Who is next in line after Izzy for the titleshot now....

[filthybliss]

Khamzat is out of the title picture for another year now. That being addressed, it should of been Strickland vs. Whittaker for the title eliminator if they wanted to grant Izzy the immediate callback. Unfortunately, Jared is done in terms of getting a TS.....So I assume the match to make would be Imavov vs. Strickland/Whittaker? I feel like Strickland and Rob deserve the TS. But the way that the UFC scrambled all the matchups feels like one of them is gonna get screwed and have to fight another title eliminator or sit out for a while.

At the lower echeleons of the division, I feel like there are a lot of younger dudes at MW that can be challenged by the more experience like Shara/Bo vs. Vettori/Costa/and even Kevin Holland because that man loves to fight. Bo could probably wait another 5 years but I don't see why not feed Shara to lions.

 

[CatchtheseHands]

Rob or Sean obviously. It's just a matter of which

 

[flektarn]

They'll probably try and book one of them versus that Chechen pullout merchant and the other gets the next TS.

 

[laleggenda27]

Whittaker vs. Strickland on the Perth card. Winner gets the next shot. And if Izzy or DDP falls off the Perth card, a backup is already on the card.

 

[ipowerslapmywife]

Strickland

 

[Gabe]

Whittaker vs. Strickland makes absolute perfect sense and the UFC would be dumb to not purse this fight next.

 

[JoeRowe]

Whittaker vs. Strickland on the Perth card. Winner gets the next shot. And if Izzy or DDP falls off the Perth card, a backup is already on the card.

Both are healthy, makes perfect sense

 

[filthybliss]

Rob or Sean obviously. It's just a matter of which

If DDP remains champ, the next title fight will happen in mid 2025 so one of them would have to sit out for a hot minute and maybe fight a rising contender if they don't fight eachother.

 

[Reach Finesse]

I dont want to see the jab merchant get another undeserved shot again

 

[filthybliss]

They'll probably try and book one of them versus that Chechen pullout merchant and the other gets the next TS.

Khamzat won't fight till 2030, might as well feed someonelse in the fire.

 

[filthybliss]

I dont want to see the jab merchant get another undeserved shot again

undeserved? you can despise his fight style but the guy smoked costa for 5 rounds straight and split decisioned the champ....he deserves the rematch more than Izzy

 

[SamuraiBro]

Rob vs Sean for titleshot ?

 

[John Scaler]

The winner of Whitaker vs Strickland.

 

[RonDante]

Well imavov is the only fighter in the division coming off a win over a top 5 opponent…

 

[svmr_db]

Whittaker vs. Strickland on the Perth card. Winner gets the next shot. And if Izzy or DDP falls off the Perth card, a backup is already on the card.

UFC aren't forcing Whittaker to take another fight in under 2 months, he's totally in their good graces given how he accepted a replacement opponent in addition to how he performed.

 

[xhaydenx]

Shouldn't even be Izzy next. Rob should be next considering he's coming off 2 wins while Izzy is just coming off a loss.

 

[filthybliss]

The winner of Whitaker vs Strickland.

both guys should of fought eachother on the New Jersey card...

It puts the division in such a weird place when they give guys like Costa that haven't been contender worthy since 2019.

 

[filthybliss]

Well imavov is the only fighter in the division coming off a win over a top 5 opponent…

yeah but strickland beat him last year and beat the champion. so the logic there is not ironclad

 

[RonDante]

yeah but strickland beat him last year and beat the champion. so the logic there is not ironclad

But he didn’t beat the champion though, he lost to him

 

[filthybliss]

But he didn’t beat the champion though, he lost to him

Israel Adesanya was surely the champion....