UFC is degrading its product for Jones Stipe

[MetaIIica]

The UFC keeps pushing back Jones vs Stipe and holding back heavyweight and light heavyweight as well since pereira has aspirations of moving up. Has anyone defended an interim belt before ??? This is causing the divisions to become stagnant and it’s an example of why UFCs product is degrading

 

[MigitAs]

Stipe may be the most overrated champion of all time.

He is a product of right time, right place.

 

[mjfan23]

It’s almost like they want to pretend Tommy ain’t the champ and hide Pico forever.

Jones likely has Dana or ufc by balls with some serious dirt on em. He has forced them to deal with reputation and integrity damage so many times. And they have always prioritized Jones over legitimacy

 

[arrmike]

Neither one in the “real” (linear) champ. It’s a shame that our relatively young sport is likely not going to have a linear champ anymore. Unless Ngannou actually fights again.

 

[Thepaintbucket]

If it isn't obvious already they don't care. Money is the UFCs priority. It's pretty clear Dana doesn't have faith in the heavyweight divisions selling power. They are trying to milk Jon Jones one last time before he might never fight again. Once Jon and Stipe are gone it's business as usual for the HW division. Nothing really changes, financially speaking, for the division

 

[don't ask]

I don't think you're giving the UFC enough credit: they're actually degrading their product in a number of groundbreaking ways.

 

[nonoob]

Dana is helping Jones to be the longest HW belt-holding champ ever.

 

[flowoftruth]

it seems like the only difference we would see is tom's belt not have the word interim in it.

 

[Fight Professor]

Barao defended the interim belt twice, I think.

 

[filthybliss]

Stipe may be the most overrated champion of all time.

He is a product of right time, right place.

As long as it’s consensus that he isn’t better than Fedor, I don’t care where people rate him. He’s definitely a lock for top 5.

 

[KO Shotz]

As long as it’s consensus that he isn’t better than Fedor, I don’t care where people rate him. He’s definitely a lock for top 5.

This. Stipe was a damn good champ & defended the strap against some dangerous mfers.

Stipe vs Jon was a great idea for the HW division before Aspinall became a legit threat to anyone standing across from him. Stipe & Jon have been getting ready for a fight with each other it was just up in the air when it would go down. Now Tom has emerged as a legit contender & I'm sure since Stipe & Jon have committed to training for each other & it being Stipe's retirment fight are the reasons why the fight is still going down. Stipe wants a retirement fight & he wants it against Jones & the ufc & Jones are respecting Stipe's last wishes. Tom vs Jon is the fight to make no doubt about it, but nobody wants to disrespect Stipe.

 

[TankAbbott4Eva]

The UFC keeps pushing back Jones vs Stipe and holding back heavyweight and light heavyweight as well since pereira has aspirations of moving up. Has anyone defended an interim belt before ??? This is causing the divisions to become stagnant and it’s an example of why UFCs product is degrading

I mean don't know if it degrades the product or whatever but it's certainly giving me the shits!

 

[g*r*b]

This. Stipe was a damn good champ & defended the strap against some dangerous mfers.

Stipe vs Jon was a great idea for the HW division before Aspinall became a legit threat to anyone standing across from him. Stipe & Jon have been getting ready for a fight with each other it was just up in the air when it would go down. Now Tom has emerged as a legit contender & I'm sure since Stipe & Jon have committed to training for each other & it being Stipe's retirment fight are the reasons why the fight is still going down. Stipe wants a retirement fight & he wants it against Jones & the ufc & Jones are respecting Stipe's last wishes. Tom vs Jon is the fight to make no doubt about it, but nobody wants to disrespect Stipe.

I seriously doubt they're doing it because of Stipe's wishes. It's Jon who's publicly pushed for this and it's Jon that Dana's been glazing relentlessly of late.

 

[KO Shotz]

I seriously doubt they're doing it because of Stipe's wishes. It's Jon who's publicly pushed for this and it's Jon that Dana's been glazing relentlessly of late.

Stipe has a part in this because he isn't retiring until after this matchup. He's going thru with the fight & making it his retirement fight for a reason. It also probably has alot to do with it being one last time to fight for a belt.

 

[tritestill]

How long have you been watching TS?

 

[tritestill]

The UFC keeps pushing back Jones vs Stipe and holding back heavyweight and light heavyweight as well since pereira has aspirations of moving up. Has anyone defended an interim belt before ??? This is causing the divisions to become stagnant and it’s an example of why UFCs product is degrading

Renan Barao defended twice, and Arlovski defended it once. Both fighters had different circumstances, where champs were injured and took too long to schedule and they were both promoted to champ, here we have a case of Jon choosing to fight someone else other than interim champ and them asking the interim champ to still defend their belt, Tom is the real champ Jon has paper belt.

 

[Jibsta69]

The backlash in the fight will slow down as we get closer to it and it will draw.

 

[KO Shotz]

The backlash in the fight will slow down as we get closer to it and it will draw.

Agreed. When the news first broke about this fight ppl loved it & were all for it.

 

[Xoleth]

It's becoming a shit show.
Dana probably waits for Gane to beat Volkov again, so he can have a 3rd title short, just like Colby.
2025: Jones vs Gane for title & Aspinall vs Almeida for interim.

Stipe's last win was 4 years ago.
And he is still ranked.
This is the only sport where you could see this.

 

[g*r*b]

Stipe has a part in this because he isn't retiring until after this matchup. He's going thru with the fight & making it his retirement fight for a reason. It also probably has alot to do with it being one last time to fight for a belt.

It may well be his retirement fight, but until I hear it come from his own mouth (incomprehensible though it may be) I won't take it as certain that he's planned it as his retirement fight. All we currently have is logic and Dana's word, two things usually not in agreement.

Jon is on Stipe's bucket list and he craves to check that off before he retires, yes. Stipe's turning 42 this month, yes. And he'll consider retiring after the fight, definitely ... because he's considered it after EVERY fight, or so he claims. But the other thing he's always said about retiring from fighting is he'll do it when it stops being "fun". And it's hard to determine that until after you've fought. SO my guess is that he's going into this ready for it to be his last, but deliberately not making the decision until it's over.