Why not Paddy vs Ilia for 317?

[moosaev]

UFC needs a splash play for IFW, why not put Paddy in there? After his last performance it’s actually somewhat defensible to give him a TS. Fuck it, make the fight. It’ll do huge numbers with their story line and all.

 

[svmr_db]

How would the UFC justify skipping over Charles & Arman to put Paddy in there instead lol?

Paddy looked good in the Chandler fight but Chandler was coming off 2 losses & Charles beat him again a few months before, Paddy needs one more win (preferably against Gaethje) before he gets a title shot.

 

[andgonsil]

 

[moosaev]

How would the UFC justify skipping over Charles & Arman to put Paddy in there instead lol?

Paddy looked good in the Chandler fight but Chandler was coming off 2 losses & Charles beat him again a few months before, Paddy needs one more win (preferably against Gaethje) before he gets a title shot.

UFC is a dictatorship, they don’t have to justify anything lol. Are they justifying why Aspinall isn’t fighting for the belt?

Don’t you think ilia vs paddy will have much more hype and casual interest than Oliveira vs Topuria?

 

[usernamee]

Strip Islam and make Topuria vs Paddy for the real title.

Olives and Arman need to rematch in a five rounder anyways.

 

[moosaev]

Strip Islam and make Topuria vs Paddy for the real title.

Olives and Arman need to rematch in a five rounder anyways.

They shouldn’t strip him, that’s mad disrespectful, they should convince him to vacate. Give him $$$

But ilia vs paddy will create lots of buzz and has cross over appeal imo. It would sell very well. And again, Paddy I think deserves a TS more than O’Malley deserves a rematch imo. Neither are very deserving but to hell with it, this sport isn’t about merit anymore.

 

[flektarn]

UFC is a dictatorship, they don’t have to justify anything lol. Are they justifying why Aspinall isn’t fighting for the belt?

Don’t you think ilia vs paddy will have much more hype and casual interest than Oliveira vs Topuria?

Paddy looked good against a guy who's 1 in his last 6. I can't justify giving him Topuria who beat volk and max back to back.
+Islam is bitching about "no contenders?!?!?!?!?!?" what the fuck does beating paddy do when arman and oliveira are sitting there as well.

 

[Alpha_T83]

Topuria has already said he's not interested in fighting Paddy. Also I feel like Dana has more or less confirmed Topuria will fight Oliveira if Makhachev isn't available.

We are just waiting to find out if Topuria fights for a vacant or interim title.

 

[Alpha_T83]

They shouldn’t strip him, that’s mad disrespectful, they should convince him to vacate. Give him $$$

But ilia vs paddy will create lots of buzz and has cross over appeal imo. It would sell very well. And again, Paddy I think deserves a TS more than O’Malley deserves a rematch imo. Neither are very deserving but to hell with it, this sport isn’t about merit anymore.

Agreed. $10 million bonus of tax free income might convince Makhachev to vacate.

 

[usernamee]

They shouldn’t strip him, that’s mad disrespectful, they should convince him to vacate. Give him $$$

But ilia vs paddy will create lots of buzz and has cross over appeal imo. It would sell very well. And again, Paddy I think deserves a TS more than O’Malley deserves a rematch imo. Neither are very deserving but to hell with it, this sport isn’t about merit anymore.

Strip, cut and get the PR team working on promos that shits on Islam.

 

[moosaev]

Paddy looked good against a guy who's 1 in his last 6. I can't justify giving him Topuria who beat volk and max back to back.
+Islam is bitching about "no contenders?!?!?!?!?!?" what the fuck does beating paddy do when arman and oliveira are sitting there as well.

I’m looking at it purely from a “how can the UFC save 317” perspective. They’re desperate for splash main event. Short of Islam/Top or Jones/Aspinall, the best you’ll get is Paddy/Top. Again, this isn’t about meritocracy it’s more about buzz and selling tickets and PPVs.

 

[moosaev]

Strip, cut and get the PR team working on promos that shits on Islam.

You guys will have to accept that Islam calls all the shots now. Team Khabib wins whether it’s the cage or the negotiating room. Get used to it!

 

[FreedomCricket]

How would the UFC justify skipping over Charles & Arman to put Paddy in there instead lol?

Paddy looked good in the Chandler fight but Chandler was coming off 2 losses & Charles beat him again a few months before, Paddy needs one more win (preferably against Gaethje) before he gets a title shot.

Because Chandler went 5 rounds with Charles and Charles lost to Arman.

And because fuck Arman.

 

[mkess101]

They shouldn’t strip him, that’s mad disrespectful, they should convince him to vacate. Give him $$$

But ilia vs paddy will create lots of buzz and has cross over appeal imo. It would sell very well. And again, Paddy I think deserves a TS more than O’Malley deserves a rematch imo. Neither are very deserving but to hell with it, this sport isn’t about merit anymore.

The UFC doesn't care about being "respectful". You said it yourself, they're a dictatorship. Islam has become SOMEWHAT a draw and a star for them, but not to where they'll cater to his demands to keep the LW belt while moving up (or shell out a bunch of cash for him to vacate). Not when they can go to him and say "Yep you get an immediate title shot at 170, you've earned it with how you've performed. But you need to vacate the LW belt and if you don't we will strip you."


Nobody (not Conor, not Jones--who they stripped twice, nobody) is bigger than the brand. Hell, look at the ppv card they put on last night. Years ago that would've been a mediocre fight night card. But they've got the guaranteed TV money now and an even bigger deal upcoming with Netflix/Amazon etc vying for a piece. The UFC don't want double champs anymore and it seems like they're gonna make it clear to everyone they won't negotiate or entertain exceptions.

 

[moosaev]

Because Chandler went 5 rounds with Charles and Charles lost to Arman.

And because fuck Arman.

Yup, Paddy looked a million times better than Oliveira did against Chandler. And there’s zero story line between Chuck and Ilia, Chuck doesn’t even speak English. And he’s old, Paddy and Ilia are both young. Invest media exposure in the young stars, not the old lions.

 

[AmbassadorFright]

No, just no. Paddy JUST beat number 7 and needs at least 1 more before a title elimination bout. The only thing that makes sense for Ilia at this point is Charles (assuming Islam moves up). I have no doubt Paddy vs Ilia will happen at some point but let's let it build up first, we don't need to rush it.

 

[moosaev]

No, just no. Paddy JUST beat number 7 and needs at least 1 more before a title elimination bout. The only thing that makes sense for Ilia at this point is Charles (assuming Islam moves up). I have no doubt Paddy vs Ilia will happen at some point but let's let it build up first, we don't need to rush it.

You’re talking about meritocracy. The UFC isn’t about that anymore lol. They’re looking for a big splash main event headliner. Which fight creates more splash, Ilia vs Charles or Ilia vs Paddy? It’s a no brainer.

 

[markys00]

They shouldn’t strip him, that’s mad disrespectful, they should convince him to vacate. Give him $$$

But ilia vs paddy will create lots of buzz and has cross over appeal imo. It would sell very well. And again, Paddy I think deserves a TS more than O’Malley deserves a rematch imo. Neither are very deserving but to hell with it, this sport isn’t about merit anymore.

What drugs were you on when you wrote this? I need to know

 

[mkess101]

You guys will have to accept that Islam calls all the shots now. Team Khabib wins whether it’s the cage or the negotiating room. Get used to it!

Not vs the UFC they don't. That's a mistake team Khabib shouldn't make.

The main audience is still the US. The diehards will tune in regardless (and yes, bitch and moan when we don't get the matchups we want but we will still mostly watch). The casuals will believe whatever the UFC tells them to believe about who matters.

The Dagi crew matter to the UFC brass yes, but their leverage is VERY limited.

 

[Alpha_T83]

Because Chandler went 5 rounds with Charles and Charles lost to Arman.

And because fuck Arman.

I was becoming a fan of Arman but it's impossible to defend his horrendous last minute pullout. I can't argue with this.