Media Was Merab tricked into taking the fight vs Umar thinking he was compromised?

[svmr_db]

• Umar says he has an arm fracture and can't fight in January
• Merab storms into Dana's office and pushes to make the fight happen asap, gets the fight for January
• Umar downplays the arm fracture

 

[Only Here for Attachments]

Bad times when champions have to be tricked into defending against top contenders!

 

[filthybliss]

This doesn’t reflect well on Merab. Immediately asking for a matchup when you know your future opponent is injured seems a touch sly.

 

[BJJ4Tone]

Bad times when champions have to be tricked into defending against top contenders!

Merab: Checkers
Umar: Chess

 

[Domitian]

Is Umar really injured? That +275 on Merab looking real good right now.

 

[Kowboy On Sherdog]

 

[alchemy]

Realistically, Umar should be like -800 for this fight. There are levels... and Merab is going to find out. There's a reason why he's been behaving so weirdly.

 

[MrBlackheart]

Bad times when champions have to be tricked into defending against top contenders!

Ankalaev just posted a x ray of his broken leg and an MRI of his exploding appendix.

 

[Preston broadus]

"You sneaky guy!!!"-merab

 

[Preston broadus]

Ankalaev just posted a x ray of his broken leg and an MRI of his exploding appendix.

I don't think Alex is afraid. Maybe the ufc is.

 

[HHJ]

I don't think Alex is afraid. Maybe the ufc is.

Correct.

 

[svmr_db]

I don't think Alex is afraid. Maybe the ufc is.

UFC should relax. They can give an automatic rematch to Pereira anyways if he loses. Two possible fights vs Ankalaev and he only has to win one for UFC to justify further attempts to freeze Ankalaev out of the title picture again.

 

[Sean Chowdhury]

That would be smart for Umar to disclose a partial injury in order to goad merab into taking the fight when he originally didn't want to. It sounds like a very insignificant injury though and I don't think Javier mendez would let umar fight with an injury that could make him lose

 

[Pequeño Corey]

Nahhh Merab just realized there wasn’t a way out of it. Can’t blame him for trying to get an easier fight. He worked long and hard to get the belt and wants to maximize his opportunity.

 

[Hymen Crusher]

Nahhh Merab just realized there wasn’t a way out of it. Can’t blame him for trying to get an easier fight. He worked long and hard to get the belt and wants to maximize his opportunity.

Exactly sean gets vera for his first fight. Jones gets old stipe. After his win streak he should get one easier one.

 

[fortheo]

• Umar says he has an arm fracture and can't fight in January
• Merab storms into Dana's office and pushes to make the fight happen asap, gets the fight for January
• Umar downplays the arm fracture

You know what else happened right before Merab took this fight? The only other viable contender in Figgy lost a few days earlier. It seems more likely that Merab was waiting to see if he could get the winner of figgy vs yan, and once he realized it wasn't going to happen, he said, "fuck it, I'll fight umar".

 

[svmr_db]

You know what else happened right before Merab took this fight? The only other viable contender in Figgy lost a few days earlier. It seems more likely that Merab was waiting to see if he could get the winner of figgy vs yan, and once he realized it wasn't going to happen, he said, "fuck it, I'll fight umar".

Merab could've stuck to his guns and not returned until March like he mentioned he would do multiple times. That would've thrown a wrench in things, Umar seemed willing to fight another opponent if necessary.

He could've lost that fight, perhaps UFC pulls the trigger on doing the Yan rematch, who knows. Lots of ways it could've played out if Merab didn't finally crack and push to fight Umar asap.

 

[fortheo]

Merab could've stuck to his guns and not returned until March like he mentioned he would do multiple times. That would've thrown a wrench in things, Umar seemed willing to fight another opponent if necessary.

He could've lost that fight, perhaps UFC pulls the trigger on doing the Yan rematch, who knows. Lots of ways it could've played out if Merab didn't finally crack and push to fight Umar asap.

I think you're getting close to putting a tin foil hat on lol. You can use that imagination to create like 10 different narratives about how this fight came to be.

 

[Black9]

Is Umar really injured? That +275 on Merab looking real good right now.

There's a GOOD chance Ali put him up to this to bait Merab into taking the fight lol.

 

[Trabaho]

They both can wreslte. But Umar can strike. Merab womp womping.