Wait, so the winner of Saturday’s HW fight doesn’t get a title shot?

[blaseblase]

The UFC sees Jones/Stipe as the only "money fight" available to them and doesn't want to risk either of them losing to the lesser known rising contenders.

 

[BigSexy444]

Only one way for that this makes sense

 

[Ironheart]

Booking Stipe in a title fight was a weird decision (if we're talking merit) but he deserved to fight Pavlovich when Jones pulled out. They did him dirty, and now the situation is way messier.

 

[JKS]

I’m very confused about what’s actually going on here.

Pavlovich and Aspinall are fighting for the interim belt. But Jon and Stipe are fighting for the Undisputed (wtf) belt sometime in like a year? It’s expected that the winner of that fight will then retire.

So, if I’m not mistaken this pretty much means the winner Saturday night will sit out for a year or so, holding a fake belt, and will then have to fight someone else (probably Gane or Almeida) to win the real belt?

Why tf is this happening lol?

Even though the titles say otherwise, this really is the true HW title fight. Unless Jones or Stipe decide they wanna continue to fight. If Stipe and Jones both call it quits, then the winner of this fight gets promoted to HW champ. Most people including Jon and Stipe are alluding that it's their last fight.