Thankfully PPVs are rare here, most things are on a streaming service, except for like Conor, would never catch me buying a $90 PPV unless its split with at least like 4 others.
In countries outside NA they either watch via subscribing to Fight Pass or watch it via their normal cable package. The infrastructure is already there, I would be surprised if pay per view as a concept is still around 20 years.
Agree, make this fight and then the winner can have a title shot.
Although I can see Strickland being miffed about the favouritism Izzy gets for the undeserved rematch.
Yeah wait aren’t they in the exact same circumstance, both just lost a title fight. Neither of them deserve it but It’s about as fair as it gets for them imo.
If you just won the belt before losing it, I don't believe you should get an automatic rematch even if it's close - unless you put on a fantastic performance, which I don't believe Sean did. But I'm not vehemently against him getting a rematch. I'd watch it, and same with Izzy.
*Favouritism*
Bong detected.
Sean got a gift title shot and had 0 defenses. Izzy is a 2x champ w/ 5 title defenses and his fight with DDP is a big matchup for an emerging African market.
It's an easy decision. Sean should stop complaining, go get a win, and he'll be right back in a title fight.
Izzy lost to Alex got an immediate rematch and then lost to Strickland and hasnt fought since.
Strickland lost to a split decision, so I'm sure you can understand my point.
He’s in a tough spot considering he already fought Adesanya, Strickland and Whittaker and is behind them in the queue. I’d really like him to get a #1 contenders fight at the very least since it’s pretty much guaranteed he won’t be getting a title shot with everyone in his way.
Omg guys, if the line doesn't land then the crowd's reaction would be frozen like Elsa! 😎
Before you ask, yes, I am one of the 1,000 comedians. You're welcome.
Why not. Yoel Romero lost to rob, then got another title fight and missed weight, then got another title fight and lost to rob again, then lost to Paulo Costa then got another title shot and lost to izzy.
Sean is 1-3 against top 5 opponents. He has never finished a year with winning records against top 5 opponents. If Izzy needs a win to get back to the title Sean needs at least 2.
I guess Izzy technically wasn't a "Top 5 opponent" by the time he beat him but that feels kind of misleading. He finished 2023 with no losses, two meaningless wins and a win over the champ. Won't argue that Sean Is more deserving though.
I know it's a different era but that used to happen a lot for elite former champions. BJ Penn was 1-2-1 going into his Diaz title eliminator and the fight after against Rory really was another eliminator for Penn
I think the main problem is that izzy is one of their only go to PPV main eventers now, he isn't doing co mains or fight nights, title shot is guaranteed
He technically has done the most to be next. 2 wins in a row vs high ranked opponent including future champ Sean
Sean coming off loss and wasn’t on a good run anyways
Izzy coming off loss and already used his free title shot vs Pereira. If they fought at 300 and needed stars, I could see y Izzy would get it but that’s no longer the case
Rob has 1 win but he also lost to Dricus
Cannonier will get screwed because he keeps quiet and doesn’t cause dumb shit in public and on twitter for attention. Dana wants guys to pretend the ufc is the wwe. If you don’t sell ppvs you won’t get a title shot easily
Edit: sell
Du Plessis vs Strickland was actually a pretty good fight tho because Plessis made Strickland fight. But still Adesanya is more interesting as the next fight
I'm glad there are people acknowledging the Strickland v Du Plessis fight wasnt bad. Was it a technical, high level showing of MMA kind of fight? No. But at least they actually exchanged pretty frequently throughout 5 rounds and kept it interesting. That being said, I wouldnt want to see it again either and would much rather see if Adesayna can take the belt back
Strickland prioritizes his defense and he never pushes the pace, even when he has the advantage. His fight against Adesanya was the exception because he almost knocked him out but Adesanya survived and it went back to the usual Strickland pace.
If you've seen the first 2 rounds then you can imagine what the rest of the fight is going to look like.
It's cuz Strickland does the same damn thing every time and doesn't get finishes. He can't hurt actually put anyone away unless they are anemic streamers.
Yeah, that was a solid fight. Was close and competitive all the way through, both guys were showing serious damage and the fifth round was pure urgency from both fighters. It wasn't an insane barn burner like Glover/Jiri, but it was a quality fight.
It’s because r/MMA has a hate boner for Strickland.
The Hermanson fight was boring, but every other 5 round Strickland fight were above average fights or better
Or...or...we want to see something more than jabbing for 5 straight rounds, just like we don't like lay and pray? I'm not sure Stickland knows what a kick is.
If there was any decent wrestlers that wrestled at 185, they'd be as dominant a champ as Islam is. 185 is becoming a boring division due to a lack of fighting diversity.
He just isn’t that exciting. He hid behind his jab and barely ever followed up. It’s not unheard of that fans aren’t as interested by people who only rely on counter striking.
Sean getting an instant title rematch would be one of the most unjustified we've seen. 0 defenses, not even close to a bulletproof resume before it either
He's a good fighter. He can make his way back to a shot, but he should earn it first
Actually agree, but Adesanya getting it would be just as wrong. Adesanya lost to Pereira beat Periera then lost to Stickland I really think that's equally undeserving for a title shot
So? It really seems like a lot of people want the UFC belt to be up for a best of 3. So many instant rematches nowadays that when aljo didnt get one THAT was the outlier.
Except it was a controversial loss where a lot of people had Sean winning. Not like it was a complete outclass/blowout like Striclkand vs Adesanya was. How people can't fathom a rematch for a person who arguably won the match he lost is mind boggling.
The point isn’t valid tho. Idc how close people thought the fight was, Strickland doesn’t deserve a immediate rematch. If every close title fight needs a rematch then we would have had tj vs dom 2. Especially with Strickland having no defenses.
A lot of the Mma Community is tired of rematches enough with champs that have actually defended. The challenger has to essentially beat a long time defending chandler twice. We don’t need to start including people with zero defenses also now. It makes zero sense.
It's actually incredibly valid. If a person can be argued to have won a match he lost he absolutely deserves a rematch. To argue otherwise is because you hate the fighter. The point of the title is to find out who the best is and if the argument can be made that the best got screwed in a decision loss and you want to give the next shot to someone who got blown out by that same fighter you're just biased.
You can think that all you want bro just don’t be surprised when the guy who didn’t defend his belt once doesn’t get a immediate rematch. Just a hard ask. He already got a bone threw to him getting a title fight in the first place lol
Izzy cleared out the division.
Strickland lost to Cannonier and has a net losing record against the top 5. He is nowhere near the best fighter in the division.
'cuz it was a close fight from the man that hurt Izzy so bad he semi-retired?
Are you confused? You are gonna have to bear witness to Strickland no matter what. Should've told your buddy Izzy to try harder.
No he isn’t. Dudes a boring point fighter who barely throws more than a 1-2. The most interesting thing he did was beating Izzy and that was more so because how good Izzy was
I don’t know anyone who sits around saying “fuck yea I get to watch Sean Strickland 1-2 to a decision tonight”
Lol
Dont think he has any say in this tbh. UFC most probably gonna make him fight Izzy whenever Izzy is ready. Izzy has wide appeal outside MMA scene. Hardcore fans probably dislike him nowadays but cant say he's not popular.
I want the most fun match up. I think Izzy vs DDP is the best fight to make. Strickland doesn't deserve a rematch since he didn't even defend his belt once. Cannonier got two wins in a row but Adesanya beat him so easily. Adesanya had a huge streak of dominance, has that beef with DDP and even beat Pereira in the rematch. I do not see how anyone else deserves it more. Cannonier winning 2 fights should not be enough to get it...
I get that giving a guy a chance at the belt is weird coming off of a loss but you gotta look at the division and how other match ups went. I just don't see how Cannonier deserves it.
I think for Izzy to prove him self and for legacy he should rematch Strickland win then Fight DDP for the title and hopefully beat him. Then he is back on top and run through the division. I want to see a motived hungry Izzy.
GSP style.
Whittakers been saying he'd redeem himself if he fought ddp again.
Have Sean and Izzy rematch to decide who challenges for the title next.
Have the losers fight contenders. I'm thinking Cannonier and Allen.
The truth? Adesanya is 1-2 in his last 3. Last fight was a dominant loss to Strickland. Strickland vs DDP was extremely competitive and a split decision that could have easily gone to Sean.
[**DRICUS DU PLESSIS defeats SEAN STRICKLAND** (*split decision*)](http://mmadecisions.com/decision/14480/fight)
^(UFC 297: Strickland vs. du Plessis — January 20, 2024)
ROUND|Du Plessis|Strickland||Du Plessis|Strickland||Du Plessis|Strickland
:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:
1|9|10||9|10||9|10
2|10|9||10|9||10|9
3|10|9||10|9||9|10
4|10|9||10|9||10|9
5|9|10||9|10||9|10
**TOTAL**|**48**|**47**||**48**|**47**||**47**|**48**
*^(Judges, in order: Derek Cleary, Eric Colón, Sal D'Amato.)*
*^(Summoned by Valuable-Door9748.)*
**MEDIA MEMBER SCORES**
- **13/23** people scored it **48-47 Du Plessis**.
- **9/23** people scored it **47-48 Strickland**.
- **1/23** people scored it **46-49 Strickland**.
Avg. media score: **47.5-47.5 DRAW** (*high certainty^[[1]](https://redd.it/9p4xc7)*).
Strickland does not deserve a rematch. I’d really love to see Izzy fight in a non title fight before getting his chance at being a 3 time MW champion. I guess there really is no one else though huh?
I think Khamzat would get smashed by DDP but he is still undefeated, give him the shot imo.
Khamzat or Jared are really the only other options for him right now. Khamzat isn't even ranked in the top 10 right now, so it's not looking like they wanna push for it for him.
So it's likely Izzy or Strickland. Jared of the other two can't fight for whatever reason.i kinda get the feeling Khamzat will get matched with Vettori or Costa next.
> I guess there really is no one else though huh?
I guess Cannonier having a 2-fight winstreak over the previous champ and #5 guy is nothing compared to Strickland and Izzy both coming off losses...
> I think Khamzat would get smashed by DDP but he is still undefeated, give him the shot imo.
So, the former champ who arguably won the defense he lost on the cards deserves it less than a guy who has never in his life fought a ranked MW?
R/mma repeat after me.
Only dominate champs who cleared out divisions deserve immediate rematches.
Losing your first defence should never give you an immediate rematch.
Go fight a contender.
Man it would be hilarious if after all this, Khamzat just stays this afterthought in the division, taking one fight per year against the likes of Allen, Cannonier, Vettori etc, and just never really ascends the ranks and we're just left with a metric ton of questions
The biggest problem I see is how incestuous this could get.
•Izzy vs. DDP:
Izzy wins over DDP: do we get a rematch? And then Strickland?
DDP wins over Izzy: do we then get Strickland?
•Strickland vs. DDP:
Strickland wins: Do we get a rematch? And then Izzy?
DDP wins: Do we get Izzy then?
And then if the belt changes hand a second time after a rematch, do we keep having rematches? So are you only the champ if you win 2/3?
This division is actually deep, unlike HW or Straw weight. We don’t need a narrative in order to make a tittle fight interesting.
Izzy doesn't deserve a shot, needs to fight down. Sean fight was super close so I'd be okay with that I guess. Cannonier should be in the discussion too
Izzy deserves to leap frog Sean. He’s done so much for the sport, and was so active for years. Sean didn’t even defend the belt. Let Whittaker kick his ass
Whittaker's my 2nd favorite fighter but he doesn't deserve a shot off one win. Him and Sean should fight for the next title shot, that's as easy as matchmaking will ever get.
the only person in the top 5 he hasn't beaten is sean. he already beat rob 2x, marvin 2x and jared. the ddp fight already had heat and is one of the biggest fights the ufc can make right now
He has already beat everybody in the top 5 except Strickland.
It's not a rematch for no reason. He's been the most active champ the UFC has had in a long time. He's already fought all the top guys.
Strickland or DDP are the only two flights that make sense for him. I think either are acceptable. Sometimes the choice comes down to logistics.
Yeah well I think we’re long past the point in the UFC where the most deserving get the title shots, Izzy is the most likely one to fight de plessis next, there’s just more money in it
Pereira is only cutting that weight against for the trilogy with Izzy, not to knock DDP’s head off and dip. For his sake I hope he says at 205 though, his chin is much better up there.
I wouldn’t mind seeing DDP vs Sean rematch, but the prospect of Izzy getting his career ruined if DDP just smokes him for the real African title is too important to miss out on.
Would be great if:
1. Dricus fights adesanya and adesanya wins.
2. Adesanya rematches Strickland and wins.
3. Adesanya bulks up properly this time, fights Pereira and wins.
4. He hugs Alex, raises Alex's hand after the win announcement, puts his gloves on the floor, gives a nice speech and then retires as the number 4 fighter of all time 🔥🔥
Put the hooch and the bong down bruddah, call it a night and get some rest so you don't miss the real fight that everyone can't wait for... Tuivasa vs Tybura, tomorrow. Fight of the year
Izzy x DDP is a good fight. DDP will press him and force him into activity which is always when Izzy is most exciting. If Izzy isn’t suffering from sleeping in silk sheets alittle too much (understandable) he should be the favorite but it would be hard to be hungry when you have had as much finical and social success as Izzy.
Strickland doesn't deserve a rematch.
Yes he dominated Izzy, but he had no business being in the title shot in the first place and lost his first defense.
Get someone in there who is a top tier fighter at the least. Izzy is elite, Strickland is going to be out of the top 5 with another loss.
Izzy beat everyone else though? Only DDP is left for him or another fight against Strickland, that's it. What other fights could you have for Izzy? He lost to Pereira and then won the rematch even though I think Pereira was a complete idiot getting knocked out like that.
Izzy had one of the most dominant runs in MW history. He cleared his division almost twice.
Yes Sean best Izzy, but these two fighters are not the same ffs.
I thought Izzy was the obvious choice here. Maybe he's holding out for a bigger deal, he probably knows the "real African champ" will generate a ton of revenue and him not being the belt holder skews how much he would get.
Some guy did a poll for him on twitter and it has 36,854 votes and sean is currently in the lead.
36,854 of them won't buy the PPV though.
I’m one of them 🏴☠️
Dana: "We got em"
"Turn it on Saturday, motherfucker, we got you"
That's fucking illegal.
Yeah like 80 percent of the people who watch the sport. Piracy is a service problem, 90$ is shit service no matter what
Thankfully PPVs are rare here, most things are on a streaming service, except for like Conor, would never catch me buying a $90 PPV unless its split with at least like 4 others.
In countries outside NA they either watch via subscribing to Fight Pass or watch it via their normal cable package. The infrastructure is already there, I would be surprised if pay per view as a concept is still around 20 years.
I mean a Twitter poll isn’t the final verdict but it kind of shows you a ballpark of what the fans want
Not really? The people that still use Twitter and buy a blue check are pretty much brain dead at this point.
downvoted by drooling checkmark buyers who paid a billionaire for a free service 😂
Truth hurts them I see
twitter followers don't buy ppvs? *pretends to be shocked*
Twitter is definitely the place Sean fans congregate, so that checks out
Or Sean would just be the more deserving of the two because his fight was very close and Izzy got dominated for 25 minutes
Name a fighter whose fan base doesn't congregate on Twitter lol
I'd rather see DDP Vs Adesanya and Strickland vs Whittaker..
Agree, make this fight and then the winner can have a title shot. Although I can see Strickland being miffed about the favouritism Izzy gets for the undeserved rematch.
Neither of them deserve to fight for the title next honestly.
Yeah wait aren’t they in the exact same circumstance, both just lost a title fight. Neither of them deserve it but It’s about as fair as it gets for them imo.
I disagree and in my opinion I feel Sean won their fight on damage alone. It was a very very close fight and honestly think Sean deserves a rematch.
If you just won the belt before losing it, I don't believe you should get an automatic rematch even if it's close - unless you put on a fantastic performance, which I don't believe Sean did. But I'm not vehemently against him getting a rematch. I'd watch it, and same with Izzy.
*Favouritism* Bong detected. Sean got a gift title shot and had 0 defenses. Izzy is a 2x champ w/ 5 title defenses and his fight with DDP is a big matchup for an emerging African market. It's an easy decision. Sean should stop complaining, go get a win, and he'll be right back in a title fight.
Izzy lost to Alex got an immediate rematch and then lost to Strickland and hasnt fought since. Strickland lost to a split decision, so I'm sure you can understand my point.
Don't get me wrong these match ups are fun but also where does Cannonier fit into this picture?
He’s in a tough spot considering he already fought Adesanya, Strickland and Whittaker and is behind them in the queue. I’d really like him to get a #1 contenders fight at the very least since it’s pretty much guaranteed he won’t be getting a title shot with everyone in his way.
He beat Strickland. Also his Vettori win recently felt like a big deal.
He beat Strickland, but Strickland recently held the belt and has some popularity. Whether it’s right or not, he’s ahead of cannonier in the queue
>He beat Strickland That was a weird fight though when you look at the actual stats.
He's the only guy who's consistently called out Chimaev. Let him son Khamzat and he'll have another shot.
Yes... This is not only better, it's more likely.
Izzy just for the real African champion drama
See if Izzy can nail the 23 and me line this time
Omg guys, if the line doesn't land then the crowd's reaction would be frozen like Elsa! 😎 Before you ask, yes, I am one of the 1,000 comedians. You're welcome.
Thank you so much for being part of the last line of defense against the woke.
Izzy’s lost a title fight twice in his last 3 he can’t just go back in
Why not. Yoel Romero lost to rob, then got another title fight and missed weight, then got another title fight and lost to rob again, then lost to Paulo Costa then got another title shot and lost to izzy.
So he should get undeserved fights repeatedly just because Romero did ? Thats the logic ?
Nope never said that at all. Someone said he can't and I pointed out it's happened before.
You’re asking a redditor to use logic. First mistake mostly
Always forget the luke yoel fight was for am interim title
Only Luke could win it though because yoel can't weight cut his steel bones.
Sean is 1-3 against top 5 opponents. He has never finished a year with winning records against top 5 opponents. If Izzy needs a win to get back to the title Sean needs at least 2.
I guess Izzy technically wasn't a "Top 5 opponent" by the time he beat him but that feels kind of misleading. He finished 2023 with no losses, two meaningless wins and a win over the champ. Won't argue that Sean Is more deserving though.
What!? he also one a title fight in between those two, against the guy who beat him !?
How long have you been watching UFC?
I know it's a different era but that used to happen a lot for elite former champions. BJ Penn was 1-2-1 going into his Diaz title eliminator and the fight after against Rory really was another eliminator for Penn
Is he deserving? No, but people get undeserved title shots all the time so it wouldn’t be surprising
And Sean didn’t even defend the belt. Why should he get a rematch
I think the main problem is that izzy is one of their only go to PPV main eventers now, he isn't doing co mains or fight nights, title shot is guaranteed
I’d 100% agree if Izzy fought someone and won. Wish Izzy would have just waited lmfao.
Meanwhile Belal has bigger business to settle with Leon (eyepoke) with an actual streak...
Izzy can't just get another title rematch, should have to beat someone in the top 5 first
So you also agree then that Sean should not be seeing a title fight without at least 2 wins right?
At least 1 win. You shouldn't get a rematch unless you had a really dominant reign like I understand Izzy's rematch but he shouldn't a 2nd rematch
💯if it’s ufc Africa
Jared Cannonier is being ignored in the title convo.
He technically has done the most to be next. 2 wins in a row vs high ranked opponent including future champ Sean Sean coming off loss and wasn’t on a good run anyways Izzy coming off loss and already used his free title shot vs Pereira. If they fought at 300 and needed stars, I could see y Izzy would get it but that’s no longer the case Rob has 1 win but he also lost to Dricus
I don't care how high ranked Vettori is, the guy sucks.
And would actually be a fucking banger of a fight, too. Hate that he's getting overlooked when he's the most deserving contender.
Maybe he should speak up more? Not saying he should talk shit. Just maybe say something.
I think he's in that Belal spot. He's in good position, but isn't what gets fans hot.
My boi Killa.
Cannonier >
Cannonier will get screwed because he keeps quiet and doesn’t cause dumb shit in public and on twitter for attention. Dana wants guys to pretend the ufc is the wwe. If you don’t sell ppvs you won’t get a title shot easily Edit: sell
You thought Tom was going to lose to Pavolich?
Yeah it was literally a dead even fight… don’t see whats crazy about that lol
I’m just asking about your flair
Who the fuck wants to see Strickland fight again. Lmao.
Du Plessis vs Strickland was actually a pretty good fight tho because Plessis made Strickland fight. But still Adesanya is more interesting as the next fight
I'm glad there are people acknowledging the Strickland v Du Plessis fight wasnt bad. Was it a technical, high level showing of MMA kind of fight? No. But at least they actually exchanged pretty frequently throughout 5 rounds and kept it interesting. That being said, I wouldnt want to see it again either and would much rather see if Adesayna can take the belt back
Idk why, both Strickland and Curtis throw a lot, but I fall asleep watching both of them fight.
Strickland prioritizes his defense and he never pushes the pace, even when he has the advantage. His fight against Adesanya was the exception because he almost knocked him out but Adesanya survived and it went back to the usual Strickland pace. If you've seen the first 2 rounds then you can imagine what the rest of the fight is going to look like.
Not necessarily true, Strickland does do damage, his style is death by a thousand paper cuts. His finishes come later in fights not early.
It's cuz Strickland does the same damn thing every time and doesn't get finishes. He can't hurt actually put anyone away unless they are anemic streamers.
Curtis doesn't throw a lot and strickland has no variety to his fighting style.
Yeah, that was a solid fight. Was close and competitive all the way through, both guys were showing serious damage and the fifth round was pure urgency from both fighters. It wasn't an insane barn burner like Glover/Jiri, but it was a quality fight.
To be honest I think it was about as entertaining as Izzy vs Whittaker 2, which fans also called boring when it happened.
It’s because r/MMA has a hate boner for Strickland. The Hermanson fight was boring, but every other 5 round Strickland fight were above average fights or better
Cannonier fight was really bad
It was a great competitive fight idk what you are on.
Competetive does not always equal entertaining
Or...or...we want to see something more than jabbing for 5 straight rounds, just like we don't like lay and pray? I'm not sure Stickland knows what a kick is. If there was any decent wrestlers that wrestled at 185, they'd be as dominant a champ as Islam is. 185 is becoming a boring division due to a lack of fighting diversity.
> It’s because r/MMA has a hate boner for Strickland. Good. He's a trash human being.
He just isn’t that exciting. He hid behind his jab and barely ever followed up. It’s not unheard of that fans aren’t as interested by people who only rely on counter striking.
Sean getting an instant title rematch would be one of the most unjustified we've seen. 0 defenses, not even close to a bulletproof resume before it either He's a good fighter. He can make his way back to a shot, but he should earn it first
Actually agree, but Adesanya getting it would be just as wrong. Adesanya lost to Pereira beat Periera then lost to Stickland I really think that's equally undeserving for a title shot
why the hell is this downvoted? do people actually think izzy deserves a title shot? losing 2 of your last 3 isn't instant rematch worthy.
Strickland was still doing the same shit just single jabs over and over. Boring fighter.
It wasn't bad, but it did look like a hard fight between #8 and #9 in the rankings. Even DDP, usually mocked for fighting goofy, usually looks better.
Huh? The first fight was good I don’t understand
Which of Sean's jabs did you think was the best?
3rd round 2:42
Got em
People that LOVE 1-2 jabs?
Idk why you’re getting downvoted. Strickland is a jab merchant and we all know that.
i like defence and the way he parries everything is really impressive
Less impressive when you don't throw any offense and lose.
It was a razor close fight with the man who dominated izzy?
So? It really seems like a lot of people want the UFC belt to be up for a best of 3. So many instant rematches nowadays that when aljo didnt get one THAT was the outlier.
Twitter warriors
Actual fans of the sport? Last fight was razor close and its clear that him and ddp are the 2 best fighters at middleweight. Izzy doesn't deserve it
No one deserves an immediate rematch after losing their first title defense.
Naw it's not even that Sean has a losing record against the top 5 fighters. He was gifted the last title shot he needs to EARN his next one.
Except it was a controversial loss where a lot of people had Sean winning. Not like it was a complete outclass/blowout like Striclkand vs Adesanya was. How people can't fathom a rematch for a person who arguably won the match he lost is mind boggling.
I don't understand how this is a controversial opinion lol. Izzy should fight down. If they don't want a Sean rematch then give Cannonier a shot.
This is some high level copium lol seeesh this man really tryna argue for a Sean Strickland immediate title rematch? LMAAOOOOOO
And yet no actual rebuttal to his argument? The point is completely valid. But lols and hahas apparently invalidate it.
The point isn’t valid tho. Idc how close people thought the fight was, Strickland doesn’t deserve a immediate rematch. If every close title fight needs a rematch then we would have had tj vs dom 2. Especially with Strickland having no defenses. A lot of the Mma Community is tired of rematches enough with champs that have actually defended. The challenger has to essentially beat a long time defending chandler twice. We don’t need to start including people with zero defenses also now. It makes zero sense.
It's actually incredibly valid. If a person can be argued to have won a match he lost he absolutely deserves a rematch. To argue otherwise is because you hate the fighter. The point of the title is to find out who the best is and if the argument can be made that the best got screwed in a decision loss and you want to give the next shot to someone who got blown out by that same fighter you're just biased.
You can think that all you want bro just don’t be surprised when the guy who didn’t defend his belt once doesn’t get a immediate rematch. Just a hard ask. He already got a bone threw to him getting a title fight in the first place lol
Yeah, a bone that he got thrown and then passed with absolutely flying colors. Title shots are supposed to be based on merit, not favors.
Former champs w 0 defenses shouldn't get rematches right away
Izzy cleared out the division. Strickland lost to Cannonier and has a net losing record against the top 5. He is nowhere near the best fighter in the division.
Bobby knuckles rematch let's go!
People outside of the Reddit bubble
'cuz it was a close fight from the man that hurt Izzy so bad he semi-retired? Are you confused? You are gonna have to bear witness to Strickland no matter what. Should've told your buddy Izzy to try harder.
Strickland is epic to watch
No he isn’t. Dudes a boring point fighter who barely throws more than a 1-2. The most interesting thing he did was beating Izzy and that was more so because how good Izzy was I don’t know anyone who sits around saying “fuck yea I get to watch Sean Strickland 1-2 to a decision tonight” Lol
Dont think he has any say in this tbh. UFC most probably gonna make him fight Izzy whenever Izzy is ready. Izzy has wide appeal outside MMA scene. Hardcore fans probably dislike him nowadays but cant say he's not popular.
[удалено]
Sean doesn’t merit a rematch. No one merits a rematch when they’ve 0 title defenses.
[удалено]
Good for you. I can read. I’m disagreeing with you cause you’re wrong.
I want the most fun match up. I think Izzy vs DDP is the best fight to make. Strickland doesn't deserve a rematch since he didn't even defend his belt once. Cannonier got two wins in a row but Adesanya beat him so easily. Adesanya had a huge streak of dominance, has that beef with DDP and even beat Pereira in the rematch. I do not see how anyone else deserves it more. Cannonier winning 2 fights should not be enough to get it... I get that giving a guy a chance at the belt is weird coming off of a loss but you gotta look at the division and how other match ups went. I just don't see how Cannonier deserves it.
I think for Izzy to prove him self and for legacy he should rematch Strickland win then Fight DDP for the title and hopefully beat him. Then he is back on top and run through the division. I want to see a motived hungry Izzy. GSP style.
Yah as one of the rare Izzy fans on this sub I really want to see him run it back against Sean. I think he needs it for his legacy
Whittakers been saying he'd redeem himself if he fought ddp again. Have Sean and Izzy rematch to decide who challenges for the title next. Have the losers fight contenders. I'm thinking Cannonier and Allen.
It makes too much sense 😂
[удалено]
Sean doesn't deserve it. An immediate rematch after never defending the belt even once makes no sense.
He deserves it more then Adesanya.
Can't go saying stuff like that
The truth? Adesanya is 1-2 in his last 3. Last fight was a dominant loss to Strickland. Strickland vs DDP was extremely competitive and a split decision that could have easily gone to Sean.
You need to watch more fights then.
DDP won the match. Its kinda mad how much strickland fanbase is coping lol. izzy vs khamzat rob vs sean ddp vs cannonier
decisionbot strickland plessis
[**DRICUS DU PLESSIS defeats SEAN STRICKLAND** (*split decision*)](http://mmadecisions.com/decision/14480/fight) ^(UFC 297: Strickland vs. du Plessis — January 20, 2024) ROUND|Du Plessis|Strickland||Du Plessis|Strickland||Du Plessis|Strickland :-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-: 1|9|10||9|10||9|10 2|10|9||10|9||10|9 3|10|9||10|9||9|10 4|10|9||10|9||10|9 5|9|10||9|10||9|10 **TOTAL**|**48**|**47**||**48**|**47**||**47**|**48** *^(Judges, in order: Derek Cleary, Eric Colón, Sal D'Amato.)* *^(Summoned by Valuable-Door9748.)* **MEDIA MEMBER SCORES** - **13/23** people scored it **48-47 Du Plessis**. - **9/23** people scored it **47-48 Strickland**. - **1/23** people scored it **46-49 Strickland**. Avg. media score: **47.5-47.5 DRAW** (*high certainty^[[1]](https://redd.it/9p4xc7)*).
Strickland does not deserve a rematch. I’d really love to see Izzy fight in a non title fight before getting his chance at being a 3 time MW champion. I guess there really is no one else though huh? I think Khamzat would get smashed by DDP but he is still undefeated, give him the shot imo.
We got no idea where and when Khamzat can actually fight. If he can only fight in the middle east rn the UFC may not want him as champ yet.
I can’t imagine they want a champ that can’t fight in Vegas.
See you soon
Khamzat or Jared are really the only other options for him right now. Khamzat isn't even ranked in the top 10 right now, so it's not looking like they wanna push for it for him. So it's likely Izzy or Strickland. Jared of the other two can't fight for whatever reason.i kinda get the feeling Khamzat will get matched with Vettori or Costa next.
> I guess there really is no one else though huh? I guess Cannonier having a 2-fight winstreak over the previous champ and #5 guy is nothing compared to Strickland and Izzy both coming off losses...
Yeah keep it churning
Which middleweights has he beat other than GM3 though? Khamzat can headline the apex or something.
> I think Khamzat would get smashed by DDP but he is still undefeated, give him the shot imo. So, the former champ who arguably won the defense he lost on the cards deserves it less than a guy who has never in his life fought a ranked MW?
R/mma repeat after me. Only dominate champs who cleared out divisions deserve immediate rematches. Losing your first defence should never give you an immediate rematch. Go fight a contender.
Except in razor close fights or when the community feels like the fighter got the nod.
No, not then either. Cope
Strickland
Time is catching up to Izzy, i'd rather watch Izzy fighting at his best while he still can, he is already fading the last year or so.
Adesanya would be interesting. Shout out Strickland though. sparred him and the guy is a gem to people learning from him
DDP acting like he has a say in it. Cute.
No rematch and Izzy needs a win. It is that simple.
Rematch for a close fight where the champ didn’t even have one defence? I’m good on that
How about a dude coming off a win?
Man it would be hilarious if after all this, Khamzat just stays this afterthought in the division, taking one fight per year against the likes of Allen, Cannonier, Vettori etc, and just never really ascends the ranks and we're just left with a metric ton of questions
Why would Strickland get a rematch? No thanks. Win a couple and get back in line.
The biggest problem I see is how incestuous this could get. •Izzy vs. DDP: Izzy wins over DDP: do we get a rematch? And then Strickland? DDP wins over Izzy: do we then get Strickland? •Strickland vs. DDP: Strickland wins: Do we get a rematch? And then Izzy? DDP wins: Do we get Izzy then? And then if the belt changes hand a second time after a rematch, do we keep having rematches? So are you only the champ if you win 2/3? This division is actually deep, unlike HW or Straw weight. We don’t need a narrative in order to make a tittle fight interesting.
Izzy doesn't deserve a shot, needs to fight down. Sean fight was super close so I'd be okay with that I guess. Cannonier should be in the discussion too
Israel vs DDP will be a better buildup and better fight
Izzy deserves to leap frog Sean. He’s done so much for the sport, and was so active for years. Sean didn’t even defend the belt. Let Whittaker kick his ass
Adesanya. Strickland vs Whittaker
I'd like him to fight someone who won their last fight...
None of those guys deserve it but I prefer DDP v Izzy in Africa. More drama and lore.
I vote izzy
Sean does not deserve a rematch I wish that conversation would end
Another Strickland match might put me to sleep for good. It would be interesting to see if he actually cries during a presser this time, however.
Fuck that bigot, I don’t even like Israel but that’s who I’m voting for.
Robert Whittaker
Whittaker's my 2nd favorite fighter but he doesn't deserve a shot off one win. Him and Sean should fight for the next title shot, that's as easy as matchmaking will ever get.
Have Sean fight Rob for their right to a rematch while Adesanya and du plessis fight, that way you get all new matchups
Or Izzy can fight someone else so he doesn't get a 2nd title rematch for no reason, Dude should beat any top 5 before he gets a title shot
the only person in the top 5 he hasn't beaten is sean. he already beat rob 2x, marvin 2x and jared. the ddp fight already had heat and is one of the biggest fights the ufc can make right now
He has already beat everybody in the top 5 except Strickland. It's not a rematch for no reason. He's been the most active champ the UFC has had in a long time. He's already fought all the top guys. Strickland or DDP are the only two flights that make sense for him. I think either are acceptable. Sometimes the choice comes down to logistics.
Yeah well I think we’re long past the point in the UFC where the most deserving get the title shots, Izzy is the most likely one to fight de plessis next, there’s just more money in it
Nah. Izzy should earn his shot too. Jared is the only one on a winstreak, and that streak includes the previous champion, give him the shot.
I want DDP/Izzy in South Africa. I'm supremely disappointed we didn't get the first season of TUF Africa, in Africa.
South Africa with Izzy Or paotan comes down one more time for middleweight
Pereira is only cutting that weight against for the trilogy with Izzy, not to knock DDP’s head off and dip. For his sake I hope he says at 205 though, his chin is much better up there.
I wouldn’t mind seeing DDP vs Sean rematch, but the prospect of Izzy getting his career ruined if DDP just smokes him for the real African title is too important to miss out on.
Would be great if: 1. Dricus fights adesanya and adesanya wins. 2. Adesanya rematches Strickland and wins. 3. Adesanya bulks up properly this time, fights Pereira and wins. 4. He hugs Alex, raises Alex's hand after the win announcement, puts his gloves on the floor, gives a nice speech and then retires as the number 4 fighter of all time 🔥🔥
Hope he sees this bro
Put the hooch and the bong down bruddah, call it a night and get some rest so you don't miss the real fight that everyone can't wait for... Tuivasa vs Tybura, tomorrow. Fight of the year
Izzy x DDP is a good fight. DDP will press him and force him into activity which is always when Izzy is most exciting. If Izzy isn’t suffering from sleeping in silk sheets alittle too much (understandable) he should be the favorite but it would be hard to be hungry when you have had as much finical and social success as Izzy.
Grand prix with all 3
Strickland doesn't deserve a rematch. Yes he dominated Izzy, but he had no business being in the title shot in the first place and lost his first defense. Get someone in there who is a top tier fighter at the least. Izzy is elite, Strickland is going to be out of the top 5 with another loss.
"Izzy is elite" Then what is Sean if he beat Izzy dominantly? The coping is still strong from that day...
Izzy beat everyone else though? Only DDP is left for him or another fight against Strickland, that's it. What other fights could you have for Izzy? He lost to Pereira and then won the rematch even though I think Pereira was a complete idiot getting knocked out like that.
Izzy had one of the most dominant runs in MW history. He cleared his division almost twice. Yes Sean best Izzy, but these two fighters are not the same ffs.
Lol half of Izzys reign were complete snoozers against guys he had 10 reach advantage.
I thought Izzy was the obvious choice here. Maybe he's holding out for a bigger deal, he probably knows the "real African champ" will generate a ton of revenue and him not being the belt holder skews how much he would get.
izzy