The Askren/DJ trade benefitted both sides

[jitzmonkey]

DJ also asked for the trade, and if Dana didn't oblige sherdorks would've called him a racist dictator.

Damned if he did, & damned if he didnt

 

[blaseblase]

View attachment 1062079

Falling in and out of love...

 

[Nabs]

DJ leaving was the best thing for the UFC flyweight division. We got the king of cringe Cejudo knocking out the bantamweight champion, we got the Figgy v Moreno rivalry. Things have slowed now under Pantoja but that was the most exciting the division has ever been. For whatever reason DJ didn't click with the mma fan base until he was gone.

It takes 2 to tango. Until Cejudo, DJ never had worthy opponents. If he had stayed and beat Cejudo in a trilogy fight, then fought both Moreno and Figgy, I think the division would've gotten exciting as well.

With Pantoja as the champ, the division will most likely go back to being what it was if not worse when DJ was at the top.

 

[blaseblase]

It takes 2 to tango. Until Cejudo, DJ never had worthy opponents. If he had stayed and beat Cejudo in a trilogy fight, then fought both Moreno and Figgy, I think the division would've gotten exciting as well.

With Pantoja as the champ, the division will most likely go back to being what it was if not worse when DJ was at the top.

I'm not sure how it could get worse. They were literally about to can the entire division. Cejudo knocking out Dillashaw saved them. Brandon Moreno got cut during that time frame.

 

[Pancake Sprawl]

The fans refusing to buy his ppvs buried him

yes, which is directly related to not being promoted by the promoter. it's not just him, it's the entire 125lb division. why do you think they tried to kill it off? why do you think nobody gives a shit about Moreno or Pantjoa? it's not because MIghty Mouse isn't a draw, it's because he never got the proper chance to see if he could draw.

 

[honzo]

yes, which is directly related to not being promoted by the promoter. it's not just him, it's the entire 125lb division. why do you think they tried to kill it off? why do you think nobody gives a shit about Moreno or Pantjoa? it's not because MIghty Mouse isn't a draw, it's because he never got the proper chance to see if he could draw.

I swear Dana is a fight promoter

 

[World eater]

It was a different time.

Until about 2014, clowns in here were happy to act like anything under LW didn’t exist (The way it actually was in the UFC). They said so.

No wmma, no manlets.

And if you were here, you know that’s a fact.

Yes. Stuff under LW exists mostly because of weight cutting. Sure, some guys really are that small, but not enough to form competitive divisions. The evolution of the sport increased the importance of those divisions.
I prefer the time when 220 guys fought at HW, but I am old and outdated.

 

[Koala]

People are thinking about it like an NBA trade while it's not
DJ got traded because he wanted to fight for more money than what the UFC was willing to give him (he was not a PPV headliner but wanted this type of money because of his fight achievements) and was not keen on their matchmaking (he didn't want a super fight with Dillashaw after criticizing the TUF Flyweight season)
On the other side, Woodley, Anti-Brazilian Covington, and 30% Usman were making the WW division look like clowns, and they needed some new blood

 

[Pancake Sprawl]

On the other side, Woodley, Anti-Brazilian Covington, and 30% Usman were making the WW division look like clowns, and they needed some new blood

this part doesn't make sense because Askren wasn't new blood. he was retired and had serious lingering injuries. they could've gotten Askren any time they wanted because Askren had been very vocal on saying he could beat GSP and Dana constantly refused, this happened for YEARS before they finally signed him when he was RETIRED

 

[Koala]

this part doesn't make sense because Askren wasn't new blood. he was retired and had serious lingering injuries. they could've gotten Askren any time they wanted because Askren had been very vocal on saying he could beat GSP and Dana constantly refused, this happened for YEARS before they finally signed him when he was RETIRED

He was new blood in the UFC
When Askren went from Bellator to One, the UFC WW division had GSP, Lawler, Hendricks, Rory, Condit, etc., quite exciting, and Dana was scared to sign a new Fitch if he signed Askren

 

[burningspear]

Absolutely but If Askren hadnt been jettisoned to a different dimension it could have backfired, Jorge bless.

 

[EndlessCritic]

The fans refusing to buy his ppvs buried him

ufc 178 doing 200k buys despite being one of the most stacked cards ever is insane.

 

[haj02]

DJ was always going to be more respected by the Asian audience that One FC had. Askren happened to be part of a meme KO, without that then the UFC would have been the loser in the deal.

 

[blaseblase]

DJ was always going to be more respected by the Asian audience that One FC had. Askren happened to be part of a meme KO, without that then the UFC would have been the loser in the deal.

If Askren had won his fights he would have been the draw. He was always good at talking. All eyes were on him at the time.

 

[Ashen One]

The fans refusing to buy his ppvs buried him

Wow. MMA fans being retarded?

Who would have ever imagined?

 

[KO Shotz]

Askren was Chael 2.0. Had great wrestling & even better trash talk.

BUT

You trade away the best FLW ever for that?

 

[WoozyFailGuy]

Remember when people were saying Askren could be the first person to wrestlefuck GSP?
Good times...
I agree with OP, it was a moment that needed time and hindsight to judge and overall it worked out great for everyone.

 

[Hdfi]

That fight alone was worth more financially than DJ's entire UFC career.

How do you know how much money they made for the company? PPV isn't the only model and DJ headlined 11 cards, while Masvidal only headlined 6...

DJ:
UFC Live: Cruz vs. Johnson
UFC on FX: Johnson vs. McCall
UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Dodson
UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Moraga
UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Benavidez 2
UFC 174
UFC 178
UFC 186
UFC 191
The Ultimate Fighter 24 Finale
UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Reis

Masvidal:
UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. Masvidal
UFC Fight Night: Till vs. Masvidal
UFC 244
UFC 251
UFC 261
UFC 272

but really we should be comparing DJ to Askren, not Masvidal, and it would look even worse for the UFC because Askren headlined only 1 card and then he got knocked out by a youtuber.

 

[Killer Kadoogan]

It was a different time.

Until about 2014, clowns in here were happy to act like anything under LW didn’t exist (The way it actually was in the UFC). They said so.

No wmma, no manlets.

And if you were here, you know that’s a fact.

what do you mean, its literally still the same time

 

[Goutfather]

it was a bad trade from the point of view of the UFC being "the best of the best" and legitimacy of the sport. just the same as it was a bad move to let Ngannou walk. Mighty Mouse was PPV poison because UFC refused to promote him. they tried to kill his division directly after trading him, they don't give a shit about 125lb, they just have it to suck up talent so other orgs can't fill out their divisions and become the new WEC. Masvidal's star power lasted a single year before Usman brought him and his fan base back to reality and Colby of all people made him cry.

not true. they promoted the fuck out of him. mma fans respected him as well. but he wasn’t bringing eyeballs to his fights. it’s that simple. you can’t force people to be interested in something. if there’s one thing ufc did dirty, it’s the fact they cost him his sponsors with their shitty rebawk deal. he had some pretty big ones as i recall, like xbox.