Hello everyone!
The recent weekend delivered significant moments in the world of MMA. Ian Machado Garry put on an impressive showing against Carlos Prates in the main event of UFC Kansas City (though he faced some tough moments in the final minutes), Anthony Smith made his likely final walk to the octagon, and perhaps most notably, Eddie Hall and Mariusz Pudzianowski gave us arguably the biggest fight of the year so far, literally.
Let`s dive into the discussions.
“What possible matchup in the UFC, any weight class, would have even a slight chance of being as fun as Mariusz Pudzianowski x Eddie Hall?”
Fun answer: none. Real answer: only a handful.
Whether I was the first to propose it or not (likely not), seeing Eddie Hall easily defeat two opponents in an MMA bout instantly made me a strong advocate for a fight between him and Mariusz Pudzianowski. I have a deep love and appreciation for “freakshow” fights, and this was the best one we’ve seen in years. Despite its short duration, I`d say the fight lived up to expectations. At least, I haven’t encountered anyone who paid the $20 to watch it complaining. It was 30 seconds of wonderfully silly, nonsensical action, the kind this sport desperately needs.
Unfortunately, “silly nonsense” isn`t the UFC`s primary focus. The UFC is navigating the tricky path of being viewed as a “respectable” sport while also openly disregarding meritocracy when it serves their purpose. I’m not suggesting the UFC should fully embrace something like Fight Circus, but injecting a bit of unpredictable fun occasionally wouldn`t harm them. Alas, that seems unlikely, and knowing that limits our fantasy matchmaking options within the UFC. Yes, matchups like Tom Aspinall vs. Brandon Moreno or Brandon Royval would be spectacular fun, but they have almost zero chance of materializing. However, here are some fights that *could* potentially happen.
There are probably other exciting fighters and potential matchups I’m overlooking, as the UFC boasts many fun and thrilling competitors. But you understand the concept. You don`t need freakshow fights every single weekend, but including one every few months makes them must-watch events. Currently, there’s very little that feels like truly must-watch television in the UFC.
“Does Garry get a title eliminator after this fight? Also, Jack Della Maddalena vs. Garry next would be fun. We need Shavkat vs. Belal Muhammad next. (I expect Belal to dominate JDM).”
Frankly, the current situation in the welterweight division regarding the title picture is incredibly muddled.
Under typical circumstances, Garry, coming off that strong performance against Prates, would be considered just one fight away from a title shot. He`s already highly ranked, he challenged the No. 1 contender on short notice, and he looked impressive against a rising talent at 170 pounds. But these are not typical times; things are quite complicated right now.
Maddalena is arguably the fifth most deserving contender for a title shot right now, yet he’s scheduled to face Muhammad next Saturday largely because the timing worked out. However, depending on the outcome of that fight, the entire picture could be thrown into disarray. If JDM wins, Islam Makhachev is almost certain to get the first crack at him, potentially leaving Shavkat out. And if Belal wins, Shavkat might still be a victim of circumstances, as a lot is unfolding while he is inactive. Garry is surging and is set to be a backup fighter, Joaquin Buckley has an opportunity against Kamaru Usman, and Sean Brady recently dominated Leon Edwards. Contenders are rapidly accumulating in the 170-pound division.
My prediction is that Shavkat still holds the inside track for a title shot (assuming Belal defeats JDM), meaning Garry will likely get a No. 1 contender bout against either Brady or Buckley. But if Kamaru Usman defeats Buckley, all bets are off. The current UFC leadership seems to favor giving potentially undeserved title shots to former champions (think of Sean O’Malley, for example).
“Look, I like Anthony Smith and he seems like a good dude but when did he become a UFC legend?”
Perhaps around the time he declined to surrender against Jon Jones, arguably sacrificing his shot at a world championship and contributing to the Jones narrative, I suppose.
I have significant respect for Anthony Smith. He’s a fighter who wasn’t exceptionally gifted and faced numerous setbacks early in his career, yet through sheer determination, he built a respectable UFC career and leveraged that into a media profession. That accomplishment is genuinely impressive and inspiring, deserving of praise. However, the broadcast hype on Saturday was incredibly thick. If you didn’t follow MMA closely, you might have thought an all-time great was retiring, which is far from the reality.
We can be honest about Anthony Smith’s level as a fighter: he was good but not truly great, and he significantly benefited from competing in two weight classes that weren`t particularly strong at the time. Review his fight record and tell me what his most impressive win is? Washed-up Alexander Gustafsson? Washed-up Shogun Rua? Washed-up Rashad Evans? Honestly, it’s probably Volkan Oezdemir, which is a solid win, but we aren’t suggesting Nikita Krylov is a potential Hall of Famer based on his wins. Anthony Smith should be commended for what he achieved and for having a better career than most, but we should temper the celebratory rhetoric.
That said, I do wish the UFC would do more things like they did on Saturday. No, Smith isn’t an all-time great fighter (or even great for a significant period, really), but he stayed in the sport long enough, and giving him a proper sendoff was a nice acknowledgement of one of the sport’s great overachievers.
Also, credit goes to Smith himself. I appreciated his attitude throughout fight week and on fight night. “Lionheart” remained committed to his retirement, went out giving a younger fighter a chance to advance, and showed no bitterness or desperation about his situation. Smith was clearly at peace with his decision to step away and approached everything with the right mindset. Very few fighters exhibit that level of self-awareness, and it was pleasing to see him so happy as he made his final walk to the octagon.
“Do we actually know if Zhang is a good fighter? Or is he a product of light heavyweight being terrible? Both? I like him a lot but kinda think he might actually just not be that good. Also, god, I want to see Zhang fight Johnny Walker because no one dies better than Johnny Walker.”
It’s probably a combination of both, but we honestly don’t have a definitive idea of Jamahal Hill`s true level yet. The light heavyweight division has been somewhat weak, making it easier for fighters to reach the top 15 with less exceptional talent. What we do know is that Jamahal Hill possesses significant knockout power, and he`s not unintelligent in the cage, but only time will reveal his actual skill level against consistently top competition.
And yes, I`ve mentioned many times that Johnny Walker is one of the most spectacular fighters when he gets knocked out in the sport. Jamahal Hill vs. Johnny Walker is perfect matchmaking for pure chaos potential.
“Which is more ridiculous, that we still don’t have a headliner for UFC 317 International Fight Week or that they are gonna let this Jon Jones debacle drag on for another year?”
Neither situation is ideal, but the Jon Jones scenario is considerably worse.
At least concerning International Fight Week (UFC 317), we have a strong indication of who will *likely* headline. It’s expected to be Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria, unless Jack Della Maddalena manages to upset Belal Muhammad. In that case, it would likely become Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira for the vacant or interim lightweight title. So, essentially, we should know the headliner within the next couple of weeks, one way or another.
Regarding the Jon Jones situation, it is truly indefensible. In fact, it has been unjustifiable from the start. The scheduled fight against Stipe Miocic was a complete absurdity; everyone recognized it as such, and yet they proceeded with it. If you hold a championship, you are supposed to defend it against the No. 1 contender, and an interim champion *always* holds the position of No. 1 contender. By any logical standard, Jon Jones’s reign as heavyweight champion has been a pretense, and every day the UFC allows it to persist is a disrespect to Tom Aspinall and to the fans.
Hopefully, this absurdity will conclude soon, with Jones finally facing Tom Aspinall or relinquishing the championship so everyone can move forward.
Thanks for reading and thanks to everyone who sent in questions! Do you have any burning questions about topics related to combat sports? Then you’re in luck because you can send your questions in, and the good ones will be answered!
Thanks again, and see you next week.
