As if Jones and Stipe being a combined 1-1 in the HW division in the past four years and they are somehow in a title fight that never happens is not bad enough for the division…you got Ngannou walking away with the belt as well.
Then you got Gane who Blaydes has said has turned down fights with him. Aspinall has said the same. Probably turned down fights with Almeida as well and if he has not he will soon.
Gane is 2-2 in his last four and he is turning down a fights with Aspinall and Blaydes.
At least Pavlovich, Aspinall, Blaydes and Almeida exist because they all want to hold the belt and defend it and will fight anyone to get it and at least they want to be active.
Without fighters like Aspinall and Blaydes, there is no HW division in the UFC, at least not one you would want to watch.
Gane thinks since he got his 2nd title shot off a 1 fight win streak that he now should get a 3rd title shot off another one fight win streak.
Gane got to fight Jones for the HW title because he beat Tuivasa, you know how many all-time great HW’s would have loved that deal?
This 1 fight win streak equals a a 2nd, 3rd or 4th title shot mentality is a rather new phenomenon in the UFC and its terrible.
Blaydes never ducked Ngannou, Pavlovich, Aspinall etc… and he has always been ready to fight Jones, Stipe, Gane etc… at a moments notice but they won’t do it.
Got to root for these fighters like Blaydes and Aspinall in this situation. UFC HW division would not be worth shit in 2024 without them.
Almeida got booked vs Volkov for 302 and then they had to move Volkov to Fight Night Saudi Arabia vs Pavlovich, probably because Gane turned down Pavlovich there.
So here you got Gane, 0-2 in title shots, getting title shots off Lewis and Tuivasa wins (favorable matchups) who won’t take fights with the other four fighters in the the top five.
Look at fighters from prior eras like Mousasi who is 49-9 andOvereem who retired 47-19 and then you got fighters of this era like 12-2 Gane wanting a 3rd title fight and avoiding fights with all the top 5.
Really a terrible era of HW with everything going on like this with Gane, Ngannou, Jones and Stipe.
UFC would have no functioning HW division without Blaydes, Aspinall, Pavlovich, Almeida, Volkov, Tybura, Tuivasa, Spivak and Lewis willing to fight anyone and be active.
I remember Rozenstruik saying before the Almeida fight that he didn’t want the Almeida fight and it didn’t do enough for his career and he wanted a big fight. This is when he had just lost to Gane, Volkov and Blaydes and had a one fight win streak vs Chris Daukaus.
Like does losing to Gane, Volkov and Blaydes and beating Chris Daukaus now entitle you to avoid fighting Almeida and get a title shot or something?
Rozenstruik has got the big fights, he has just gone 2-5 in them.
The HW division is somehow light years ahead of the other divisions with how chaotic and shitty it’s going to get throughout the organization to the hardcore fans. The casuals love the mindless shit, the casuals are who drive the decisions with their money, sadly. The UFC has no choice but to go the way of boxing. Multiple belts in each weight class, there’s already the completely fucking ridiculous BMF belt and multiple interim belts. It’s a business
A huge part of the problem is how old some of these guys are by the time they are contenders. In their mind they just dont have time to take risky fights.
Gane would school Blaydes. Just because he beat a guy who can’t strike worth shit doesn’t mean he’s any better. The guy got slept by Derrick Lewis. Champs don’t lose to gatekeepers.
the UFC HW division is an absolute joke… and doesn’t help things having wankers like Jones, Stipe and Gane in it not wanting to fight.
Cyril is the worst avoiding top contenders and waiting for another title fight.
Aspinall is a breath of fresh air and Should be the champ
, I never, ever say no to any challenge or any opponent. Blaydes was never an option. They said Pavlovich, I said yes. Don’t worry, I’ll see you in September, stop tripping
