Regardless of an undefeated report, together with 9 consecutive wins within the UFC, Movsar Evloev isn’t getting the subsequent shot on the featherweight title.
He revealed in a social media put up that as a lot as he appreciated reigning champion Alexander Volkanovski pushing for a struggle between them, Evloev was as an alternative accepting a matchup on the UFC Abu Dhabi card in July in a non-title bout. With Evloev out of the image, all indicators are pointing in direction of Yair Rodriguez getting the chance as an alternative — even with a 1-2 report in his previous three fights, together with a kind of losses coming in a third-round stoppage in opposition to Volkanovski.
As upsetting as that state of affairs could be for Evloev, UFC legend Matt Brown says that’s simply enterprise as normal for the promotion that’s been constructed on leisure somewhat than sport.
“You need to determine what you need to watch is leisure, which is what the UFC is, or if you wish to watch an precise sport, which isn’t essentially what the UFC is,” Brown stated on the newest episode of The Fighter vs. The Author. “An precise sport would have rankings from a 3rd social gathering. They’d have necessary challengers. They’d have loads of issues that the UFC simply doesn’t have.
“As a result of they didn’t construct an organization based mostly on sport. The game is what they’re promoting, however the precise aggressive ranks and the best way that matches are made, is just not sport. They removed tournaments a very long time in the past.”
Brown argues that Rodriguez getting a title shot over Evloev is actually simply the UFC doing what has all the time been accomplished and that’s making fights which are higher for enterprise.
On paper, Evloev has undoubtedly accomplished extra to deserve a title shot, however Brown understands that the UFC’s major objective entails making earnings and that retains buyers pleased in a publicly traded firm.
Add to that, Brown argues that whereas hardcore followers may get upset that Evloev isn’t getting a title shot, the overwhelming majority of the viewers doesn’t even actually know him, and that’s what the UFC acknowledges when placing collectively marquee fights like these.
“Sadly for a man like Movsar, it’s important to be an actual fan to even know who he’s [much less] that he’s on a streak and that he might threaten a [champion],” Brown stated. “The very fact is most guys don’t know his identify. You go to a bar and point out Movsar Evloev, nobody’s going to know who the hell you’re speaking about, and so they put him right into a pay-per-view or hell even a Combat Night time or a co-main occasion on a pay-per-view, nobody’s going to know or care.
“Once more, you’ll be able to’t essentially diss the UFC or hate them for the best way they do it. It simply f*cks the fellows like Movsar. He’s not on the market making an attempt to be Sean O’Malley and make fairly little social media movies. He’s not making an attempt to take a seat round and use CapCut all day. He’s on the market combating like a real warrior that he’s. Like a Belal Muhammad or a [Magomed] Ankalaev, we’ve seen it time and time once more.”
As a result of Evloev isn’t the most well-liked or polarizing character within the UFC, he might need to work twice as arduous to get a title shot in comparison with any individual like Rodriguez.
That stated, Brown acknowledges that fighters in an analogous place as Evloev previously have discovered a technique to break via and begin getting consideration with out placing on essentially the most entertaining fights.
“It’s completely an leisure trade,” Brown defined. “That’s what they’re promoting is the leisure. They aren’t promoting the game. When you can step again and have a look at it like that, then you’ll be able to form of acknowledge the truth of the state of affairs. That’s why Movsar isn’t getting a title shot. He ought to know that. He’s in an leisure trade.
“You’ll see guys like Colby [Covington] acknowledge that, or Chael Sonnen, he acknowledged it. Nobody needed Chael Sonnen to have a title shot till he began speaking about having a barbecue with Anderson Silva.”
By means of 9 fights within the UFC, Evloev hasn’t constructed a fame as an amazing trash talker, and he’s gone to resolution in all of his wins. Brown says prefer it or not, that’s a nasty mixture working in opposition to Evloev getting a title shot.
“Issues might be entertaining in a thousand alternative ways,” Brown stated. “However what’s not entertaining is just not speaking and placing on boring fights.”
After all, Evloev isn’t the primary deserving contender handed over for a title shot and he gained’t be the final.
Brown says that’s one of the best proof accessible that the UFC holds all of the playing cards in these conditions and it will take a basic change in the best way they do enterprise for something to occur in a different way.
“The UFC has constructed this model, and so they have management over the game,” Brown stated. “Prefer it or not, and there’s a lawsuit about it, we don’t should get into all that, however there’s a lawsuit particularly about that, and if you happen to love the UFC, it’s important to respect that’s the best way they do issues. That’s the best way issues are going to be accomplished. They’re a enterprise. They’re an entity, and their goal is solely to promote tickets and make cash. That’s what a enterprise does.
“I suppose my final level is that if folks need to complain about it, you’re going to should attempt to change the entire sport. That’s as much as you. You’re going to do your analysis. You’re going to should look into the folks in opposition to the UFC which are making an attempt to alter issues. There may be an argument for it. I’m not only a UFC speaking head. I feel there’s an excellent argument. There’s additionally an excellent argument for the best way the UFC does issues, and I completely perceive why they do the issues that they do, particularly when you really personal a enterprise. You begin realizing why they do shit like that.”
