UFC mailbag: Jon Jones, Belal Muhammad, and the meritocracy of title contention

Howdy, y’all. Hope everybody had a very good Labor Day weekend (or only a common weekend in case you’re not in america or Canada). We’re in the course of a fairly down interval proper now as we wait to get to UFC 306, aka Noche UFC, so let’s reply an actual seize bag of questions together with Jones Jones vs. Tom Aspinall, unlucky UFC title challengers, and UFC’s broadcasting future.

Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall

“Being unbiased, how would you see a matchup between Aspinall vs Jones going? How’d they each come out of their corners, who takes the middle first, does Jones circle away whereas Aspinall chases him/cuts him off, and so forth. I’d actually like to listen to the way you think about it goes/ends? Thanks.”

Because the founding father of the #GaslightJonJones and #ChickensArentGOATs motion, I’m one of many main voices on calling out Jones for his ridiculous deal with this Stipe Miocic battle. I, like ever different rational fan, want to see the champion unify his title with the interim champion and battle somebody who isn’t a 42-year-old retired fighter who has not fought in three years and hasn’t received a battle because the Trump administration. Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall is the battle we should always get and it’s the one I wish to see, as a result of I don’t know what occurs!

For as a lot of a “Jon Jones hater” as I could also be, I’ve by no means as soon as disputed the person’s talents. Merely put, he is among the most proficient fighters to compete in MMA. He’s in all probability the very best clinch fighter in MMA historical past, and if he selected to do it extra usually, the identical is likely to be stated of his high place sport. My solely actual concern with Jones over the previous few years of his profession (previous to the ridiculous present stuff) is that he by some means obtained it in his head he ought to be a long-range kickboxer when that’s truly what he’s worst at.

If younger Jon Jones fought Thiago Santos, he would have tackled him and obliterated him on the ground as an alternative of virtually dropping a foul kickboxing match to a man with out working knees. However that Jones was absent for many of his second mild heavyweight title run. Granted, it got here again in opposition to Ciryl Gane, however was {that a} one-time factor? We don’t know. Jones is completely able to popping out, tackling Aspinall to the bottom, and elbowing his face off. However he’s additionally simply as more likely to come out and say,z “I’ll keep away from partaking in any respect prices with indirect kicks and jabs and — oh shit, the place did that proper hand come from, why am I trying up on the lights?”

And on the opposite aspect of the matchup, we actually don’t have any clue how good Aspinall is. He’s clearly superb, however that is like when Francis Ngannou took heavyweight by storm: He was colding folks so rapidly, the one factor we actually knew was he was large, athletic, and hit tremendous arduous. Aspinall just isn’t a defensive genius however hasn’t needed to be as a result of his offense is so overwhelming. However how does he look if Jones can take his punches and make him battle for longer than 60 seconds? This might simply be a Miocic vs. Ngannou 1 scenario once more.

That’s why that is the battle that should occur. Jones goes to slaughter Miocic in virtually embarrassing trend. Possibly in his prime, Stipe might have offered a problem, however Cleveland’s most interesting is 42 years outdated, inactive, and hasn’t seemed actually good because the first Francis battle again in 2018 (sure, he beat Daniel Cormier twice — after getting slept — however Cormier was additionally an outdated man at that time). However in opposition to Aspinall, something might occur.

At nighttime, I’d choose Aspinall to beat Jones, nevertheless it wouldn’t be confidently. How might or not it’s when he’s going through an all-time nice? However Jones can also be older, inactive, coming off an damage, and has by no means been his greatest in opposition to fighters who can match his measurement and physicality. Aspinall is large, athletic, quick, and hits tougher. Finest guess is this could appear like the Dominick Reyes battle, the place Aspinall is solely quicker than Jones and Jones doesn’t wish to have interaction for concern of getting clubbed.

Extra Jon Jones

“Which might be a worse title run? Bisping ducking Whittaker and Romero to battle Hendo and GSP or Jones ducking Aspinall for Stipe?”

I feel each are unhealthy but concurrently explicable.

Right here is the place I’ll defend Jon Jones just a bit bit: On the time of the unique battle reserving, Jones vs. Miocic wasn’t utterly absurd. Was it nonetheless slightly dumb contemplating what Sergei Pavlovich was doing? Sure. However there’s a little bit of precedent for a former champion getting a shot on the new champ, notably when it’s two Corridor of Famers. (Granted, the battle would have made probably the most sense for the vacant belt as an alternative of Gane, however alas.)

The difficulty is that Jones vs. Miocic had a sell-by date that was virtually up, and when Jones obtained harm, the expiration handed by quite a bit. It’s like when you have some floor beef within the fridge that’s simply on the sting and then you definately determine to exit of city for the weekend as an alternative of creating hamburgers that evening. You don’t come again on Monday and fireplace up the grill. When that battle fell by way of and an interim champion was topped, it ought to have been it.

Alongside these strains, I can even settle for Michael Bisping’s title run. The Georges St-Pierre matchup falls underneath the identical strains because the Jones-Miocic battle, solely we didn’t wait two years for it, so it will get a go (although everybody knew GSP was retiring afterward). It’s the Dan Henderson title protection that’s actually indefensible. That being stated, I used to be truly in assist of it on the time as a result of I wished Henderson to get a belt and figured Yoel Romero would finally get the title. I now remorse this tremendously as Romero was one hundred pc the very best middleweight on Earth for a time period and individuals who weren’t there received’t understand it now.

So on paper, Bisping’s might be worse, however that’s not factoring in a single crucial factor: Jones’s title is hogwash.

Like him or not, Michael Bisping received the undisputed title honest and sq. by knocking out the champion. Jones received his heavyweight belt by submitting a man who misplaced to the champion. It’s not the identical. Bisping could have tarnished the belt a bit by combating folks exterior the road of contenders, however he began with the true title. Jones didn’t win the lineal belt and now isn’t combating the man who would legitimize his title. I feel that’s worse, however I received’t die on this hill.

Neither of them is the worst although. Germaine de Randamie profitable the featherweight title by beating Holly Holm (and dishonest through the battle) solely to then refuse to battle Cris Cyborg and thus be stripped, that’s the worst title reign in UFC historical past.

Belal Muhammad

“Is Belal’s selection of Kamaru Usman over Shavkat Rakhmonov the lamest championship selection ever? A lot worse than Bisping-Henderson was to me.”

Alongside these strains, let’s discuss in regards to the present welterweight champion.

The whole Belal vs. Shavkat factor is a case of poor communication and actually poor PR. Belal Muhammad has not chosen Kamaru Usman over Shavkat Rakhmonov. He’s simply doing a very, actually unhealthy job of managing this example.

After Muhammad received the title at UFC 304, UFC officers had been fast to throw out Usman as a attainable opponent. Is that this foolish? After all. But it surely’s in step with the above-mentioned cases of attempting to squeeze the final little bit of juice they will out of former champions. That isn’t Muhammad’s fault, that’s on UFC. What’s Muhammad’s fault is how he’s responded to what’s transpired.

Reportedly, UFC requested him to make a fast turnaround to battle Shavkat in October and he stated no. That’s fully cheap! He simply received the title and UFC requested him to show round in two months to defend. Even they received’t be mad about him saying no to that. It’s not an affordable request. However then when Shavkat put this out within the streets, Muhammad’s response wasn’t, “Yeah man, I turned down the date, not you. We are able to go in December or someday subsequent 12 months, simply not in eight weeks.” As an alternative, he obtained mad and tried to dismiss Shavkat, poorly.

In the end, Muhammad isn’t ducking Shavkat. They’re going to battle, in all probability in December. However by dealing with it this fashion, Belal launched a foolish narrative that didn’t must be there, which is made all the more severe by his run as much as the title, the place he made it recognized he was keen to battle anybody at any time. Should you change your power, even for superb causes, you’re inviting this form of stuff in. It’s simply horrible model administration from him.

Fantasy matchmaking

“High 5 matchups you’d make within the present UFC roster that isn’t at present booked?”

These want no rationalization.

Dricus du Plessis vs. Jiri Prochazka

Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall

Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev

Zhang Weili vs. Tatiana Suarez

Robelis Despaigne vs. Chris Barnett

TV rights and PPV

“Do you ever see the UFC signing a cope with a serious community and make the present PPV occasions free?”

Sure, however not for a while. And likewise, that is likely to be disastrous for the fan viewing expertise.

Although it’s been the usual for UFC because it’s starting, the pay-per-view mannequin is close to the tip of its life cycle. It’s a dinosaur when it comes to the content material wars, and as UFC continues to bump the worth, the cliff races each quicker towards us. Within the not-too-distant future, it merely received’t be probably the most worthwhile choice.

Now, that day remains to be a great distance off, partially as a result of UFC appears intent on maintaining it that means. However except for the broad bend of market forces pushing pay-per-views to extinction, I feel there are two key issues that may assist velocity the method alongside for the UFC.

First is that UFC and WWE are actually in the identical firm, and with that comes shared info. Given how WWE’s reputation has exploded over the previous a number of years, sooner or later somebody at TKO goes to try to unify the enterprise fashions underneath the belief that what works for one will work for the opposite.

Second, finally somebody goes to godfather supply them out of pay-per-view. Reside sports activities are the money cow of the trendy media panorama. It’s why each NFL/NBA/NHL/Premier League/every other league contract is all the time large when it comes up for grabs. Reside sports activities are a foundational a part of viewership and subscriptions. If, say, Netflix decides to make a push for dwell sports activities, why would they add a pay-per-views mannequin into their present platform? Simply purchase UFC rights outright and stream large occasions and small ones the identical means WWE does with Paramount. UFC received’t care as long as it will get paid.

All that being stated, that’s in all probability a foul final result for us, the viewers. Whereas the pay-per-view mannequin is onerous on our wallets, it could truthfully be the final line of protection from each UFC occasion turning into an APEX present. When UFC obtained all that assured cash from ESPN, the standard of their normal product dropped off dramatically, as they changed good, mid-level expertise with Contender Collection labor on low cost contracts. What occurs in the event that they don’t even should promote pay-per-views anymore? I don’t know, however sooner or later I feel we’re going to search out out.

Thanks for studying, and thanks for everybody who despatched in tweets (Xs?)! Do you’ve any burning questions on issues at the very least considerably associated to fight sports activities? Then you definately’re in luck, as a result of you possibly can ship your tweets to me, @JedKMeshew, and I’ll reply my favourite ones! Doesn’t matter in the event that they’re topical or insane, simply as long as they’re good. Thanks once more, and see y’all subsequent week.