Welterweight could get very interesting in the next year or so (but Belal needs to go).

[Young Calf Kick]

We could very well end up with an Islam Makhachev vs Shavkat Rakhmonov matchup for the title down the line, which would be a dream fight. But how do we get there? Hear me out:

So we've got Belal as the current (36 year old) champion. In this hypothetical, he's actually the one pawn that's ruining the setup. Due to the super annoying "Muslim friendz dont fight Muslim friendz" situation he has with Islam, it's unlikely they will ever get matched up. Islam has already stated he intends to move up to Welterweight rather sooner than later in order to become double champ, which I'm actually fine with should he get past Tsarukyan.

Nobody likes Belal (except for @HHJ). However, he isn't going to step aside just because his friend Islam wants to move up and fight for the title. In other words, someone has to go and take it off him. We all hope it's going to be Shavkat, so let's hope that fight gets rebooked soon. Shavkat would be the favourite against Belal, but in case he loses, Belal would probably face the winner of JDM vs Edwards. Belal disposed of Edwards pretty easily, so a rematch wouldn't be favourable. JDM needs to win against Edwards, but that's a very tough matchup for JDM aswell. In short, it's pretty much All Eyez On Shavkat. I think the other top 10 guys are currently too far off from a title shot. Unless something crazy happens #5 Brady won't get it just by beating #8 Burns, #3 Usman is on a 3 loss skid, #6 Buckley needs a top win, #7 Garry just lost against Shavkat, #9 Colby is about to (thank god) fade out of existence (how the fuck is he even #9?).

Which top 5/10 ranked matchups do you want to see at Welterweight?

 

[Only Here for Attachments]

Ditch BeLOL, Leon, Usman, and Colby.

 

[EndlessCritic]

Your thread is missing Prates and Morales. Both have earned top 10 fights.

 

[Lycandroid]

Belal is here to stay whether or not people like his style. Shavkat won't beat him after what his last performance showed.

 

[Kowboy On Sherdog]

I like Belal

 

[Necrocrawler]

Well... Dude is the champ.
For me he's boring (im on the "remember the decision" side), but still... He's the champ.
Unless he sits on his belt for like... 3 years, let's just hope he gets a fight ASAP and loses lol.
Then... We'll see who's gonna end up with the gold

 

[Young Calf Kick]

Your thread is missing Prates and Morales. Both have earned top 10 fights.

They have definitely earned top 10 fights but they still need to grab a couple wins over some big top 10 names in order to be in title contention.

 

[Young Calf Kick]

Belal is here to stay whether or not people like his style. Shavkat won't beat him after what his last performance showed.

Belal is 36 and MMA math doesn't work. Belal is probably a more favourable matchup for Shavkat than Garry was.

 

[HHJ]

Nobody likes Belal (except for @HHJ).

SAY THE NAME


SAY IT

 

[Striker Fox]

Seems like Islam is open to fighting Belal. Would rather see him against Shavkat tho

 

[Young Calf Kick]

SAY THE NAME


SAY IT

I REBUKE THYNE PROPOSAL

 

[gentel]

GOATlal gonna ruin Shavkat's whole career (by decision)

 

[Lawrence]

If the Champ stays busy, the division will be fun and exciting. It doesn't matter who is Champ.

Jack and Buckly are singlehandedly flushing the rank squatters who have been circulating the drain for the last 3 or 4 years... Huzzah !

If Belal only fights once a year we are fucked.

 

[kingmob6]

Belal is one of the coolest realest fighters in UFC for a variety of reasons. The champ is here to stay

 

[Eric Silva 2.0]

We could very well end up with an Islam Makhachev vs Shavkat Rakhmonov matchup for the title down the line, which would be a dream fight. But how do we get there? Hear me out:

So we've got Belal as the current (36 year old) champion. In this hypothetical, he's actually the one pawn that's ruining the setup. Due to the super annoying "Muslim friendz dont fight Muslim friendz" situation he has with Islam, it's unlikely they will ever get matched up. Islam has already stated he intends to move up to Welterweight rather sooner than later in order to become double champ, which I'm actually fine with should he get past Tsarukyan.

Nobody likes Belal (except for @HHJ). However, he isn't going to step aside just because his friend Islam wants to move up and fight for the title. In other words, someone has to go and take it off him. We all hope it's going to be Shavkat, so let's hope that fight gets rebooked soon. Shavkat would be the favourite against Belal, but in case he loses, Belal would probably face the winner of JDM vs Edwards. Belal disposed of Edwards pretty easily, so a rematch wouldn't be favourable. JDM needs to win against Edwards, but that's a very tough matchup for JDM aswell. In short, it's pretty much All Eyez On Shavkat. I think the other top 10 guys are currently too far off from a title shot. Unless something crazy happens #5 Brady won't get it just by beating #8 Burns, #3 Usman is on a 3 loss skid, #6 Buckley needs a top win, #7 Garry just lost against Shavkat, #9 Colby is about to (thank god) fade out of existence (how the fuck is he even #9?).

Which top 5/10 ranked matchups do you want to see at Welterweight?

Belal has the charisma of my living room wall but the guy is criminally underrated. I don't see Shavkat winning that fight. I don't see why you think Shavkat would be the favorite against Belal. Nothing I've seen in the Neal or Machado-Garry fight would make me think Shavkat would be the favorite. Welterweight is getting interesting but for different reasons. If JDM can beat Leon and Buckley can take out Usman, we will have the beginning of the changing of the guard in the division. You have Morales and Prates coming up. I think Belal will eventually lose but probably not the next fight or two.

Edit: Buckley knocking Colby around has been a good start to the change in the division.

 

[dipstickjimmy]

We could very well end up with an Islam Makhachev vs Shavkat Rakhmonov matchup for the title down the line, which would be a dream fight. But how do we get there? Hear me out:

So we've got Belal as the current (36 year old) champion. In this hypothetical, he's actually the one pawn that's ruining the setup. Due to the super annoying "Muslim friendz dont fight Muslim friendz" situation he has with Islam, it's unlikely they will ever get matched up. Islam has already stated he intends to move up to Welterweight rather sooner than later in order to become double champ, which I'm actually fine with should he get past Tsarukyan.

Nobody likes Belal (except for @HHJ). However, he isn't going to step aside just because his friend Islam wants to move up and fight for the title. In other words, someone has to go and take it off him. We all hope it's going to be Shavkat, so let's hope that fight gets rebooked soon. Shavkat would be the favourite against Belal, but in case he loses, Belal would probably face the winner of JDM vs Edwards. Belal disposed of Edwards pretty easily, so a rematch wouldn't be favourable. JDM needs to win against Edwards, but that's a very tough matchup for JDM aswell. In short, it's pretty much All Eyez On Shavkat. I think the other top 10 guys are currently too far off from a title shot. Unless something crazy happens #5 Brady won't get it just by beating #8 Burns, #3 Usman is on a 3 loss skid, #6 Buckley needs a top win, #7 Garry just lost against Shavkat, #9 Colby is about to (thank god) fade out of existence (how the fuck is he even #9?).

Which top 5/10 ranked matchups do you want to see at Welterweight?

Two things:
1) Buckley has a top win since he beat perrenial #1 contender Colby. Practially a title in itself!!! LOL

2) how about fuck Islam until he defends against 5 different LWs. He literally is at 1 right now and in no way does Volkanovski count let alone twice. Forget about the fact Shavkat will not have any defenses either. Islam and all other champs need to be dominant champions (IMO min 5 DEFENSES) before talk of a title shot. If Islam were to move up now with 2 (assuming he beats Arman) then he should have to beat a top WW in a title eliminator after he VACATES his title.
Fuck all of this "Double Champ" bullshit...defend your title.

 

[Pancake Sprawl]

Islam might get the belt the same way Conor got the LW belt, but i don't think he'll be a real threat to the elite WWs.

 

[Cheese_&_mma_lover]

Unfortunately Belal vs Shavkat, will look exactly like the Belal vs Luque fight.

Islam is too soft to fight a fellow muslim brother. He will fight meaningless rematches, with nothing to gain, until a fluke loss destroys his legacy. All this time fighters have been trying to figure out what the Dagestani weakness is, it's having a kind heart.

Shavkat, Garry, JDM have all been exposed.

the future of the division is Buckley, Prates, Morales, and Jacobe

 

[Sean Chowdhury]

Belal is 36 and MMA math doesn't work. Belal is probably a more favourable matchup for Shavkat than Garry was.

he just had the best performance of his life at 36 too, he's clearly on some special stuff so I don't think he will fall off a cliff in 1 year. He should be able to beat shavkat who's wrestling is wildly overrated, was struggling to take down wonderboy in round 1 and got taken down by garry

 

[Blanqa Blanqua]

I like Belal.

But...

I want Islam to get a shot at Belal, and beat him.