Khabib Nurmagomedov is no doubt making a name at lightweight but he is also a man on the mission. He is being hyped as the next lightweight champion and this year could finally be his. Nurmagomedov is reportedly scheduled to face Tony Ferguson for the interim lightweight title soon. While speaking with Dave Doyle of
Khabib Nurmagomedov is no doubt making a name at lightweight but he is also a man on the mission. He is being hyped as the next lightweight champion and this year could finally be his.
Nurmagomedov is reportedly scheduled to face Tony Ferguson for the interim lightweight title soon. While speaking with Dave Doyle of MMA Fighting, Nurmagomedov is down for that fight as he plans to beat Ferguson, take the title and then fight the real UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor, who is expected to be out of action for a bit as his girlfriend is pregnant.
“I want to beat Tony Ferguson, take the interim bullsh*t belt, and I will fight with Conor for real belt,” Nurmagomedov said. “This is what I want to make in 2017. If the UFC would ask me about Conor, of course, I would take this fight,” Nurmagomedov said. “He has the belt now. I want to take his belt. … It’s my belt. Everybody knows I deserve a title shot. But, Tony Ferguson is on nine win streak, he deserves [a chance] too.”
Nurmagomedov is not sure if McGregor even wants to defend the belt, which he won in November 2015 from Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205.
“I think 50/50. I think maybe he takes the fight at 170, if he loses at 170, he comes back to 155. He does this all the time. He never defends his belt. He never defended his belt in Cage Warriors, he never defends his belt in UFC, he’s all the time playing games because he has good pay-per-view and that’s why he has power in the UFC.”
Nurmagomedov vs. Ferguson is expected to be featured on the main card of UFC 209 on March 4 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The UFC was sold for a record-setting $4.2 billion to WME-IMG last year, and the new owners are understandably trying relieve the debt of the massive purchase to make a profit on the blockbuster deal. However, they may have a tough time doing so in 2017 due to the fact that the promotion is currently lacking
The UFC was sold for a record-setting $4.2 billion to WME-IMG last year, and the new owners are understandably trying relieve the debt of the massive purchase to make a profit on the blockbuster deal.
However, they may have a tough time doing so in 2017 due to the fact that the promotion is currently lacking legitimate stars to headline pay-per-view (PPV) shows in the immediate months. Given the fact that PPV has and likely always will be the UFC’s main platform, WME-IMG could have a serious issue on its hands.
For instance, let’s take a look at the status of just a few of the UFC’s biggest PPV draws from the last few years: Conor McGregor, Ronda Rousey, Brock Lesnar, Georges St-Pierre, and Anderson Silva.
McGregor, the reigning UFC lightweight champion, is in a league of his own in terms of PPV stars, as he’s headlined four of the top five best-selling events of all-time: UFC 194, UFC 196, UFC 202 and UFC 205, and incredibly enough all within a calendar year.
The brash and outspoken Irishman may end up spending the majority of 2017 on the sidelines, however, as he awaits the birth of his first child with longtime girlfriend Dee Devlin.
Rousey’s fighting future is even more uncertain than McGregor’s, as the former UFC women’s bantamweight champion spent most of 2016 inactive after suffering a brutal knockout loss to Holly Holm in Nov. 2015. She returned at last week’s (Dec. 30, 2016) UFC 207, an event that ranks. No. 6 all-time in terms of pay-per-view buys according to Tapology, only to get stopped in 48 seconds. Not only would it be unsurprising to see Rousey not fight in 2017, but it also wouldn’t be too surprising to see the “Rowdy” one never grace the Octagon again.
Lesnar, a former UFC heavyweight champion, is also a legitimate draw, as he’s headlined four cards that have brought in over one million buys. “The Beast” made his return this past summer in the co-main event of UFC 200, an event that brought in over one million buys as well, but he’s now suspended due to multiple failed drug tests. While his suspension will be up in July, he too may never fight again.
St-Pierre, the former welterweight champion, hasn’t competed since 2013, although he was in negotiations to return late last year. The negotiations took a turn south, however, and his return is now up in the air as well.
Silva, on the other hand, will likely fight again, although he is a mere shell of the star he once was. The former longtime middleweight champion hasn’t won a fight since 2012 and at age 41, his best days are clearly behind him. Yet while that’s certainly the general consensus among a rapidly evolving MMA fanbase where many fans may not remember “The Spider’s” dominant days, it also could be noted that he impressively rocked both the light heavyweight and middleweight champions in his only two fights of 2016 only to lose to a decision.
Mandatory Credit: Joshua Dahl-USA TODAY Sports
Now that I’ve rambled on about the biggest draws in the UFC, you may be asking yourself what the only major one who wasn’t named – former light heavyweight champ Jon Jones – has to do with the UFC’s current lack of stars. Well, aside from McGregor, Jones may be the only other (potential) star and pay-per-view (PPV) draw left on the UFC roster that is certain to fight again. And to be fair, Jones is certainly not the star “Notorious” is.
“Bones,” the longtime pound-for-pound king, is currently serving out a yearlong suspension due to a failed drug test surrounding his scheduled UFC 200 rematch with current champion Daniel Cormier.
Jones’ two best selling pay-per-views (PPV) are UFC 182: Jones vs. Cormier, which brought in 800,000 buys, and UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans, which brought in 700,000 buys. He also headlined UFC 135 and UFC 159, two cards that sold north of 500,000 pay-per-views. While the ex-champion may not be a McGregor or Rousey type of star, his events have typically brought in solid numbers and certainly respectable numbers in today’s UFC landscape.
Because of this, I’d have to assume that the UFC is eagerly awaiting his return, which will hopefully take place in July when his suspension is up. He’ll of course have to face the increased watch of USADA and the legal authorities of Bernalillo County, Ne Mexico, where he was jailed on a probation violation for receiving some highly questionable traffic citations last year.
To count on him to return to the Octagon without issue is an order perhaps even taller than the six-foot-four Jones, who was once the fastest-rising name in MMA before transcendent stars McGregor and Rousey came along. Not only has “Bones” typically sold well, but there will be a few intriguing match-ups awaiting him in the light heavyweight division, which is another reason that his return is vital.
The 205-pound class was once the UFC’s marquee division, but it has since become scarce and stagnant. Cormier hasn’t defended the title since October 2015 and aside from him and top contenders Anthony Johnson and Alexander Gustafsson, there simply aren’t too many big names in the division. However, rematches between Jones and Cormier or Jones and Gustafsson, as well as a possible showdown between “Bones” and “Rumble” would likely draw interest.
To wrap things up, it’s clear that the UFC is in need of big names, and although Jones has had a troubled past, he represents just that: a well-known name who happens to be arguably the best fighter of all-time. With that being said, his return is needed by the UFC now more than it ever has been. Jones has the ability to add another star to the UFC’s roster and the ability to revive a weight class that appears to be on its last legs.
Also, fight fans seem to love a comeback story.
Here’s to hoping that Jones not only returns to fighting, but that he returns to consistency and to the straight and narrow not only for the UFC, but for fight fans as well. Is that impossible at this point? Time will tell, but somehow “Bones” always seems to get one more “second chance.” His new employer is probably hoping he finally capitalizes on one right when the promotion needs stars.
The UFC had a banner year in 2016. Zuffa sold the sports franchise to WME-IMG for a mind-boggling $4 billion. There were several marquee events that brought in massive revenue, including UFC 200, UFC 202, and the promotion’s first foray into Madison Square Garden at UFC 205. Conor McGregor became the first-ever simultaneous two-division UFC
The UFC had a banner year in 2016. Zuffa sold the sports franchise to WME-IMG for a mind-boggling $4 billion. There were several marquee events that brought in massive revenue, including UFC 200, UFC 202, and the promotion’s first foray into Madison Square Garden at UFC 205. Conor McGregor became the first-ever simultaneous two-division UFC champion and his star rose higher than ever, taking the UFC with it.
But 2017 isn’t looking as rosy for the world’s premiere mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion. A slew of issues confront the new owners. These problems could conspire to deny fans the number of marquee events, historic moments, and highly-anticipated fights they enjoyed this past year. Let’s examine the reasons 2017 might not live up to the lofty expectations set by a thrilling 2016.
Photo by Mark J. Rebilas for USA TODAY Sports
1. Lack Of Superstars
The new owners at William Morris Endeavor have to be sweating that $175 million bonus they were looking forward to, and a lack of available superstars heading into 2017 is the primary culprit.
Following UFC 205 this past November, the company’s brightest star, Conor McGregor, announced he would be taking time off for the birth of his first child. It was later announced that he could be out for 10 months, putting his return in the fall of 2017. If that projection holds true, McGregor is likely to fight only once this year.
Ronda Rousey, the promotion’s second-best (or maybe best) draw and its most popular crossover star, may never fight again. She took 13 months off following her first loss to Holly Holm in November 2015 and just suffered a second setback to Amanda Nunes at UFC 207. The UFC would likely be ecstatic if she fought even once this year. This is a steep decline after the two combined to fight four times, headlining four huge money-making events in 2016.
Other potential stars who might help fill the void are also out of action. Brock Lesnar, perhaps the biggest draw before the McGregor-Rousey tandem came along, just got hit with a one-year ban. His fighting future is very much in doubt. The same is true of Jon Jones. While he is expected to return to active competition following his suspension, does anyone really trust Jones to stay out of trouble and fight consistently anymore?
Jones’s former teammate Georges St-Pierre is a reliable draw, but he cannot seem to come to terms with the UFC for a comeback fight. He also doesn’t need to fight, and his relationship with UFC brass is further complicated by his involvement with the MMAAA.
The UFC also has to be desperate for big-money fights. This might lead them to choose an ill-advised and short-sighted strategy for producing them. Does that sound familiar?
Coming off of the biggest win of her professional mixed martial arts (MMA) career, UFC women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes is looking to capitalize off the momentum of her 48-second knockout win over Ronda Rousey in hopes of making UFC history. With the addition of the new female 145-pound weight class by the UFC, Nunes
Coming off of the biggest win of her professional mixed martial arts (MMA) career, UFC women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes is looking to capitalize off the momentum of her 48-second knockout win over Ronda Rousey in hopes of making UFC history.
With the addition of the new female 145-pound weight class by the UFC, Nunes tells TMZ Sports (via FOX Sports) that she’s looking to make history inside the Octagon, similar to what Conor McGregor did at UFC 205, by becoming the first female dual-weight champion in the promotion’s history:
“Honestly, I want to take a little time, enjoy it a little bit but I really look forward to this 145-pound belt,” Nunes said.“Maybe I’ll go up to fight for the 145-pound belt. We’ll see. Maybe I’m going to have two belts like Conor McGregor.”
McGregor once reigned as the UFC’s featherweight champion before challenging then-lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez for the 155-pound strap in the main event of UFC 205 from Madison Square Garden, in which he secured a second round knockout win to become the first dual-weight champion in UFC history. Now Nunes is looking to use that blueprint to make championship history of her own, by attempting to hold the women’s bantamweight and featherweight titles consecutively in the near future.
The inaugural featherweight title will be contested for between former UFC 135-pound champ Holly Holm and No 10-ranked bantamweight Germaine de Randamie in the main event of UFC 208 from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. If Nunes could potentially secure a bout with the winner of that contest, she could get her chance at achieving female MMA greatness.
Do you think Nunes is deserving of the opportunity to make women’s history in the UFC?
Tyron Woodley. The UFC welterweight champion. The man looking for a big payday. And why the hell not? That’s the point of prize fighting in the first place isn’t it? To throw your bones at another human being and get paid loads of cash. At least that’s how things would be in a perfect world. Instead, fighters are competing against each other for a disporportionate amount of money compared to what they bring in. Tyron Woodley wants his big payday and he’s looking to get it through battling against fellow champion Michael Bisping. The problem with that is Woodley once again has the worst timing.
Tyron Woodley. The UFC welterweight champion. The man looking for a big payday. And why the hell not? That’s the point of prize fighting in the first place isn’t it? To throw your bones at another human being and get paid loads of cash. At least that’s how things would be in a perfect world. Instead, fighters are competing against each other for a disporportionate amount of money compared to what they bring in. Tyron Woodley wants his big payday and he’s looking to get it through battling against fellow champion Michael Bisping. The problem with that is Woodley once again has the worst timing.
At UFC 205, Woodley faced off with a little known fighter named Stephen Thompson. They battled it out back and forth until the final bell. The bout was ruled a draw leaving both the fighters and fans with a bitter taste in their mouths. But rather than campaigning to battle it out with Stephen Thompson for the second time and settle the score, Woodley is trying to ignore the fact that he fought to a majority draw a couple months ago and challenge Michael Bisping for the middleweight title.
Huh?
Yes, prize fighting is about getting paid. But with fighting to a draw in your last match it’s going to be hard to imagine who wouldn’t want to see Stephen Thompson and Tyron Woodley battle it out for a second time. UFC 205 gave both fighters tremendous exposure, so much so that they can certainly carry a pay-per-view and generate big numbers in the process. But since Conor McGregor got his crack at the featherweight and lightweight titles it seems that everyone is jumping on the multiple title bandwagon. Even newly minted bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt is trying to call out champions in other divisions.
What Woodley, Garbrandt, and any other champion of their ilk need to understand is that while campaigning for super fights may line their pockets as well as those of the company, it’s a huge risk for the UFC. If one of their champions is defeated then they risk being diminished in some way. It’s certainly exciting to see, but the risk of Woodley getting dominated or Garbrandt getting knocked out would tarnish both the brand of the fighters as well as the brand of the promotion. It’s an easier sell to have Woodlehy rematch Thompson in the near future rather than hold up both divisions. Conor McGregor already made things complicated at featherweight and it’s unlikely that the top brass wants to see that happen again in the welterweight and middleweight divisions.
Think about it. It’s hard for people to look at Jose Aldo as the undisputed featherweight champion when he was brained by McGregor just a couple of fights ago. It diminished his brand somewhat, but certainly not enough to destroy his legacy. Nevertheless, the same could happen if Woodley faces Bisping. Rather than damage the stock of one of their champions it’s more likely that the UFC will choose to try and turn both men into superstars.
With all due respect to Woodley, he should look to set himself up as the definitive champion in his division and the big pay days will come about. He surely gained popularity with his draw against Stephen Thompson, but fighting to a draw doesn’t a dominant champion make. Instead of challenging fighters in other weight divisions, Woodley should be chomping at the bit to prove to the world that he’s the best welterweight in the world. Like it or not, the fans want clarity, the UFC wants clarity, and frankly, Woodley and Thompson need clarity before anyone starts talking about super fights.
What’s your thoughts on a potential Woodley versus Bisping showdown?
Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.
With UFC 209 coming up on March 4, many were hoping either one or both of the Diaz brothers to fight on the card. Given the significance of their Stockton area code (209), it would seem a no-brainer. Perhaps missing the boat on holding the event in Stockton, the promotion has instead opted for the
With UFC 209 coming up on March 4, many were hoping either one or both of the Diaz brothers to fight on the card. Given the significance of their Stockton area code (209), it would seem a no-brainer. Perhaps missing the boat on holding the event in Stockton, the promotion has instead opted for the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. In the past the Diaz brothers have stated they wouldn’t fight on the same card together, so already the possibility is halved. Adding to the negative chances of seeing a Diaz on the UFC 209 card is, once again, money.
Recently Nate Diaz said he would not answer the UFC’s call for less than $20 million. Since defeating Conor McGregor at UFC 196, the younger Diaz brother has massive drawing power. This is a far cry from UFC president Dana White’s assessment of Nate not being a ‘needle mover.’ After Nick Diaz’s Nevada suspension got lifted in October, and he soon after paid the remainder of his fine, it was expected he’d be returning to the octagon. If recent reports are anything to go by, it’s far from a done deal.
Where You At Dana?
Joe Rogan first commented on Nick Diaz turning down a rematch with Robbie Lawler at UFC 209. Further discussing this point, current UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley had the following to say via MMAMania.com:
“I just asked Nick. I saw Nick in a night club. We hosted a party at Hakkasan. I was with TJ and Demetrious Johnson and Cody Garbrandt hosted his party there. So I see Nick Diaz there and went up and asked him. It is not like Nick is scared of fighting you know,” Woodley said laughing. “He’s not scared to fight me or Robbie or Conor McGregor. Nick wants to get paid man. He’s held out in the past and it has worked out in his favor. He went out there and fought Anderson Silva for close to a million bucks. He knows that he pushes the needle. Plus there is a card, 209, so he understands what he is worth to that card. So I can’t knock him for that. It’s more of a situation of him wanting to get paid.”
The report also states Conor McGregor was also turned down by Nick Diaz, although an event was not listed. Woodley continues, admitting Diaz is a bigger draw in terms of popularity:
Legendary Status
“This is the honest truth man. I can sit here an act like I am Bruce Almighty but Nick Diaz is a bigger draw than me,” said Woodley. “He is a bigger name than me. Me fighting him and me wanting to fight Nick is because I recognize and realize that I am the world champion but Nick Diaz is a legend. He has had to fight the guys like Diego Sanchez, Paul Daley and Frank Shamrock. He has had to have wars with Georges and BJ Penn to get his name to where it is.
So all I am trying to do is fight the Robbie Lawler’s, fight the Nick Diaz’s , GSP’s and Conor McGregor’s so that I can become a name that enters in to the legend category. Then people will want to fight me for the same reason I want to fight Nick. That’s all it is. There is nothing personal. I respect him as a fighter.”
There you have it. Are the UFC being too tight with the purse strings, or do the Diaz brothers want too much to fight? Honestly, after fighting for so long and becoming such a huge draw, the promotion needs to pay guys like the Diaz bros. Will they? That remains to be seen.
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