Who’s one of the best fighter at heavyweight? Will depend on who you ask.
If we’re going by the books? Jon Jones is one of the best on the earth. He’s the division’s high champ, which by definition places him above everybody else. However when logic units in, issues get extra complicated. Jones hasn’t fought in additional than a yr. Tom Aspinall, the interim champ at heavyweight, earned his title final yr and is already on monitor to defend in simply a few months. Does that make him one of the best?
The problem with this “finest” query is an easy method to describe the problems at heavyweight presently. Attributable to delays in fights and a promoter who hasn’t stepped in to finish a reign, heavyweight has discovered itself in a common place with two champions who’ve gotten comfy sharing the throne.
A slow-moving division isn’t new for heavyweights within the UFC. With the undisputed title being placed on the road on common lower than yearly since 2019, it’s been a weight class dragging its toes title fight-wise for some time. However the present two-title dilemma that it finds itself in lasts for much longer than many delays we’ve seen lately. It’s a problem with no clear finish in sight, and with unavoidably dangerous optics.
How the UFC Heavyweight mess Bought Right here
When Jones captured the UFC heavyweight championship in early 2023, an optimist may need thought that the category would lastly obtain a constant champion. After UFC iced out Francis Ngannou for a yr, making his run with the belt uneventful, the division may have used a extra workhorse fighter on high.
Positive, Jones had no scarcity of controversies whereas reigning over the sunshine heavyweight division, however he was a face that outlined an period and cleaned out a roster. Possibly he may have accomplished that for heavyweight. And for a second, it seemed like he might be an energetic fighter: Eight months after successful his title with a first-round end of Ciryl Gane, Jones was anticipated to face former champ Stipe Miocic at Madison Sq. Backyard.
The battle would have been a passing of the torch. Miocic is 41 and hasn’t fought in additional than three years, however is remembered for the three title defences that made him a extra profitable heavyweight champ than every other in UFC historical past. A victory for Jones would additional cement that it was formally his period, and shut down any complaints that Miocic was deserving of a title alternative after Francis Ngannou ended his second title run with a scary knockout in 2021.
However a torn pec put a large highway bump in Jones’ title reign and took him out of the battle. The harm not solely prevented the champ from combating in New York, but additionally meant that he can be benched for a major time period, reducing right into a critical chunk of 2024 as properly.
With Jones on the bench, UFC tried to maintain the division shifting. No, they didn’t strip the champion who was set to go greater than a yr with out defending his belt, they launched an interim title. England’s Aspinall earned the gold with a swift end in opposition to Sergei Pavlovich.
An interim is, by definition, a placeholder. Because the Cambridge Dictionary defines it: “momentary and supposed for use or accepted till one thing everlasting exists.” Nevertheless, this title quickly turned extra common than, properly, the common title.
It was introduced this week that Aspinall will defend his belt at UFC 304 in opposition to Curtis Blaydes. A nice matchup, however one which retains the division in a puzzling place. The one who is meant to be the true champion sits on the sidelines, whereas the person with a supposed momentary belt goes out and faces authentic contenders.
Not less than as soon as the battle between Blaydes and Aspinall is finished with, we will lastly unify the titles and have a singular true finest fighter within the class, proper? Nicely, in case you ask Dana White, no. He’s nonetheless hoping to make the bout between Jones and Miocic, and Jones is hinting that his subsequent look might be round November. This implies we may see an interim title exist for greater than a yr earlier than even attending to discussions about unification. That isn’t superb.
What Can Be Achieved?
That is an unpleasant mess. With the entire obligations and problems, UFC’s heavyweight division has turn into a disorganized room that wants a full makeover. From an inactive champ to owing a battle to somebody who isn’t even concerned within the present title image, to a pair of belts that must be unified someday earlier than issues begin to look absurd, the promotion has a sophisticated puzzle to resolve.
There’s a world the place UFC can repair all of those issues by merely dealing with them when the correct alternative comes. However the reality is, that might probably take a very long time. It’s exhausting to think about a actuality the place a yr from now we can have an undisputed heavyweight champion that has confronted Miocic and unified the titles by means of a battle. And even with that beneficiant estimation, that’s nonetheless a yr and a half of an interim champion, which feels weird.
Realistically, it doesn’t make sense for Jones to be the champion in the meanwhile. If somebody asks who’s one of the best energetic heavyweight on the earth, it feels dishonest to say it’s Jones. Why? He’s merely not energetic. It’s no knock on his combating talents or accomplishments to say that he isn’t combating in the meanwhile, which ought to realistically take him out of the equation so the category can preserve shifting.
Would stripping Jones of his title attributable to harm kill his momentum? Completely not. When he would return and inevitably get one other title battle, the gang that had come out to help him previously would present up as soon as once more.
He was stripped for wrongdoing in three totally different cases throughout his gentle heavyweight title years and remained a star nonetheless. Why would releasing up a title for harm—as a substitute of a problem the place he can take the blame—harm him? Jones is totally deserving of a title shot and will obtain a chance as soon as he is able to totally return, whether or not it’s in November or on a later date. However there’s no purpose for him to sit down with the belt when he can’t contribute something to the division.
It feels powerful to determine what’s proper for Miocic. Whereas on paper it’s exhausting extremely to justify him getting a title battle since he hasn’t fought in years, is 41 and coming off a nasty knockout defeat, it additionally looks like he has been a sufferer of circumstance. He ought to have acquired a shot on the title approach sooner, as a substitute of simply quietly ready for all of this time.
After the UFC saved him ready for too lengthy, it feels straightforward to think about him a contender who isn’t worthy. Miocic was probably assured a shot after the top of his title reign and has been ready for ages for it. Due to that, it could be considerably merciless if UFC modified course now.
If UFC actually owes Miocic a title shot, they need to get it over with rapidly. UFC most likely needs to make a battle between Jones and Miocic particularly as a result of its two guys from a selected period and it may be marketed as a super-fight. However hat battle is changing into not solely much less practical however much less enticing as every day passes by. In an ideal world, Miocic would return in a non-title battle first to point out the kind of form he’s in, which it looks as if many are questioning. If that may be accomplished, nice, do it.
What Will Really Occur, If Something?
With these modifications, you’ve gotten a weight class stuffed with energetic fighters who’re retaining the title image shifting. In fact, these are combative modifications that gained’t please everybody. It’s straightforward for a columnist to say: “Okay and take this from that man, and inform the opposite man he shouldn’t get the title battle.” It’s one other factor to really make these strikes after which take care of the potential blowback from them.
UFC has two choices in entrance of them. They may let their heavyweight class determine itself out over the subsequent yr and a few change, retaining the division’s title image awkward and complicated to outsiders for all the time. Or they may put in some calls and make some modifications that might instantly put the division again into form, though not with out some scrutiny from corners of their fanbase and fighters. They may let their division proceed to make little sense for a very long time, or take management and present that holding the highest title in a weight class means one thing. There’s definitely much less disgrace in one in every of these choices.
