The Era of Cherrypicking Champions: Woodley, Nunes, & Bisping

Mask Of Winters said:
Still waiting for Conor's first 145 title defense. He ran from Edgar until the UFC had Aldo VS Edgar hoping that would eliminate Edgar from any title talk. Meanwhile the UFC allowed him to not only fight RDA for two belts (after not even defending the first, mind you) but is also allowing him to rematch Diaz. Just like parents of any child born in the last 30 years always gives them whatever they want.

If Conor can no longer make 145 then quit holding that belt hostage and make him give it up so there can be a champ who does make the weight and defend it.
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People really have some selective memories around here, especially when it comes to Conor McGregor. The RDA fight was supposed to happen three months after he iced Aldo (you know that guy who was defending on average every 9 months). When RDA fell out at the last minute they offered the fight to both Aldo and Edgar and both of them declined. The UFC then picked Nate because they thought that doing that one at 170 was the most marketable way to salvage things. Conor lost and then insisted on giving it another go, so here we are. They've already said that win or lose he will be returning to 145 to fight Aldo.

There was no running because this was about striking while the iron was hot and trying to make history not avoiding some guy. Everyone knew that RDA would absolutely destroy Conor so its absurd to claim that taking on the more dangerous challenge is running from the lesser one.

As far as "giving him whatever he wants" that doesn't track with pulling him from UFC 200. I will grant you that they give him a lot of leeway, because he is the biggest draw in the sport, and because people also forget that the champ has always gotten consideration. When he was the champ, Tito ducked Chuck for a long time. Jones declined another go with Gustaffson, and the list goes on. The man with the belt gets far more say so than some ham and egger down the card.
 
Conor fought all comers till his nate loss, the only fight he cherry picked was nate again, his only loss in the ufc
worst was bisping taking the hendo fight
 
Hendo is not near as bad as woodley cherry picking a guy 0-4 last 4 not even ranked.

Hendo Koed a scary ass lombard and there is revenge angle of greatest ko in history.
 
ocfightfan said:
People really have some selective memories around here, especially when it comes to Conor McGregor. The RDA fight was supposed to happen three months after he iced Aldo (you know that guy who was defending on average every 9 months). When RDA fell out at the last minute they offered the fight to both Aldo and Edgar and both of them declined. The UFC then picked Nate because they thought that doing that one at 170 was the most marketable way to salvage things. Conor lost and then insisted on giving it another go, so here we are. They've already said that win or lose he will be returning to 145 to fight Aldo.

There was no running because this was about striking while the iron was hot and trying to make history not avoiding some guy. Everyone knew that RDA would absolutely destroy Conor so its absurd to claim that taking on the more dangerous challenge is running from the lesser one.

As far as "giving him whatever he wants" that doesn't track with pulling him from UFC 200. I will grant you that they give him a lot of leeway, because he is the biggest draw in the sport, and because people also forget that the champ has always gotten consideration. When he was the champ, Tito ducked Chuck for a long time. Jones declined another go with Gustaffson, and the list goes on. The man with the belt gets far more say so than some ham and egger down the card.
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Edgar was coming off surgery when he got the call and couldn't get medically cleared. Acting like he turned the fight down because he was scared or something is just dishonest.
 
All this praise for Conor for wanting RDA is silly. Sure he probably loses that fight 100 out of 100 times but he didn't have anything to lose. He had the chance to win another belt without risking his, so courageous. Also, was that not the first time in UFC history that a fighter would have been allowed to hold two belts, had he somehow won? First time ever is some pretty special treatment.

And fuck the bisping just wants revenge angle. He's had 7 years and 17 fights to get it if he really wanted it. You don't see luke still clamoring for revenge with vitor do you? If bisping had to fight an actual contender and lost the belt, you'd likely see the same.
 
Ginn said:
GSP cherry picked Nick Diaz who was coming off a LOSS and year long suspension. You idiots had no problem with that, so don't cry about Woodly.
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GSP actually defended his belt a fuckload of times and didn't pick an opponent who wasnt worthy 30 seconds after winning the title.
 
So:

Woodley joins Miocic, DC (though he gets pass because Jon is a lifelong criminal and a PED head), Bisping and Alvarez as current UFC champions who are almost certainly not the best fighters in their divisions. There's also an excellent chance Aldo beats Conor if they fight again, while Nunes won't be on top for very long.

2016: Chaos reigns!
 
I'd rather see this than instant rematches.
 
tjohnsont said:
Bisping wants revenge. Nunes just beat Shev recently.

Not sure how u can't see their logic.
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Can you quit with the revenge bullshit? Bisping didnt want revenge for 7 years and just a year ago he said Hendo is old and he is not interested in a rematch. Bisping wants money and to keep his belt while ducking real contenders,just say it like it is.
Nunes doesn't have to fight Schevchenko,Pena is deserving enough contender.
 
Coolidge said:
Some might argue that the genesis of the cherrypicking era was Conor McGregor. The UFC gave him the authority to fight whomever he pleases. These newer champions are following his lead and trying to pick/influence who their opponents are going to be.

Bisping cherrypicked elderly Dan Henderson after beating Rockhold. Huge step down.

Amanda Nunes said Shevchenko doesn't deserve a rematch, despite schooling Holly Holm.

Eddie Alvarez called out Nate Diaz, who's on a one fight win streak against a legitimate lightweight.

Tyron Woodley is trying to cherrypick Nick Diaz, who has the worst wrestling defense in the entire division.

This is not good.
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They know they're light years away from having that Anderson/GSP/Jones/Aldo/MM level of ability which would allow them to reign for a long time, so are desperately going for the quick cash grab.

It's grim yet understandable. A weird time in the sport.
 
ocfightfan said:
I guess you've never heard of a man named Tito Ortiz and how long he ducked Chuck Liddell.
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Woah, woah, woah. He is no coward. He's not afraid of no man.
(I just put UFC 44 Undisputed DVD on a few mins ago)
 
This is the money fight era now

Might as well just get used to it.

What "real" mma fans want doesn't matter to the UFC and neither does merit or ranking just the fights the make the most $$$.

Conor showed other fighters the promised land and now they are going there.
 
Ginn said:
GSP cherry picked Nick Diaz who was coming off a LOSS and year long suspension. You idiots had no problem with that, so don't cry about Woodly.
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GSP cleaned out the division 2 or 3 times like no champion ever has. Nick was a money fight that had been scheduled previously and that GSP had been prepping for but that had fallen through. Nick was also the last champ of Strikeforce, had recently beaten up one of GSP's biggest all time rivals, and his loss to Condit for the interim was a controversial one. It's not the same thing at all.
 
UFC also wants to have a champion that can hold the belt for long enough for the average Joe to be able to remember who the current champion is.

This changing of title holders with every fight is the sure way to avoid creating a household name superstar.
 
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