Unearned title shots: 2025 edition

[Dr Fong]

Alright folks, 2023 and 2024 were amazing years for guys getting title shots coming off losses, long layoffs or wins over random bums, so time to start a new thread to keep track of this nonsense for 2025.

(Note that WMMA is not included because who knows what is and isn't earned in that context)

Islam vs Moicano: Unearned

Merab vs Umar: Earned (Umar may not have really earned his title eliminator bout in the first place, but once he won that, you can't argue against his title shot).

DDP vs Strickland: Unearned - cue incel tears. Zero defence champion. A one-fight split decision win streak over a non-serious contender coming off a loss and 1-3 in his last 4 fights.

Poatan vs Ank - Earned

Volk vs Lopes - Laughably unearned. Volk riding a double KO losing streak, 3 in 4 fights AND a year-long layoff. Even Lopes is getting the shot over an undefeated guy who beat him.

Belal vs JDM - Tough one. I'm not sure beating an elderly Burns in the middle of a 3-fight skid really 'earns' you a shot. But JDM is also on an undefeated 7-fight streak. Also a replacement. I'll be generous and go 'earned'.

Merab vs O'Malley: Unearned. Title shot rematch off a dominant loss.

Pantoja vs KKF: Unearned. 1-2 in last 3. Win was over guy ranked 10 now riding a 3-fight losing streak.

DDP vs Khamzat: Earned.

Topuria vs Oliveira: Double unearned. Vacant title, one guy 1-0 vs unranked fighter in the division, the other guy on a 1-fight win streak over a shot fighter who had lost 3 of last 4.

JDM vs Islam: Unearned. Never fought at 170.

Merab vs Sandhagen. Tough. Sandhagen 'deserved' a title shot but did he 'earn' this particular one? A 1-fight win streak over a guy coming off a loss. That has to go in the 'unearned' category.

Ankalaev vs Poatan. Unearned. Immediate title shot rematch coming off a loss.

Tally so far:

Earned: 4
Unearned: 9

 

[AmonTobin]

You definitely have a bias against Strickland if you can’t see how he’s earned it.

 

[Dr Fong]

You definitely have a bias against Strickland if you can’t see how he’s earned it.

One of us indeed has incel tears clouding his vision.

If you think beating Paulo Costa via split decision in 2024 earns you a title shot, you are not a serious person.

 

[Gabe]

O Malley will be the front runner for the next shot apparently let’s add him to the list. Yan is currently the most deserving contender.

 

[AmonTobin]

One of us indeed has incel tears clouding his vision.

If you think beating Paulo Costa via split decision in 2024 earns you a title shot, you are not a serious person.

If you think beating Strickland in controversial split decision earns you the title, you’d be right.
I happen to think Sean should've got the judges' decision against DDP. I guess that automatically makes me an incel. Lol

 

[Mohawk Banditó]

One of us indeed has incel tears clouding his vision.

If you think beating Paulo Costa via split decision in 2024 earns you a title shot, you are not a serious person.

Sean decided to sit on his ass and not fight anyone worth a damn. He chose not to take the Whittaker fight (the example of a champ who actually puts in effort to right his ship when he loses), and Khamzat took it instead and steamrolled.

Khamzat deserves the shot. Strickland deserves an eliminator at best.

I happen to think Sean should've got the judges' decision against DDP. I guess that automatically makes me an incel. Lol

Did he lose though?

 

[Aurelian]

Sean decided to sit on his ass and not fight anyone worth a damn. He chose not to take the Whittaker fight (the example of a champ who actually puts in effort to right his ship when he loses), and Khamzat took it instead and steamrolled.

Khamzat deserves the shot. Strickland deserves an eliminator at best.


Did he lose though?

Khamzat will most likely get next. He's not really "losing" anything. We need closure after that Sean vs DDP fight was so close.

 

[Dr Fong]

If you think beating Strickland in controversial split decision earns you the title, you’d be right.

I don't expect rational thought from a Strickland fan. And yet the idiocy of this reply still caught me off guard. Well done.

 

[AmonTobin]

Sean decided to sit on his ass and not fight anyone worth a damn. He chose not to take the Whittaker fight (the example of a champ who actually puts in effort to right his ship when he loses), and Khamzat took it instead and steamrolled.

Khamzat deserves the shot. Strickland deserves an eliminator at best.


Did he lose though?

I'm not terribly impressed by Sean's effort, but I still thought he won that fight. I know it's not a popular opinion, but I remember it being a very close fight with Dricus taking the most damage. I'm all for Khamzat getting a shot next but I also think Sean and Dricus have unfinished business. I think the rematch is warranted. I'm not disputing that someone arguably deserves it more, but I disagree that it's completely unearned.

 

[Aurelian]

I'm not terribly impressed by Sean's effort, but I still thought he won that fight. I know it's not a popular opinion, but I remember it being a very close fight with Dricus taking the most damage. I'm all for Khamzat getting a shot next but I also think Sean and Dricus have unfinished business. I think the rematch is warranted.

It's definitely not out of line for Sean to get the rematch. If I remember correctly, basically all the media scores and fan scores had that fight split down the middle. It was about as close to a draw that you could get.

 

[Dr Fong]

O Malley will be the front runner for the next shot apparently let’s add him to the list. Yan is currently the most deserving contender.

Thread will be updated with future bullshit as fights are officially announced throughout 2025.

Unless I get alzheimers or one of Sean Strickland's fans attacks an International Women's Day parade and I catch a stray.

 

[Portland8242]

Alright folks, 2023 and 2024 were amazing years for guys getting title shots coming off losses, long layoffs or wins over random bums, so time to start a new thread to keep track of this nonsense for 2025.

(Note that WMMA is not included because who knows what is and isn't earned in that context)

UFC 311 starts us off above board, but there is some silliness on the horizon with Volk, O'Malley etc. in line to get garbage title shots. Check back in when the shit starts to pile up.

Tsarukyan vs Makhachev: Earned

Merab vs Umar: Earned (Umar may not have really earned his title eliminator bout in the first place, but once he won that, you can't argue against his title shot).

DDP vs Strickland: Unearned - cue incel tears. Zero defence champion. A one-fight split decision win streak over a non-serious contender coming off a loss and 1-3 in his last 4 fights.

Strickland's getting it because the first fight with DDP was razor close and inconclusive. Khamzat - the next contender in line, has shown to be woefully unreliable and has ruined multiple big events for the UFC.

Just cause you're too daft to understand the reasoning behind it it doesn't make it "unearned".

 

[Dr Fong]

It's definitely not out of line for Sean to get the rematch. If I remember correctly, basically all the media scores and fan scores had that fight split down the middle. It was about as close to a draw that you could get.

You don't earn a title shot by people crying about the decision in your last title fight when you are 0-defence champion, who was gifted a title shot for that opportunity too. You earn a title shot by beating other legit contenders.

Had Strickland beaten a top contender, it would be fine. But he didn't. He won a split decision over the ghost of Paulo Costa, who stopped being a serious fighter years ago.

 

[Aurelian]

You don't earn a title shot by people crying about the decision in your last title fight when you are 0-defence champion, who was gifted a title shot for that opportunity too. You earn a title shot by beating other legit contenders.

Had Strickland beaten a top contender, it would be fine. But he didn't. He won a split decision over the ghost of Paulo Costa, who stopped being a serious fighter years ago.

Dana himself scored the fight for Strickland. That's probably going a long way in him getting the rematch. With the way the UFC operates you should be grateful Sean even had to fight somebody to get another shot.

 

[Dr Fong]

Strickland's getting it because the first fight with DDP was razor close and inconclusive. Khamzat - the next contender in line, has shown to be woefully unreliable and has ruined multiple big events for the UFC.

Just cause you're too daft to understand the reasoning behind it it doesn't make it "unearned".

See my above post, my disgruntled Strickland-supporting, involuntarily celibate friend.

 

[AmonTobin]

I guess people still side fiercely with Sean or Dricus to this day. I mean look what happened to Jon Anik after that fight. He was momentarily unhinged. I disagree with Sean's views on practically everything, but you can label me whatever you want, I still thought he was the better man in the cage that night. Posters calling others incels but dismissing WMMA all together....

 

[Dr Fong]

Dana himself scored the fight for Strickland. That's probably going a long way in him getting the rematch. With the way the UFC operates you should be grateful Sean even had to fight somebody to get another shot.

This thread catalogs unearned title shots in 2025, just as I had one for 2023/2024. It's not supposed to be exclusively a thread for Strickland fans to go into a demented incel rage, although that was expected.

An earned shot is an active fighter beating top contenders. All other title shots are unearned - as stated in the OP, if you are coming off losses, inactivity or only beating random bums (like 2024 Paulo Costa) the fighter didn't earn the particular title shot. Crying over a decision is not part of the criteria for earning a shot, funnily enough.

Not all unearned title shots are created equal. Nobody is saying Strickland's title shot is in the same category as Stipe Miocic's.

 

[Aurelian]

This thread catalogs unearned title shots in 2025, just as I had one for 2023/2024. It's not supposed to be exclusively a thread for Strickland fans to go into a demented incel rage, although that was expected.

An earned shot is an active fighter beating top contenders. All other title shots are unearned - as stated in the OP, if you are coming off losses, inactivity or only beating random bums (like 2024 Paulo Costa) the fighter didn't earn the particular title shot. Crying over a decision is not part of the criteria for earning a shot, funnily enough.

Not all unearned title shots are created equal. Nobody is saying Strickland's title shot is in the same category as Stipe Miocic's.

I pulled for DDP in the first fight, scored it for him, and will be rooting for him in the rematch. Come on man, it's not that hard to be objective.

 

[Dr Fong]

I pulled for DDP in the first fight, scored it for him, and will be rooting for him in the rematch. Come on man, it's not that hard to be objective.

Indeed, it isn't hard to be objective and I've explained my criteria. You're the one who wants to insert your feelings about the Strickland vs DDP scorecards.

The only subjectivity is who counts as a legitimate serious contender that someone has beaten to earn that shot. And, again, if someone counts 2024 Paulo Costa as a serious contender, then they would not be a serious person.

 

[Aurelian]

Indeed, it isn't hard to be objective and I've explained my criteria. You're the one who wants to insert your feelings about the Strickland vs DDP scorecards.

The only subjectivity is who counts as a legitimate serious contender that someone has beaten to earn that shot. And, again, if someone counts 2024 Paulo Costa as a serious contender, then they would not be a serious person.

I'm not sure what you're missing here.