what title shot. UFC gives the shot to whoever the fuck they want

 

[Bend NvR Break]

Arman
Ilia
Charles
Max
Paddy
Justin

Islam has plenty of contenders right now he could defend against. There's no shortage of guys here. He has excuse for not simply fighting any of the above like he's presently doing just sitting out twiddling his thumbs. As usual though, he's seemingly instead hoping they all get frustrated and fight each other for him. Max already did go and take the Poirier fight even though really he kinda was like the #2 contender. Ilia moving up too did complicate that for him though but beating Poirier does re-solidify him if he's got wins over Gaethje and Poirier so I understand his reasonings.

Expect Islam to magically reappear in the fall after everybody's already got other fights and announce he'll arbitrarily fight one of the winners 6 weeks from their fight and they need to shut up and accept that outrageousness.

This

 

[Bend NvR Break]

No, Islam have 4 title wins at LW which grants him an automatic TS at WW and have no clear contender at LW unlike that moron Ilia that just defended his belt one freaking time and have a lot of contenders lined up to fight him.

3 of his 4 defenses were short notice opponents and the other one was the Volk rematch

 

[Clark Rogers]

Because Islam and Ilia's situations are exactly the same... lulz

 

[Bend NvR Break]

Because Islam and Ilia's situations are exactly the same... lulz

Yeah. Illa doesn't fight short notice opponents as the majority of his title defenses. Not his fault. Just the way played it. But to treat his short notice title defenses as the same as he defeated a full camp contender isn't just being disingenuous.

 

[markg171]

Yeah. Illa doesn't fight short notice opponents as the majority of his title defenses. Not his fault. Just the way played it. But to treat his short notice title defenses as the same as he defeated a full camp contender isn't just being disingenuous.

Hell, I'd at least give him leeway on all the short notice defences if they were against contenders. Usually you go to the next contender so it's still a reasonable title fight, even if the champ has a camp advantage.

Here we've instead got Islam purposefully choosing short notice off surgery Volk instead of the backup Gamrot, or picking a date only Poirier could quickly turn around for because Islam arbitrarily said he was only going to fight on a specific card that he knew nobody else could make and after he'd already made them all fight each other while he sat out. Moicano wasn't worthy of a title shot but at least on 1 days notice there wasn't much to do other than offer the top 10 guy on the card the shot. Unfortunate, but there's the only time Islam actually did just fight someone instead of clearly cherrypicking his defence.

Anybody pretending like Islam doesn't bear a ton of his criticisms for his crystal clear actions I have to assume was in the bath tub with him.

 

[Clark Rogers]

Yeah. Illa doesn't fight short notice opponents as the majority of his title defenses. Not his fault. Just the way played it. But to treat his short notice title defenses as the same as he defeated a full camp contender isn't just being disingenuous.

Funny you're using words like 'disingenuous' while ignoring contextual facts like 17 straight wins in the UFC compared to 8. 4 defenses compared to 1, ranked wins, etc.

Islam has also already done the FW title fight thing twice, didn't do much for him, and he now wants his shot to go up. Easily understandable by anyone with a lick of sense.

I get it, you're one of the entitled types that don't understand situational differences, earning your way, and just think everyone "deserves" the same thing regardless of how they got there.

And I'm not even an Islam fan lolol. Idk that I've ever even posted in a thread about him prior to this lol.

 

[TriangleMonkey]

I think it works if the timing is right

Guys going up for immediate shots while you have more than one rightful, deserving #1 contender seems off

But if a champ/org is bored with challengers, this sets up a perfect time for a champ in another division to come over, and reignite the “fire” in said division


WW has contenders right now is the problem

LW is in a weird spot and Topuria knows and seen this upon his decision to move up

 

[Mammothman]

3 of his 4 defenses were short notice opponents and the other one was the Volk rematch

Not his fault, he did his job and showed up.

That doesn't take anything away from his wins.

He EARNED a WW title shot.

 

[Luffy]

Just like what him and his team want Illa to do before he gets a TS at 155.

Why is Islam and his team making Illa jump through hoops but he's to cakewalk himself into a 170 title fight?

Thoughts?

I think because of Shavkat Rakhmonov. Again, Khamzat has been promised the he's next in line to face the winner of Jack and Belal. Dana reinforced it saying he is next. Shavkat is 19-0, 18 wins by finishes, 1 by UD. He already had a stronger case to get the TS before than Belal... Still, he went in to fight Wonderboy with an injured leg, and still finished Wonderboy. No one ever did that to Wonderboy let alone with an injured leg. Then, he was scheduled to fight Belal, but Belal got hurt. It was then, around November last year, that the UFC called Ank and Poatan in case they'd be the main event, as Shavkat said he'd fight anyone in the division, calling Usman, Covington, etc. ... No one said anything. So Poatan said yes and Ankalaev said yes — yeah Poatan said he'd fight Ankalaev in December ...

... But since Ian Garry I accepted the fight (it was his bigger opportunity), he is also younger than Shavkat and was also undefeated, but ranked lower.... You know Shavkat had everything to lose right? Yet Shavkat accepted the Ian Garry fight, risked it all while having his TS guaranteed if not for Belal injury, defeated Ian Garry. He got hurt because he pushed himself... But for Islam to go straight for the title shot would be a huge disrespect to Rakhmonov. Which again, won't happen. At most, Rakhmonov said that for Islam not to be sitting out the entire time, he would give Islam an opportunity to face him, but he also advised that he will stop Islam right there...

Btw, I remember I've made a thread about this like 1 year ago talking about how a Islam vs Shavkat would be interesting... And now the odds of it happening are pretty big. Wow... That's a fight I'd love to watch, I think Shavkat is a slight to moderate favourite, like, a - 140 vs +120...

In regards to lightweight, if Arman openly challenged Topuria, then ok, but wouldn't that be for the title? I think they could make Arman vs Charles for the title and Topuria vs Dustin or Gaethje so Topuria can challenge for the title. But it's complicated... Topuria beat Volk in round 2, beat Max Holloway who had a huge performance vs Justin and was in his peak as well vs Illia... Illia could fight, but Max being likely ranked fighter than Justin and Poirier, and the way Topuria dealt with him, there's no match that'd be tough for Topuria there other than Charles or Arman, which he'd also win. And he'd likely beat Makhachev too. Khabib had talked about Topuria fighting Charles firstly, and Henry Cejudo "yeah Topuria is dangerous for Charles too" and Khabib said "he's very good. Honestly, he might win this"... And Henry was like "yeah Charles has good striking but in grappling and striking Topuria is elite"... Then Khabib made it seem like he wasn't talking about Charles, but Islam... As he said "no, I mean... [Then Khabib looked to Islam who was training] he can beat him" , kinda saying Topuria can really beat Islam...

Topuria weighs ~175lb naturally and he said he can go up to ~170 lb ~ 178 lb during fight night at LW. He is as big as Islam, but he is faster, has bigger KO power, for sure... And he has a grappling that may be as good as Islam's. He used to train with Chimaev, Chimaev praised Topuria wrestling saying his wrestling is very good... In fact, Topuria started in grappling first and foremost, ever since little, and that's his main attribute. He polished his striking when he was 17 yo...

Islam knows the money is big, that Topuria has been trash talking him, saying he'll defeat him any way he wants... But even tho that'd generally be a good thing for Islam since he can shut up all those who he fought, he doesn't seem it as a clear thing vs Topuria, hence he doesn't even reply back and doesn't care about vacating his belt and moving up... Even tho Topuria said in the media Islam was scared, bla bla.... Islam didn't reply back and wants no piece from Illia.

 

[Bend NvR Break]

Funny you're using words like 'disingenuous' while ignoring contextual facts like 17 straight wins in the UFC compared to 8. 4 defenses compared to 1, ranked wins, etc.

Islam has also already done the FW title fight thing twice, didn't do much for him, and he now wants his shot to go up. Easily understandable by anyone with a lick of sense.

I get it, you're one of the entitled types that don't understand situational differences, earning your way, and just think everyone "deserves" the same thing regardless of how they got there.

And I'm not even an Islam fan lolol. Idk that I've ever even posted in a thread about him prior to this lol.

Nah. You're in the entitled one that can't put Islam's cherry picking career in context.
17 straight wins? Try 14. He lost in his second UFC fight.
Dude fought short notice Bobby Green to earn a TS.
3 of his 4 title defenses WE'RE AGAINST SHORT NOTICE OPPONENTS. And the one with a full camp was a rematch against Volk. Believe it or not Ills's 2 wins against Volk and Holloway are more impressive than anything Islam has done. Keep in mind that if Holloway would've beaten Illa he would've fought for LW title next. He was Islam's next opponent and Illa ruined it for them. And once again Volk is the 145 champ and if we look at his fights against Islam and Illa Illa beat him the most decisively. That right there from a fan's perspective is the biggest reason we should be screaming for Illa vs Islam.

If Islam and his camp cared about fairness and deserving something then Islam wouldn't have fought Hooker, green, or monicano. Here's the truth. Illa is dangerous as fuck. It's smarter for Islam to have something else do his dirty work rather than be a champ and tell the UFC to "hold me beer" figuratively and just beat him, get another defense and collect another paycheck.

 

[Bend NvR Break]

I think it works if the timing is right

Guys going up for immediate shots while you have more than one rightful, deserving #1 contender seems off

But if a champ/org is bored with challengers, this sets up a perfect time for a champ in another division to come over, and reignite the “fire” in said division


WW has contenders right now is the problem

LW is in a weird spot and Topuria knows and seen this upon his decision to move up

If this is the case then it's complete fuckery to mess up the WW division by introducing Islam to it. WW is fine.

Have Islam fight Illa while WW naturally works itself out. The only division that is organically moving correctly Islam wants to stick his beak into

 

[markg171]

Not his fault, he did his job and showed up.

That doesn't take anything away from his wins.

He EARNED a WW title shot.

How were Volk 2 and Poirier not Islam's fault?

Volk 2:
- Had an official backup already ready in Gamrot and instead picked short notice post surgery Volk

Poirier:
- Purposefully sat out instead of defending so everybody would have to fight each other
- Purposefully suddenly announced post UFC 300 he would only fight on UFC 302 where only Poirier could make such a quick turnaround

 

[Clark Rogers]

Nah. You're in the entitled one that can't put Islam's cherry picking career in context.
17 straight wins? Try 14. He lost in his second UFC fight.
Dude fought short notice Bobby Green to earn a TS.
3 of his 4 title defenses WE'RE AGAINST SHORT NOTICE OPPONENTS. And the one with a full camp was a rematch against Volk. Believe it or not Ills's 2 wins against Volk and Holloway are more impressive than anything Islam has done. Keep in mind that if Holloway would've beaten Illa he would've fought for LW title next. He was Islam's next opponent and Illa ruined it for them. And once again Volk is the 145 champ and if we look at his fights against Islam and Illa Illa beat him the most decisively. That right there from a fan's perspective is the biggest reason we should be screaming for Illa vs Islam.

If Islam and his camp cared about fairness and deserving something then Islam wouldn't have fought Hooker, green, or monicano. Here's the truth. Illa is dangerous as fuck. It's smarter for Islam to have something else do his dirty work rather than be a champ and tell the UFC to "hold me beer" figuratively and just beat him, get another defense and collect another paycheck.

It's 15 straight, btw. Yep, I typoed the 17, and you either corrected me with a typo or you're just wrong lol. Either way it's still almost twice a many as Ilia, with 4 times the defenses.

Keep telling yourself you're worth people that do twice as much as you, though.