UFC Mailbag: Breaking down the middleweight and featherweight title pictures

It was an eventful weekend to say the least.

Over the previous week, an entire bunch of stuff has occurred. There was Noche UFC, the place Diego Lopes handed the Combating Nerds one other loss by stopping Jean Silva; there was Canelo-Crawford, the place Terence Crawford solidified himself as the very best pound-for-pound boxer on the earth and the very best of his era; and most significantly (to me at the very least), there was the devastating information that Anthony Hernandez is out of the combat with Reinier de Ridder and as an alternative Brendan Allen will step in to face him at UFC Vancouver.

So, let’s discuss it.

Featherweight Title Image

Given how current Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes 1 was, does Lopes want one other win minimal earlier than rematching Volk? In that case, who needs to be his subsequent opponent? A Movsar Evloev rematch, Yair Rodriguez, or Aljamain Sterling?

100%. Truthfully, he most likely wants two.

Lopes is a fan favourite, and the win over Jean Silva was spectacular, however his combat with Volkanovski was not all that aggressive. That’s to not say Lopes couldn’t win a rematch — Volk appeared fairly outdated, and he’s not getting youthful — however he’ll must pay the iron worth for it. Three wins over prime guys.

Luckily, Lopes can try this in brief order. He’s a man who mainly by no means turns down a matchup and likes to remain lively, so if he can keep away from harm, Lopes may be preventing for the title once more earlier than subsequent Christmas.

As for who he ought to combat, the featherweight title image is about as clear as mud proper now, since you’ve obtained three guys who all have some form of case for it:

I’m going to imagine Jean Silva dropping means Murphy will, in truth, get the following shot at Volk, which is rumored to be in December. And since Evloev and Sterling simply fought one another, it is unnecessary to run that again. As a substitute, I believe we’re going to have so as to add Yair Rodriguez into this combine (who was rumored to be getting a title combat earlier this yr) and have Aljo combat Yair, whereas Evloev and Lopes lastly settle their beef with a rematch. After which it’s the identical scenario as middleweight — whoever wins most impressively will get the following title combat.

It seems like Combating Nerds fell flat to aura of invincibility that they developed in earlier yr, as soon as they obtained an even bigger step up in competitors than they might swallow, however who’s fault is that? Is it totally on UFC that threw them into the hearth too early or was it workforce’s mismangement?

Man, it’s been a tricky yr for the Combating Nerds. The most well liked workforce in MMA got here into 2025 poised to make a run like old style American Kickboxing Academy or Miletich Combating System, with three dudes perhaps holding belts. As a substitute, each one of many large Combating Nerds names fell. Ouch.

Persons are fast to leap on the Combating Nerds proper now, however right here’s the factor: that’s silly. Are they on a nasty run? Sure. Did they get “fraud checked”? Completely not. They misplaced to a bunch of very, excellent fighters, which is what occurs on this sport. No one wins each combat (besides Khabib).

The reality of the matter is that that is regular. Periodically, a brand new gymnasium will pop up with a crop of fighters that take the game by storm. It’s one of many coolest components about MMA that a couple of guys in a random gymnasium wherever on the earth can work out one thing new to convey to the desk. However hardly ever does it find yourself a straight shot to the highest. Gyms undergo setbacks, they be taught, they develop, they get higher. It’s a journey. Simply ask Workforce Alpha Male. Metropolis Kickboxing is an anomaly, not the usual to carry gyms to.

I anticipate the Combating Nerds to get higher from this run. It could not have mattered, however Caio Borralho completely didn’t do himself any favors by chopping weight a month earlier than UFC Paris. That was an personal objective that didn’t must occur. Similar for Jean Silva’s complete character.

I really like Silva. I’ve been one of many greatest proponents of him on the market, however he threw away a win and a title combat as a result of he didn’t take the second severely. The second he began to really feel assured in opposition to Diego Lopes, he fought like your little brother enjoying Tekken, spamming probably the most ludicrous combos you’ve ever seen. You’ll be able to’t try this stuff in opposition to high-quality, sturdy guys like Lopes, and he paid the value. Maybe now that he’s been punished for his tomfoolery, Silva will dial it again and grow to be a greater fighter, like how Justin Gaethje did after he lastly began dropping.

So in the end, these losses for the Combating Nerds aren’t indicative of some elementary failing within the gymnasium, and I don’t anticipate they are going to see them this manner. Losses are a pure a part of the game, they usually simply occur to have caught a couple of recently.

Is the combat between Reinier de Ridder and Brendan Allen nonetheless a title eliminator for each males? Is it potential that Allen can leapfrog the 4-man Grand Prix with a end and be Khamzat Chimaev’s first protection?

Tragically, no. My stunning violence goofball, RDR, was within the catbird seat for a crack at Chimaev, and it was taken all away from him.

Everyone knows the deal by now: Dana White declared that of RDR, Fluffy, Nassourdine Imavov, and Caio Borralho, whoever received most impressively would get the primary crack at Khamzat. Effectively, Imavov soundly beat Borralho, however it was the precise form of efficiency Dana White wouldn’t be fast to reward, except there have been no different choices. Now, there aren’t another choices.

I’m the largest RDR fan on the market, however even when he rolls into Vancouver and hits a flying gogoplata to faucet Allen, you may’t give him the following title shot. Imavov is undeniably probably the most deserving contender, and he’s additionally the happiest man in MMA proper now, as a result of he is aware of he caught a break. Barring harm, there’s nearly no method Imavov will get leapfrogged now.

However on prime of that, it’s a bummer as a result of RDR vs. Fluffy was a banger of a combat. Don’t get me fallacious, RDR vs. Allen is a wonderfully appropriate matchup, however it’s positively not as compelling by itself, and with out the stakes of the RDR vs. Fluffy matchup, it’s a reasonably large letdown.

Thanks for studying and because of everybody who despatched in tweets (Xs?)! Do you have got any burning questions on issues at the very least considerably associated to fight sports activities? You then’re in luck as a result of you may ship your tweets to me, @JedKMeshew, and I’ll reply all the great ones! It doesn’t matter in the event that they’re topical or insane, simply as long as they’re good. Thanks once more, and see y’all subsequent week.