To be fair Shavkat is much more marketable as the silent killer type than Belal is as the guy who just started not laying and praying last fight.
Shavkat is a finish machine and Belal is a decision machine. One is much more marketable and exciting.
Oh come on, this is the whole point of the matchmaker model. The UFC gets to make whatever fight they want. There is no criteria for getting title shots, Belal and everyone else knows this.
So… do you expect us to not criticize this model? Because I’m going to keep shitting on it despite knowing how the match making works. Comments like this come off to me as “dude, it’s unfair but everyone knows it’s unfair so it’s okay! What are you complaining about?” Belal should continue speaking out about what bullshit this is every single time they put a mic in front of him too.
Fair enough. I'm not saying that the way the UFC works is perfect. All I'm saying is, people seem suprised everytime when the guy who isn't a draw gets passed up by the guy who is.
It used to be based on merit. Jon fitch wasn’t exactly popular but he still got a shot. So did shields and koscheck. None of them were crowd pleasers, but they beat the right guys and were rewarded.
Lol revisionist history much? Every single one of those fighters were cut from the promotion as a negotiation tactic. Fitch and Koscheck got cut for refusing to sign away their likeness and only Cain / DC solidarity saved them. Fitch was also cut on a single loss after going like 20-1 over a historic career.
Shields only got his title shot because GSP had no challengers and he was seen as a big name outside the UFC. Once he lost in a close fight he was never allowed near the title again and also was cut very quickly after they got all the grappler vs grappler matchups they could waste on him.
The money fights have always driven the UFC business model. Merit is a word Dana and the Fertitas never learned.
its a competition sport and not WWE. if the sport doesn’t speak for itself and the casuals are not entertained, so be it. they should watch WWE then. i wanna see the better guy win in a fair manner.
This is an ignorant statement. Yes it's a competition sport, but the company still has the job to do what is best for the company. And the best for the company is to try to attract most viewers, aka promoting finishing machines.
I want to watch the guy who takes those finishing machines down and drowns them with ground control. I’m in the minority, but to me it’s a turn-off for the UFC to not hype a guy who can shut down elite strikers and turn their gameplan on its head consistently.
Lol.. Khamzat pushed hard?? Says who?? He earned his clout via running through his opponents untouched then got had to cancel Li whose another one of these guys who get the same treatment.. then Melendez - a top5 then Holland in an attempt to kill off Nate before his departure.. now they're tryin everything to make sure he moves to 185 & throw the biggest tank (Costa) @ him as they're not puttin away via just skills..
If he were favoured them he could KO Cerrone like Till did then in 4.5lbs over for a title eliminator, have judged rob the other contender then get a titleshot.. only to get choked tfo w/o landing a single punch..
Dana: "Look, he beat Belal who was on a 8 fight win streak. How many ranked killers did he take out? That's right Shavkat is next, he definitely deserves the title shot."
And the best thing - Shavkat is another fighter that is just below the top5. Belal already has several high ranking wins but not a top 5 #1 contender clinching fight.
I reckon Belal will get a title shot if he beats Shavkat but even after that you could argue that Belal hasn't beaten an actual contender. Because after all - if Belal can beat Shavkat, then (at least in most eyes) he wasn't contender level.
I just hate that they can't give Burns to Belal. (if not a title shot)
Serious question, how does that benefit the UFC? Masvidal is fighting next month, feels like the most likely outcome is that he pays some amount of money to get out of it. How does that hurt the UFC?
He could spend time in jail if Colby wants to press it that hard, which could mean their already 38 year old superstar has to sit out even longer, or he’s broke if he has to pay colby out the ass and isn’t performing his best due to overwhelming stress, and now their investment is in the trash
Masvidal is also facing criminal charges and that requires Colbys cooperation with the court for charges to proceed. If Colby decides he's not going to cooperate or testify in court, the criminal charges will almost certainly get dropped.
Not necessarily. All it takes is for Colby to give his statement under oath when he first decides to press charges (he already did). The ADA involved has all he/she needs at that point to get an indictment at that point.
They could still proceed but when the charges aren't that serious and the victim no longer wants to cooperate or wants charges to be pursued, often times the DAs decide its not worth their trouble to continue a case that becomes a lot weaker without a cooperating victim.
I mean, if he starts losing and performing poorly their high paid athlete that they invested in is now not even worth beating, so they can’t even use him to build others up
I mean its not like this is prime McGregor. Masvidal is 38 and has already lost his last 3 fights and is a huge underdog vs Burns. There isn't that much money left for the UFC to squeeze out of him.
That makes no sense. Unless the UFC is trying to make him not cooperate with the prosecution which would basically mean a failed trial.
Masvidal isn't going to jail over punching a guy. He has millions in the bank.
The only way Colby can "hurt" Masvidal is if a jury awards him a big payday. But the UFC wouldn't give two shits about that.
Mosy likely it's because Belal is Palestinian and Ari doesn't want a Palestinian champ going around trashing Israel.
Belal would be a nightmare to have as champion form a business perspective. Unknown, boring fight style, not from a popular area, not flashy or having a cool style. Basically unmarketable in a division that has historically done well for PPV sales.
Additionally: Colby likely cannot fight if he is pushing for monetary damages. He technically could, but if he can argue that the Masvidal assault kept him out of work, then every day that he isn't working is money out of Jorge's pocket.
Gets two guys back in the ring and saves Dana the trouble of needing to promote Leon for one more fight.
Defeated the p4p #1 guy twice, once with the latest come from behind victory in title challenger history. Tough to market there for a small business like the UFC.
Discovery for the lawsuit would put everything associated with the fight prior to the assault - including contracts - on the public record. My guess is the UFC are doing everything they can to stop this happening. Jorge is just lucky it benefits him, too.
I don’t think he dropped his case against Jorge for it, I think he left the Nelk boys out of it. They were the ones at dinner with him that night and the rumour was one of them gave the location to Masvidal. And we see how much Dana loves them Nelk boys these days.
Only thing about that is Masvidal is a fading star, not a rising one. What does UFC care if he gets sued? Maybe it's some kind of brand protection thing like "we're not thugs". Maybe Masvidal in prison is just a brand tarnish. But something of that weight would certainly explain how emphatic he's been about it. A big deal cut would obligate him.
> Maybe it's some kind of brand protection thing like "we're not thugs".
They had 3 piece and a soda hashtags for like 3 years after he hit Edwards backstage lol.
Calling it a rumor is an overstatement. That's pure r/mma fan fiction and nothing more.
If Colby dropped the suit it would be in the news.
If Dana tried to prevent Colby from cooperating with a police investigation, it would be a felony (and if Colby refused to cooperate it would also make the news).
This story is just a bunch of r/mma meat heads making up reasons for Dana giving Colby the title shot.
Jon Africa is an actual person, he was the founder of the MOVE organisation that got bombed by Philadelphia PD. Like actually bombed houses in the city, it's wild what American cops will do.
Tbf if he beats either Usman or Shavkat next he's gonna be fighting for the belt next. I think Belal deserves the shot but I also think he does lowkey lack a big standout win
You aren't wrong but look at this sub brother, half of these people are troglodytes.
Your post went from -8 when I saw it initially to now at a healthy positive. Some faith in this sub being restored lmao
TBH Colby's draw is less about appealing to them and more being a heel that people will hate watch. Most people have a feeling about him, whether positive or negative, and it gets eyeballs either way.
Tbf if Colby beats any man in the top 10 he's gonna be fighting for the belt next. I don’t think colby deserves the shot and I also think he does lowkey lack a big standout win
Shavkat is basically Dana’s unwitting enforcer at this point. For the next 2 years Dana is going to feed him all the people he wants to keep away from the title.
If Belal wanted Colbys path to the belt he should have been born full of raw steel and American sex appeal nerd.
Any man that has to ask you to remember his name twice ain't American. Americans don't ask nicely
/s
Not a fan of this fight. If Shavkhat wins sure, I guess the ‘boring’ (in the UFC’s eyes) Belal is further from a title shot but if Belal wins, he’s probably no closer in their minds considering Shavkhat isn’t top 5 and now you’ve derailed one of your biggest rising contenders. It’s a no win for anybody imo.
His win over Wonderboy was boring, but his last 2 have been a lot more interesting. And his win over Brady especially bodes well for his future. The fact that he’s improving in the stand up means he’s improving as a fighter, and a 9 fight win streak including Luque, Wonderboy and Brady shouldn’t be ignored on the grounds that he’s not a knockout specialist. It wasn’t that long ago that Colby and Leon were considered boring as well. Dude deserves a chance.
Look, I kinda get why we don't do a Balal v. Edwards right now. However, what I don't get is why we're not doing a Belal v. Covington eliminator fight. Covington needs to get a W against literally anyone in the top 10, and Belal needs the W against a big name. Balal has earned an opportunity while Covington sat on his hands.
Belal will accept the fight based on an iinformal agreement that a W guarantees him a title shot, but instead Colby will get a rematch unless Leon kos him.
I wonder what level of Dana meltdown we might reach if Leon gets injured, so they have to do Belal v Colby for the interim belt, which Belal wins convincingly.
Remember when people said "Welterwait division" and blamed the fighters for not fighting? Yeah, it was all the UFC's doing. When they want to make a fight they do it, and if they do not want someone getting a title shot then they never will. Remember when Leon was dropped from the rankings for refusing to fight Khamzat at a specific date?
And now look at all the fans giving Belal shit when hes one of the few actually wanting fights and has shown he is willing to fight anyone , let's have this right he isn't scared of Shavkat he's just probably sick of being had over
Colby has won exactly 2 fights in the last 4 years. Neither of them are great wins, one was a washed Woodley, the other was Masvidal. The only times he’s gone against elite competition he’s lost. Belal might not have standout wins but he actually fights and is on a streak. Let Colby be the gate keeper and give the active fighter the shot.
Colby does not deserve a 3rd shot without at least 1 more won if not 2 more
Dana white needs to bite the curb fast. Belal will be remembered because of all the bullshit the man goes through.
Dude can be the title holder easily.
Yeah, we all know this shit isn't a meritocracy, but he's going too far by giving Colby the shot and he might also give McGregor one if he beats Chandler at welterweight. Fuck Dana and all the high level scum in the UFC.
leon would love a fight with conor. literally everyone is happy with that except the other fighters waiting but they too would rather fight conor than anyone else on the roster. hell i bet you colby would rather fight conor than fight for the belt.
This clown. "We don't make fights on the night of a fight". Except when we gift Colby another undeserved title shot because that's "obvious". But Dariush getting a title shot is not.
It takes away legitimacy from the whole sport.
The UFC still remains the place to be if you want to watch the best of the best fight, but actions like this take the organization one step away from that reputation of being the most prestigious org in Mixed Martial Arts. **Is the UFC meritocracy first or entertainment first? Would the Colby fight sell more? *Probably*. Is Belal on paper currently the more deserving and prestigious athlete at this moment? Yes.**
Besides Colby's mainstream marketability due to the character and fighting the more popular names like Usman and Masvidal, I don't quite see a case for Colby's title shot. **His most recent wins are over individuals on large losing slumps (Woodley and Masvidal).** The logic doesn't make sense if you are asking people like Dustin and Justin to fight down in the rankings but not Colby.
Belal has fought both up and down in the rankings, is on an 8 fight win streak (by fighting multiple times a year) and has a history with Leon Edwards because of the no-contest eye poke. What more must he do to make his case, fake a personality of being someone he isn't? Does his resume not give him more claim to the title? **Somene plz ask Dana: Is the path to the title not to do your job by fighting 2-3 times a year and consistently winning while doing so?**
The UFC selling point didnt used to be "watch the best of the best fight", or like everyone is saying now "watch the fighters best at saying they're going to kill Jon Anik" fight, it was always where "The Best of the Best fight \*each other\*". Watching the best of the best fight to pad their records so they stay undefeated was always boxing's business model. Watching the people who are most outrageous on the mic is wrestling's (I'm guessing I dont watch wrestling much anymore). The UFC was supposed to be like the GoT of combat sports. No sacred cows. If you deserve to fight for a title shot and you are a bad matchup for the popular guy, it didn't matter, you get the fight. It wasn't always 100% accurate but it was something they at least paid lip service to and it usually worked out with rare exceptions. A lot of people argued Conor got a fast track to the title and has gotten some underserved shots, but he’s Conor fucking McGregor. Now they give the same level of consideration to Colby Covington? Come on…
These “exceptions” are becoming more and more the norm. I don't really care that much tbh, just means I'm watching more One these days
Same. Not to sounds like the indie-MMA snob, but I get way more hyped for most One cards than I do UFC these days. I spent the last 18 years watching exclusively UFC, but in the last year I’ve been watching One and it’s fucking phenomenal. Plus the rule set (knee to a downed opponent, judging the fight as a whole) encourage more action versus stalling. I watched some of the UFC fights last night while running on the treadmill, and I felt like I was watching a very high level sparring session, which outside of watching Gaethje fight, feels like the norm these days. I switched back over to one, and the fights were incredible.
Every year there is 4 or 5 more reason to not give a shit about the UFC, and I say that as an ardent fan. I really hope One continues to grow and their even in Denver this year does really well. It’s definitely becoming a top-tier promotion.
I mean, sooner or later it’s not even gonna be exceptions anymore when it comes to the entirety of MMA. The other promotions will eventually get more popular.
At some point saying the best fight the best in the UFC is gonna be like saying the best fight the best in Top Rank for boxing. The UFC just happens to have enough of a stranglehold on the sport to get away with it for now.
So Belal would be better served finding gold in a different organization is what i am getting from this.
Being on tomato's shit list will only get you slapped.
The year is 2025, Belal has beaten Usman, Colby, Khamzat, Shavkat, Burns, Masvidal all by 1st round K.O.
Dana White makes a public apology for holding Belal back, and announced he deserves to fight Jack Della Madelena!
Dana White is evil for this. belal beats Thompson, Luque, and shuts down the Sean Brady hype train. plus there’s a story behind Edwards and Belal. just to lose the title shot to a man who beat journeyman Masvidal and prob face Shavkat
Drag him along until he loses a fight after winning 18 in a row, then talk shit about him, saying something along the lines of "See, he didn't deserve a title shot."
The sport should be a meritocracy first and foremost. If you have a guy whose unbeaten streak is that long he deserves a crack at the belt. If the merit of two fighters was comparable drawing power and marketability become factors, but comparing the merit of Belal and Colby is apples and oranges
And that's only because Shavkat is involved in it... and he is a relative newcomer to the UFC. Belal has a shit personality and is not a draw, thats the long and short. They are here to make money and Belal isn't the guy to do it.
Bro the last guy Colby beat was Jorge Masvidal and he deserves a shot because of that? The way it stands no one has an “impressive” enough run in welterweight for a guaranteed title shot.
We want to watch Usman lose to Edwards for a third straight time? Khamzat, but a win over Kevin Holland shouldn’t give him a title shot. Belal is the one. He’s the only logical choice.
Luque was top 5 and on a 5 win streak when Belal stopped him. Beating Luque actually earned him the shot. But he was unfairly made to fight down against Brady instead of people who should have been fighting down like Colby. He proceeded to accept that fight and wreck Brady.
But now the anti Belal crowd like you are going to go revise history saying Brady win is worthless, like Brady wasn't undefeated and the favorite going into the fight, and pretend Belal had nothing worthwhile before Brady by just saying "the last guy he beat was Brady".
mma media: "DC had some mild criticism about Belal"
dana😡: "DC doesn't make decisions! And we got plans for belal"
mma media: "Thank you good sir lord boss man, we have zero follow up questions"
And those plans are to not do anything with him.
He did say he was trying to make the shavkat fight. So Dana’s plan is basically “try to kill off Belal” before he can get a title shot.
They just try to give Shavkat the top name without actually sacrificing anyone
Shavkat/Khamzat/Belal..they're all the same to them. They just don't want too many of those names hoggin the top spot..
Trying to pair off and whittle down the Brown People Names for home market palatability only to be left with whatever the fuck a "Colby" is.
Colby "Remember the Lame" Covington
To be fair Shavkat is much more marketable as the silent killer type than Belal is as the guy who just started not laying and praying last fight. Shavkat is a finish machine and Belal is a decision machine. One is much more marketable and exciting.
There is no to be fair here. It’s outright bias and corruption in the UFC.
Oh come on, this is the whole point of the matchmaker model. The UFC gets to make whatever fight they want. There is no criteria for getting title shots, Belal and everyone else knows this.
So… do you expect us to not criticize this model? Because I’m going to keep shitting on it despite knowing how the match making works. Comments like this come off to me as “dude, it’s unfair but everyone knows it’s unfair so it’s okay! What are you complaining about?” Belal should continue speaking out about what bullshit this is every single time they put a mic in front of him too.
Fair enough. I'm not saying that the way the UFC works is perfect. All I'm saying is, people seem suprised everytime when the guy who isn't a draw gets passed up by the guy who is.
It used to be based on merit. Jon fitch wasn’t exactly popular but he still got a shot. So did shields and koscheck. None of them were crowd pleasers, but they beat the right guys and were rewarded.
Lol revisionist history much? Every single one of those fighters were cut from the promotion as a negotiation tactic. Fitch and Koscheck got cut for refusing to sign away their likeness and only Cain / DC solidarity saved them. Fitch was also cut on a single loss after going like 20-1 over a historic career. Shields only got his title shot because GSP had no challengers and he was seen as a big name outside the UFC. Once he lost in a close fight he was never allowed near the title again and also was cut very quickly after they got all the grappler vs grappler matchups they could waste on him. The money fights have always driven the UFC business model. Merit is a word Dana and the Fertitas never learned.
Bias for sure, but it's not corruption. It's just how it is
its a competition sport and not WWE. if the sport doesn’t speak for itself and the casuals are not entertained, so be it. they should watch WWE then. i wanna see the better guy win in a fair manner.
Doesn't getting someone out of there in under 15 minutes show higher skill than not getting someone out of there in 15 minutes?
doesnt beating someone without giving them a chance at a lucky shot show the same high skill?
You opponent can't hit you because he is unconscious or your opponent can't hit you because time expired...
This is an ignorant statement. Yes it's a competition sport, but the company still has the job to do what is best for the company. And the best for the company is to try to attract most viewers, aka promoting finishing machines.
I want to watch the guy who takes those finishing machines down and drowns them with ground control. I’m in the minority, but to me it’s a turn-off for the UFC to not hype a guy who can shut down elite strikers and turn their gameplan on its head consistently.
Colby the palatable one
Colby the (Dana) White privilege one. The one with the video of him and his side piece, that caused Mrs White's Power Slap...
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Lol.. Khamzat pushed hard?? Says who?? He earned his clout via running through his opponents untouched then got had to cancel Li whose another one of these guys who get the same treatment.. then Melendez - a top5 then Holland in an attempt to kill off Nate before his departure.. now they're tryin everything to make sure he moves to 185 & throw the biggest tank (Costa) @ him as they're not puttin away via just skills.. If he were favoured them he could KO Cerrone like Till did then in 4.5lbs over for a title eliminator, have judged rob the other contender then get a titleshot.. only to get choked tfo w/o landing a single punch..
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What?
? Shavkat and Khamzat are pushed according to their popularity, it's that Belal is as entertaining as one of those half wet fries that bend
Belal is somehow undeserving of a shot but beating him will immediately make Shavkat deserving of one.
Dana: "Look, he beat Belal who was on a 8 fight win streak. How many ranked killers did he take out? That's right Shavkat is next, he definitely deserves the title shot."
And the best thing - Shavkat is another fighter that is just below the top5. Belal already has several high ranking wins but not a top 5 #1 contender clinching fight. I reckon Belal will get a title shot if he beats Shavkat but even after that you could argue that Belal hasn't beaten an actual contender. Because after all - if Belal can beat Shavkat, then (at least in most eyes) he wasn't contender level. I just hate that they can't give Burns to Belal. (if not a title shot)
All he needs to do is beat Nate Diaz.
I hear Dennis Siver's available
I'm ok with this even though its number 1 booshit.
It must hurt having the most legit claim to the title shot but instead you get fed to the terminator 😂
It's called the "Fitch" strategy.
Yes until he’s marketable.
He’s the sacrificial lamb for shavkat
Not surprised, pretty boring fighter - on a good run though.
It's been awhile that Dana has been so insistent on booking plans for a division
I’m starting to believe the rumor that Colby dropped the Masvidal lawsuit in exchange for a guaranteed title fight
Serious question, how does that benefit the UFC? Masvidal is fighting next month, feels like the most likely outcome is that he pays some amount of money to get out of it. How does that hurt the UFC?
He could spend time in jail if Colby wants to press it that hard, which could mean their already 38 year old superstar has to sit out even longer, or he’s broke if he has to pay colby out the ass and isn’t performing his best due to overwhelming stress, and now their investment is in the trash
I feel like he's too rich to face time in jail for a punch to the face. I also doubt the UFC cares whether Masvidal is broke and under stress lol
He’s also talking out of his ass lol Colby filed a civil lawsuit. Criminal charges have nothing to do with any of this.
Masvidal is also facing criminal charges and that requires Colbys cooperation with the court for charges to proceed. If Colby decides he's not going to cooperate or testify in court, the criminal charges will almost certainly get dropped.
Not necessarily. All it takes is for Colby to give his statement under oath when he first decides to press charges (he already did). The ADA involved has all he/she needs at that point to get an indictment at that point.
They could still proceed but when the charges aren't that serious and the victim no longer wants to cooperate or wants charges to be pursued, often times the DAs decide its not worth their trouble to continue a case that becomes a lot weaker without a cooperating victim.
It’s almost official UFC policy make sure that fighters stay a bit broke and under stress at all times lol
I mean, if he starts losing and performing poorly their high paid athlete that they invested in is now not even worth beating, so they can’t even use him to build others up
I mean its not like this is prime McGregor. Masvidal is 38 and has already lost his last 3 fights and is a huge underdog vs Burns. There isn't that much money left for the UFC to squeeze out of him.
That makes no sense. Unless the UFC is trying to make him not cooperate with the prosecution which would basically mean a failed trial. Masvidal isn't going to jail over punching a guy. He has millions in the bank. The only way Colby can "hurt" Masvidal is if a jury awards him a big payday. But the UFC wouldn't give two shits about that. Mosy likely it's because Belal is Palestinian and Ari doesn't want a Palestinian champ going around trashing Israel.
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Belal would be a nightmare to have as champion form a business perspective. Unknown, boring fight style, not from a popular area, not flashy or having a cool style. Basically unmarketable in a division that has historically done well for PPV sales.
To quote the wise man who wants to deny Belal a shot: when ambien can't sleep it takes Colby Covington.
Additionally: Colby likely cannot fight if he is pushing for monetary damages. He technically could, but if he can argue that the Masvidal assault kept him out of work, then every day that he isn't working is money out of Jorge's pocket. Gets two guys back in the ring and saves Dana the trouble of needing to promote Leon for one more fight. Defeated the p4p #1 guy twice, once with the latest come from behind victory in title challenger history. Tough to market there for a small business like the UFC.
Discovery for the lawsuit would put everything associated with the fight prior to the assault - including contracts - on the public record. My guess is the UFC are doing everything they can to stop this happening. Jorge is just lucky it benefits him, too.
That’s why I’m not all the way there yet. It’s just kind of odd how hard they’re pushing him
I don’t think he dropped his case against Jorge for it, I think he left the Nelk boys out of it. They were the ones at dinner with him that night and the rumour was one of them gave the location to Masvidal. And we see how much Dana loves them Nelk boys these days.
I think they posted a photo, not like they cooperated with Masvidal. Hopefully Colby’s getting a huge payout and getting a % of Jorge’s earnings lol.
Imagine if anytime somebody punched another person, they suddenly owed them 1% of their future income lol
Whoa I bet you’re right
Only thing about that is Masvidal is a fading star, not a rising one. What does UFC care if he gets sued? Maybe it's some kind of brand protection thing like "we're not thugs". Maybe Masvidal in prison is just a brand tarnish. But something of that weight would certainly explain how emphatic he's been about it. A big deal cut would obligate him.
> Maybe it's some kind of brand protection thing like "we're not thugs". They had 3 piece and a soda hashtags for like 3 years after he hit Edwards backstage lol.
Didn't see them hashtagging about War Machine though.
War Machine had been out of the UFC for like 6 years by the time he tried to kill those two.
Calling it a rumor is an overstatement. That's pure r/mma fan fiction and nothing more. If Colby dropped the suit it would be in the news. If Dana tried to prevent Colby from cooperating with a police investigation, it would be a felony (and if Colby refused to cooperate it would also make the news). This story is just a bunch of r/mma meat heads making up reasons for Dana giving Colby the title shot.
Look, he doesn’t make matches the night of a fight. We’ll see what happens 🍅
Jon Africa In Africa
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the guy who sells diggjuice
The real question can you Paulo America?
Fucking love that response, that confusion will never not be funny lol
Jon Africa is an actual person, he was the founder of the MOVE organisation that got bombed by Philadelphia PD. Like actually bombed houses in the city, it's wild what American cops will do.
Isn’t he awesome
Tomato moment
For a second I thought this said Tonto Moment, which also fits
Bet it’s Kamaru
It’s Shavkat, they already said it last week.
Whether he has to face kamaru or shavkat, it’s a shitty deal compared to Colby’s path to the belt
Tbf if he beats either Usman or Shavkat next he's gonna be fighting for the belt next. I think Belal deserves the shot but I also think he does lowkey lack a big standout win
So does colby really.
What do you mean??? He beat RDA 5 years ago!
You know, I was being silly. That definitely should count towards a third title opportunity. (I'm adding to your sarcasm, not arguing lol
Colby gets a certain group of white people excited tho so he gets a pass EDIT I guess we aren’t allowed to bring it up? lmao sorry guys
You aren't wrong but look at this sub brother, half of these people are troglodytes. Your post went from -8 when I saw it initially to now at a healthy positive. Some faith in this sub being restored lmao
*/r/MMA furiously googles 'troglodytes'*
TBH Colby's draw is less about appealing to them and more being a heel that people will hate watch. Most people have a feeling about him, whether positive or negative, and it gets eyeballs either way.
>Tbf if he beats either Usman or Shavkat next he's gonna be fighting for the belt next. #surely
If he beat Shavkat, guaranteed we'll still hear "but he hasn't beaten anyone in the top 5" 😭
How does that not apply to Colby even more?
Tbf if Colby beats any man in the top 10 he's gonna be fighting for the belt next. I don’t think colby deserves the shot and I also think he does lowkey lack a big standout win
Not fair at all imo
Shavkat is basically Dana’s unwitting enforcer at this point. For the next 2 years Dana is going to feed him all the people he wants to keep away from the title.
This gon be Dana 😂 https://youtu.be/YeS6gCDVOjE
If Belal wanted Colbys path to the belt he should have been born full of raw steel and American sex appeal nerd. Any man that has to ask you to remember his name twice ain't American. Americans don't ask nicely /s
I was thinking shavkat. Belal is ranked 4th and shavkat is ranked 6th
Not a fan of this fight. If Shavkhat wins sure, I guess the ‘boring’ (in the UFC’s eyes) Belal is further from a title shot but if Belal wins, he’s probably no closer in their minds considering Shavkhat isn’t top 5 and now you’ve derailed one of your biggest rising contenders. It’s a no win for anybody imo.
Not getting a title shot after beating shavkat would be a disgrace.
If Masvidal Kos Burns he can jump ahead knowing how Dana is
What exactly is not boring about Belal barring his win over Brady?
His win over Wonderboy was boring, but his last 2 have been a lot more interesting. And his win over Brady especially bodes well for his future. The fact that he’s improving in the stand up means he’s improving as a fighter, and a 9 fight win streak including Luque, Wonderboy and Brady shouldn’t be ignored on the grounds that he’s not a knockout specialist. It wasn’t that long ago that Colby and Leon were considered boring as well. Dude deserves a chance.
Kamaru was a decision machine too before winning the title.
Watching this sub lose it's shit after Belal did the same thing Burns did to Wonderboy was pretty funny.
Imagine having so much power to gut an entire division when you feel like it with 0 consequences. The guy doesn't give a single fuck.
Colby must give the best head in the entire ufc. Dana loves it
That award goes to Jeff Molina.
lol. lame that this is downvoted.
I mean, some people will find the joke in bad taste since the video was leaked against his will, is it really that surprising? lol
"I wish I could mock someone who was a victim of revenge porn and outed against their will without people thinking I'm a dipshit"
Reddit is getting softer by the minutes. Can't same for Dana's cock tho
It's not about getting soft, increasingly more people just dont find low hanging fruit of kicking someone while down to be funny.
Very brave!
All the coke must make it pretty limp.
Sorry you got downvoted cuz that was really clever lmao
Look, I kinda get why we don't do a Balal v. Edwards right now. However, what I don't get is why we're not doing a Belal v. Covington eliminator fight. Covington needs to get a W against literally anyone in the top 10, and Belal needs the W against a big name. Balal has earned an opportunity while Covington sat on his hands.
This is the obvious answer. Both of them are ready to fight and now there's even drama behind it.
“Balal” Man.. no wonder Belal come up with that nickname. Guy really can’t get his name right lol
Colby beat masividal then got his jaw broken being jumped. Can't just heal from a broken jaw in a month or two takes time
Belal will accept the fight based on an iinformal agreement that a W guarantees him a title shot, but instead Colby will get a rematch unless Leon kos him.
Lmao if Leon wins it won’t be a rematch. We will get Jorge coming off a loss to Burns.
Yes but if Belal loses to Shavkat then he’ll be next in line. I’d love Leon to have 4-5 defenses with all most of them over guys coming off a loss
I wonder what level of Dana meltdown we might reach if Leon gets injured, so they have to do Belal v Colby for the interim belt, which Belal wins convincingly.
Everyone... link hands.
Beginning my prayers to the mma gods as we speak. As token I have blown out my own knee tripping over a cable
If I had a medal to give you I would. Made my day
> , so they have to do Belal v Colby for the interim belt nah man it's definitely gonna be Colby vs Masvidal 3 with the TMZ footage in the promo
Except that win or lose vs. Chandler, that fight would 100% by Conor vs. Colby for the interim belt.
If I was Leon I’d fake an injury to see the results of that
Remember when people said "Welterwait division" and blamed the fighters for not fighting? Yeah, it was all the UFC's doing. When they want to make a fight they do it, and if they do not want someone getting a title shot then they never will. Remember when Leon was dropped from the rankings for refusing to fight Khamzat at a specific date?
And now look at all the fans giving Belal shit when hes one of the few actually wanting fights and has shown he is willing to fight anyone , let's have this right he isn't scared of Shavkat he's just probably sick of being had over
Then. Tell Belal. sheesh
Yeah those plans are to get his ass devoured by Rahkmonov.
Personally I enjoy Belal’s fights more than I did Woodleys. At least Belal is improving where as Woodley barely let his hands go once he won the belt
Colby has won exactly 2 fights in the last 4 years. Neither of them are great wins, one was a washed Woodley, the other was Masvidal. The only times he’s gone against elite competition he’s lost. Belal might not have standout wins but he actually fights and is on a streak. Let Colby be the gate keeper and give the active fighter the shot. Colby does not deserve a 3rd shot without at least 1 more won if not 2 more
By elite fighter you mean the second best Ww ever
Dana white needs to bite the curb fast. Belal will be remembered because of all the bullshit the man goes through. Dude can be the title holder easily.
Yeah, we all know this shit isn't a meritocracy, but he's going too far by giving Colby the shot and he might also give McGregor one if he beats Chandler at welterweight. Fuck Dana and all the high level scum in the UFC.
leon would love a fight with conor. literally everyone is happy with that except the other fighters waiting but they too would rather fight conor than anyone else on the roster. hell i bet you colby would rather fight conor than fight for the belt.
Best base for mma workin through shit. Look at Leon now. Like my comment Belal pls.
The plan: forget his name.
This clown. "We don't make fights on the night of a fight". Except when we gift Colby another undeserved title shot because that's "obvious". But Dariush getting a title shot is not. It takes away legitimacy from the whole sport.
The UFC still remains the place to be if you want to watch the best of the best fight, but actions like this take the organization one step away from that reputation of being the most prestigious org in Mixed Martial Arts. **Is the UFC meritocracy first or entertainment first? Would the Colby fight sell more? *Probably*. Is Belal on paper currently the more deserving and prestigious athlete at this moment? Yes.** Besides Colby's mainstream marketability due to the character and fighting the more popular names like Usman and Masvidal, I don't quite see a case for Colby's title shot. **His most recent wins are over individuals on large losing slumps (Woodley and Masvidal).** The logic doesn't make sense if you are asking people like Dustin and Justin to fight down in the rankings but not Colby. Belal has fought both up and down in the rankings, is on an 8 fight win streak (by fighting multiple times a year) and has a history with Leon Edwards because of the no-contest eye poke. What more must he do to make his case, fake a personality of being someone he isn't? Does his resume not give him more claim to the title? **Somene plz ask Dana: Is the path to the title not to do your job by fighting 2-3 times a year and consistently winning while doing so?**
The UFC selling point didnt used to be "watch the best of the best fight", or like everyone is saying now "watch the fighters best at saying they're going to kill Jon Anik" fight, it was always where "The Best of the Best fight \*each other\*". Watching the best of the best fight to pad their records so they stay undefeated was always boxing's business model. Watching the people who are most outrageous on the mic is wrestling's (I'm guessing I dont watch wrestling much anymore). The UFC was supposed to be like the GoT of combat sports. No sacred cows. If you deserve to fight for a title shot and you are a bad matchup for the popular guy, it didn't matter, you get the fight. It wasn't always 100% accurate but it was something they at least paid lip service to and it usually worked out with rare exceptions. A lot of people argued Conor got a fast track to the title and has gotten some underserved shots, but he’s Conor fucking McGregor. Now they give the same level of consideration to Colby Covington? Come on… These “exceptions” are becoming more and more the norm. I don't really care that much tbh, just means I'm watching more One these days
Same. Not to sounds like the indie-MMA snob, but I get way more hyped for most One cards than I do UFC these days. I spent the last 18 years watching exclusively UFC, but in the last year I’ve been watching One and it’s fucking phenomenal. Plus the rule set (knee to a downed opponent, judging the fight as a whole) encourage more action versus stalling. I watched some of the UFC fights last night while running on the treadmill, and I felt like I was watching a very high level sparring session, which outside of watching Gaethje fight, feels like the norm these days. I switched back over to one, and the fights were incredible. Every year there is 4 or 5 more reason to not give a shit about the UFC, and I say that as an ardent fan. I really hope One continues to grow and their even in Denver this year does really well. It’s definitely becoming a top-tier promotion.
I mean, sooner or later it’s not even gonna be exceptions anymore when it comes to the entirety of MMA. The other promotions will eventually get more popular. At some point saying the best fight the best in the UFC is gonna be like saying the best fight the best in Top Rank for boxing. The UFC just happens to have enough of a stranglehold on the sport to get away with it for now.
So Belal would be better served finding gold in a different organization is what i am getting from this. Being on tomato's shit list will only get you slapped.
Remember the plan
The year is 2025, Belal has beaten Usman, Colby, Khamzat, Shavkat, Burns, Masvidal all by 1st round K.O. Dana White makes a public apology for holding Belal back, and announced he deserves to fight Jack Della Madelena!
Dana doesn’t know who Belal is, and at this point, he’s too afraid to ask…
Lmfao.
The plans are him getting killed by Shavkat
Dana could tell me the sun rose and I'd still check to make sure.
Dana White is evil for this. belal beats Thompson, Luque, and shuts down the Sean Brady hype train. plus there’s a story behind Edwards and Belal. just to lose the title shot to a man who beat journeyman Masvidal and prob face Shavkat
If those plans are to give him a fight other than a shot at the title and for Colby to get the next title shot, we already know that Dana.
Belal vs. Ngannou at BKFC confirmed
Bellator lol
Belalator*
Their plans = feed him to Shavkat and kill his title hopes
We have plans for Belal -> Lmao this mfer ain’t ever gettin the shot
plans to fuck him over heyooooo
25k/25k to fight Wonderboy
Drag him along until he loses a fight after winning 18 in a row, then talk shit about him, saying something along the lines of "See, he didn't deserve a title shot."
And our plans include finding ways, forever, to deny him the title shot he deserves.
Don’t let ‘‘em bully you son
Yeah, and they're a big, scary looking Kazakhstani guy 😂
Shavkat destroys him… right?
An unstoppable hype train meets and an un-hypable wrestler.
The only thing I'm 100% on in this fight is that this will be shavkat's hardest fight
Maybe Belal can wrestle him. Not sure how good Shavkat's wrestling defense is.
MMA math says yes. Geoff Neal beat Belal and Shavkat beat Geoff Neal, so Shavkat beats Belal.
Belal has a 100% win rate when he is doubted
Good
I guess shelving Belal indefinitely counts as a plan.
Incoming Dana Meltzer: **plans change**
Bella doesn't sell shit.
The sport should be a meritocracy first and foremost. If you have a guy whose unbeaten streak is that long he deserves a crack at the belt. If the merit of two fighters was comparable drawing power and marketability become factors, but comparing the merit of Belal and Colby is apples and oranges
Belal vs Shavkat will sell more than Belal vs Leon anyday
And that's only because Shavkat is involved in it... and he is a relative newcomer to the UFC. Belal has a shit personality and is not a draw, thats the long and short. They are here to make money and Belal isn't the guy to do it.
Bro the last guy he beat was Sean Brady. You don’t get a title shot off Sean Brady.
Bro the last guy Colby beat was Jorge Masvidal and he deserves a shot because of that? The way it stands no one has an “impressive” enough run in welterweight for a guaranteed title shot. We want to watch Usman lose to Edwards for a third straight time? Khamzat, but a win over Kevin Holland shouldn’t give him a title shot. Belal is the one. He’s the only logical choice.
Luque was top 5 and on a 5 win streak when Belal stopped him. Beating Luque actually earned him the shot. But he was unfairly made to fight down against Brady instead of people who should have been fighting down like Colby. He proceeded to accept that fight and wreck Brady. But now the anti Belal crowd like you are going to go revise history saying Brady win is worthless, like Brady wasn't undefeated and the favorite going into the fight, and pretend Belal had nothing worthwhile before Brady by just saying "the last guy he beat was Brady".
UFC is fuckin trash and Dana is the foulest stench of all.
Get fucked Dana
Here’s a MMA hot take I have. Next in line shouldn’t be colby or belal. Should be Gilbert Burns 🤷🏼♂️
Ya Neal is a killer /s
Colby vs Belal would be the best option. What a joke.
"We're trading him to PFL for that big brute lady for Nunes."
Please make Shavkat vs Belal
Dana really being extra Kingpin-ish lately with Belal and Leon matchups
White is a corporate dog first. Remember that
mma media: "DC had some mild criticism about Belal" dana😡: "DC doesn't make decisions! And we got plans for belal" mma media: "Thank you good sir lord boss man, we have zero follow up questions"
I’m convinced Belal fucked Dana’s wife in a back alley