We’re About to See a Lightweight “Title” Fight Without Khabib or Ferguson

[Islam Imamate]

Great fight don’t get me wrong, but man the UFC must have really hustled to put this together to have a PPV headliner. Holloway has work to do in his own division and why is Poirier getting this opportunity when Ferguson has worked so hard. I understand that the UFC needed a headliner but the fact that they made this fight and slapped “interim title fight” on it just shows their own desperation. Plus if Holloway wins then he gets a pass to clog his own division up even longer. The UFC doesn’t seem to be capable of thinking more than one step ahead.

I'm glad they set up this fight for the interim title, we get two five round fights between legit contenders on the same card so what's not to love? That's really what I love about interim title fights the most, the ability to give contenders fights two more rounds if they're on the co-main slot.

 

[Bend NvR Break]

It should just be for the real title. And that is not a slight at Khabib he can come back and take his belt back ASAP. If it was for the real title Tony would likely have signed the fight sheet however and then we would possibly getting Poirer vs Ferguson so without diving too far into the what if. I agree though fully, the show must go on. I am looking forward to that fight. The UFC wins big I think if Holloway wins he is capable of becoming more of a household name. The UFC would benefit from just forcing fighters names who they want to push into first take sports center, around the horn etc. Even if they are small segments it would help. They need to kill embedded and replace it with something with more substance and put it on ESPN. This is becoming a wall of text but this is a bit harder right now then it would have been 7 years ago ESPN doesn’t even show football highlights of people making big hits in the open field anymore.

No one has segments of "big hits" now. Football will be 7 on 7 with 20 seasons. QBs aren't even football players anymore.

 

[MMA4Life]

Khabib Nurmagomedov is suspended because of his own actions. Tony Ferguson needs to sort out his mental health issues. The most popular fighter in the division is on a loss in and out of the Octagon. The train needs to keep moving.

The UFC did good doing something to keep the division moving. I don't rate Dustin Poirier, but I see that many fans and MMA media personalities and other fighters do. So, fair play to him for getting his opportunity.

Dustin seems to be peaking and he is very far from a pushover. He will have more to offer Max standing then Ortega did IMO. Always going to be rooting for max but this a championship level fight. The stylistic matchup is fun but Dustin is criminally underrated in how well rounded he is and in the striking technique, speed and experience.

 

[MMA4Life]

No one has segments of "big hits" now. Football will be 7 on 7 with 20 seasons. QBs aren't even football players anymore.

Yeah it’s a shame. Especially when you watch an SEC game and they are still letting them play. I was trying to point out how that may deter ESPN from covering MMA. They could do it just as talking points and not show footage. Are you cool with the interim belts still? Or would you rather it be for the real belt? I had no problems with interims until recently.

 

[EdmundsEmptyBankAccount]

Great fight don’t get me wrong, but man the UFC must have really hustled to put this together to have a PPV headliner. Holloway has work to do in his own division and why is Poirier getting this opportunity when Ferguson has worked so hard. I understand that the UFC needed a headliner but the fact that they made this fight and slapped “interim title fight” on it just shows their own desperation. Plus if Holloway wins then he gets a pass to clog his own division up even longer. The UFC doesn’t seem to be capable of thinking more than one step ahead.

Khabib refusing to fight really fucking things up

Hilariously after a bunch of talk about his legacy

 

[kalabula]

This is why PPV has been dying over the past few years. The UFC keeps cresting interim matches and wants to charge $60+ for them. Then we see the interim “champs” get stripped and never actually get to compete for the belt (ex. Tony, Colby). Interim fights are a scam.

I think it’s more so because there are just s lot of cards. Either way, they had record earnings last year. I doubt there worried.

 

[Subfighter]

Wonder why Dana has a boner for interim titles. No one cares about it. Not even fighters care about it. It is just a fancy way to give someone the first contender spot for the division.

 

[GiSP]

Well Tony turned it down. What’s the problem, here?

 

[Bend NvR Break]

555

Yeah it’s a shame. Especially when you watch an SEC game and they are still letting them play. I was trying to point out how that may deter ESPN from covering MMA. They could do it just as talking points and not show footage. Are you cool with the interim belts still? Or would you rather it be for the real belt? I had no problems with interims until recently.

I'm good with interim belts because it substantially increases a fighter's purse. Ferguson went from 54K/54k (RDA) to 250K\250K when fighting for an interim title and imo would have gotten a flat purse and ppv points to fight Khabib. But if he lost to Lee he still would have increased his pay 2.5 times but instead increased it 5 times by winning.

From a competitive stand point it doesn't make any sense but the UFC actually has an official P4P rankings so nothing actually makes sense anymore.
Football scared parents. There's a couple towns around me that did away with pee wee football and now the first chance kids get to play football is in high school. So both the NFL and ESPN responded to their customers concerns (at the cost of the integrity of football). We use to get rewarded in high school and college for knocking opposing players out the game. I couldn't play in today's football but that's a different story.

MMA is seen by adults and no one pictures kids fighting. Seeing Ray Lewis crush a slot receiver dragging across the middle causes parents to put little Johnny in the WR shoes. I can't imagine ESPN made a deal with the UFC just to censor it.

 

[Kvothe_the_kingkiller]

Well Tony turned it down. What’s the problem, here?

That's right.

Without Khabib & Conor, it should have been Poirier v Tony. In no uncertain terms, that was the fight to make.

For whatever reason, UFC wanted/needed Holloway to jump in there. We don't know exactly why. But they seemed determined to get him to jump the existing contenders. Idiotic.

So they offered him to Tony, he declined, and Poirier got it. At least that small part of this silly opera went properly.

Ironically, without Khabib, Conor and Tony available (there is plenty of evidence to suggest Tony wouldn't have made any fight this spring), suddenly Poirier is by himself at the top of the ladder with no other real contender to fight. And in this case Holloway moving up to fight him suddenly is sensible.

So I hated the process, but in the end the right thing was done.

FFS just thinking that through gives me a headache.

 

[BigGing]

I'm only for an interim champion if that belt is actually defended...pretty Sure Barao is the only one to do it

 

[MRT]

Dana gonna Dana, TS.

Seriously though...how many of us hardcore fans really give a fuck about the titles anymore? The UFC has diluted their value/prestige with endless interim belts, stripping titles and interim titles with no consistency, unearned title shots or deserving contenders being passed over, super fights that hijack divisions, etc. to the point that the belts are often little more than marketing tools for the masses.

I'm all about exciting fights and Max vs Poirier could be a great one. Who gives a shit about the fake belt the winner will receive, especially when we all know that it doesn't 'guarantee' them anything? if it suits the UFC, we could *easily* see Khabib-Conor 2, while the so-called interim champ sits. it's all so ridiculous lol

 

[VinceArch]

It is pretty stupid. They should have just made it a number 1 contenders match. Why have an interim title fight when your next fight is going to be against Khabib?

 

[chiefwiggum]

Not nearly as offensive as the next 185 interim. IMO.

One guy is 1-1 in the top 10, got wrecked by Weidman and eked by Jacare. And he beat Bisping.

The other guy beat Brunson (just like everyone else) and an aged Silva.

But the fans seem to like them both, so leapfrog the numerous perennial contenders they did.

You’re cherry picking. You can discredit any fighter ever in any sport by your logic. And everyone sucks

 

[chinarice]

Khabib is out. Tony is out.

Holloway/Poirier for the interim title sounds good to me.

The show must go on.

agreed on the premise the strip khabib of the belt.

The show most go on. Champ can't defend, no more belt.

 

[Rebel_LioN]

Great fight don’t get me wrong, but man the UFC must have really hustled to put this together to have a PPV headliner. Holloway has work to do in his own division and why is Poirier getting this opportunity when Ferguson has worked so hard. I understand that the UFC needed a headliner but the fact that they made this fight and slapped “interim title fight” on it just shows their own desperation. Plus if Holloway wins then he gets a pass to clog his own division up even longer. The UFC doesn’t seem to be capable of thinking more than one step ahead.

1 step ahead? They’re only capable of taking 2 steps back and THEN 1 step ahead.

 

[Draxton]

This is why PPV has been dying over the past few years. The UFC keeps cresting interim matches and wants to charge $60+ for them. Then we see the interim “champs” get stripped and never actually get to compete for the belt (ex. Tony, Colby). Interim fights are a scam.

No they aren’t. Colby turned down the fight to unify his interim belt. Tony was booked against Khabib to make his interim undisputed but Tony’s crazy ass danced his way through some TV cables and needed surgery 6 days before the fight.

 

[Wicked_1]

If u didn't notice, the ufc likes 2 weight division champs. It's a big thing for them. I honestly think Max's days of cutting to 145 are over. Look at all the problems it caused him already health wise. He is older now and will more than likely vacate 145 and stay at 155. I like max so I don't want to see him slurring his words and all that. He has many fights at 155 and it also may have something to do with restocking 155 with Lee moving up and the possible 165 division coming and several others moving there. The ufc always does the champ moving up and gets title shot thing. Conor did it, gsp etc. I agree Tony deserves a shot, but we have no idea his mental state or any of that with all the holy water stuff. He may be out an extended time. He lost the interim title because of the cage incident. There was a title fight, he pulled out, they replaced him and had the title fight his interim belt guaranteed him. If he was able to fight in July and have a full camp before then I'm almost positive he would be fighting max or straight to khabib.

 

[Local Plata]

It won't stop unless people stop buying the PPVs. Too many filthy casuals now for that to ever happen, they love seeing shiny things being strapped on people they don't know after every single fight.

 

[tonyDaTiger]

Or he permanently moves to 155 and vacates the FW belt

What exactly is clogged up at 145 BTW?
A 3rd fight with Aldo?
lol
None of them FW contenders currently stand out

Frankie Edgar. They were supposed to fight. People say holloway has had favorable matchups and hasn't faced a good wrestler. That checks two boxes.