Future UFC Corridor of Famer Demetrious Johnson believes the UFC brass harm its credibility with their latest Diego Lopes announcement.
UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski will face Diego Lopes in a comparatively speedy rematch within the UFC 325 essential occasion subsequent month in Sydney. Volkanovski defeated Lopes by unanimous resolution to win the then-vacant featherweight belt at UFC 314 earlier this 12 months.
However after Lopes rallied to defeat Jean Silva at Noche UFC, the UFC matchmakers gave Lopes the inexperienced mild to leapfrog over Movsar Evloev, Lerone Murphy, and others for an additional title shot. The UFC 325 battle announcement left many followers and pundits scratching their heads after the primary battle between Volkanovski and Lopes was a lopsided affair.
A UFC legend took issues a step additional as he blasted the UFC matchmakers and accused them of wounding the game’s credibility.
Demetrious Johnson blasts UFC’s resolution for Diego Lopes title shot
In a latest video on his YouTube channel, UFC legend Demetrious Johnson weighed in on the Volkanovski vs. Lopes 2 backlash.
“You had the chance to battle for the belt. You misplaced. It was 4 (rounds to) one. I really feel everyone feels comfy saying that,” Johnson mentioned of Lopes. “I felt Alex Volkanovski received that battle in dominant trend. Then Diego Lopes goes on to beat Jean Silva. He will get rocked there. It’s a back-and-forth battle. It was a warfare. It’s one battle, and he will get the chance to have one other title shot. Now’s it as a result of he’s extremely popular? Is it as a result of he sells loads of tickets? I don’t know.
“However are we doing this for recognition, or are we doing this as a result of any person is healthier? That’s the place I prefer to query the legitimacy of this factor we name a ‘sport.’ That’s why I all the time say it’s not a sport. It’s decide and select.
“‘I’m going to push this athlete as a result of he has a market that I wish to infiltrate, he has a market that we haven’t been in a position to get our foot in or our roots in, and we’re not likely apprehensive about that’,” Johnson continued on Lopes. “That’s high quality. Simply let me know that.” (h/t MMA Junkie)
