This past weekend offered plenty to talk about in the world of MMA. Ian Machado Garry delivered a dominant performance against Carlos Prates in the main event of UFC Kansas City (though he faced some tough moments late), Anthony Smith possibly stepped into the octagon for the last time, and most notably, Eddie Hall and Mariusz Pudzianowski provided arguably the most bizarrely entertaining fight of the year.
Let`s dive into your questions:
“What possible matchup in the UFC, any weight class, would have even a slight chance of being as fun as Mariusz Pudzianowski x Eddie Hall?”
My immediate, maybe glib, answer is “none.” The more realistic answer is “very few.”
I championed the idea of Hall vs. Pudzianowski from the moment Eddie Hall demonstrated his unexpected MMA capability by flattening two opponents simultaneously. I have a genuine fondness for “freakshow” fights, and this pairing was the best one we`ve seen in a long time. Despite its brevity, I believe the fight lived up to its outlandish anticipation. I haven`t encountered anyone who paid the $20 to watch express disappointment. It was a brief, utterly silly, and wonderfully absurd spectacle – precisely the kind of unpredictable fun the sport occasionally lacks.
Regrettably, the UFC isn`t in the business of promoting such delightful chaos. They currently tread a difficult path, trying to present themselves as a legitimate sport while frequently undermining meritocracy when it`s convenient. I`m not suggesting the UFC should descend into complete anarchy like Fight Circus, but embracing a touch of unpredictability now and then wouldn`t harm their product. However, knowing this won`t happen severely limits our hypothetical UFC matchmaking possibilities. Yes, exciting fantasy fights like Tom Aspinall vs. Brandon Moreno or Brandon Royval sound amazing, but they have zero chance of materializing. So, let`s consider some fights that are actually plausible and might even occur.
I might be overlooking a few, as the UFC boasts many entertaining fighters, but you grasp the concept. You don`t need these unusual pairings every week, but scheduling one every few months makes them must-see events. Currently, there are very few truly unmissable moments happening in the UFC.
“Does Garry get a title eliminator after this fight? Also, Jack Della Maddalena vs. Garry next would be fun. We need Shavkat vs. Belal Muhammad next. (I expect Belal to dominate JDM).”
Here’s the current reality: the welterweight title picture is incredibly confusing.
Under typical circumstances, Garry, coming off that impressive win over Prates, would be on the verge of a title shot. He holds a high ranking, he gave the top contender a tough fight on short notice, and he looked excellent against a rising prospect at 170 pounds. But these are anything but normal times. The entire division is in disarray.
Jack Della Maddalena is arguably the fifth most deserving contender right now, yet he`s fighting Belal Muhammad next Saturday primarily due to fortunate timing. Depending on the outcome of that bout, the entire landscape could be thrown into chaos. If JDM wins, Islam Makhachev seems almost certain to get the first crack at him, leaving Shavkat out in the cold. If Belal wins, Shavkat might still fall victim to circumstance because so much is unfolding while he`s sidelined. Garry is now surging and is set to be a backup fighter for an upcoming title bout, Joaquin Buckley has a significant opportunity against Kamaru Usman, and Sean Brady just convincingly defeated Leon Edwards. The contender pool at 170 pounds is rapidly swelling.
My best guess is that Shavkat still has the inside track for a title shot (assuming Belal defeats JDM), meaning Garry will likely face either Brady or Buckley in a No. 1 contender bout. However, if Kamaru Usman beats Buckley, all bets are off. The current UFC leadership seems particularly fond of granting title shots to former champions who haven`t necessarily earned them in their new division.
“Look, I like Anthony Smith and he seems like a good dude but when did he become a UFC legend?”
Perhaps around the time he refused to give up against Jon Jones, essentially sacrificing his chance at becoming champion and inadvertently enhancing the Jon Jones narrative.
I hold significant respect for Anthony Smith. He`s an athlete who wasn`t exceptionally gifted and struggled early in his career, but through sheer determination, he carved out a respectable UFC run and parlayed that into a media career. That is genuinely admirable and inspiring, and he deserves commendation for it. However, the commentary during Saturday`s broadcast was excessively laudatory. If you weren`t familiar with MMA, you would have thought a true all-time great was retiring, which simply isn`t the case.
We can be honest about Anthony Smith`s standing: he was a good fighter, but not great. He benefited significantly from competing in two divisions that weren`t particularly strong at the time. Review his record – what`s truly his best win? Washed-up Alexander Gustafsson? Past-his-prime Shogun Rua? Faded Rashad Evans? Frankly, it`s likely Volkan Oezdemir, which is a solid win, but we`re not suggesting Nikita Krylov is headed for the Hall of Fame based on a similar victory. Anthony Smith should be praised for his accomplishments and for having a better career than most, but we should temper the excessive praise.
Having said that, I do appreciate the UFC doing things like giving him a special sendoff on Saturday. No, Smith isn`t an all-time great fighter (or even a truly great fighter, to be blunt), but he persevered for a long time, and acknowledging his potential retirement was a nice gesture to one of the sport`s notable overachievers.
And credit also goes to Smith himself. I admired his attitude throughout fight week and on fight night. “Lionheart” remained committed to his decision to potentially retire, went out by giving a younger fighter a chance to advance, and showed no bitterness or desperation about his situation. Smith was clearly at peace with his choice to walk away and approached everything with the right mindset. Very few fighters possess that level of self-awareness, and it was heartening to see him appear so content as he made his final walk to the cage.
“Do we actually know if Zhang is a good fighter? Or is he a product of light heavyweight being terrible? Both? I like him a lot but kinda think he might actually just not be that good. Also, god, I want to see Zhang fight Johnny Walker because no one dies better than Johnny Walker.”
It`s likely a combination of both factors, but we genuinely don`t have a clear picture yet. The light heavyweight division has been notoriously weak, making it relatively easier for fighters with limited talent to reach the top 15. What we do know about Zhang is that he hits hard and isn`t completely unskilled, but time will ultimately reveal his true capabilities.
And yes, I`ve stated multiple times that Johnny Walker is one of the most dramatically knocked-out fighters in the sport. Zhang vs. Walker seems like a perfectly chaotic matchup.
“Which is more ridiculous, that we still don’t have a headliner for UFC 317 International Fight Week or that they are gonna let this Jon Jones debacle drag on for another year?”
Neither situation is ideal, but the Jon Jones saga is considerably worse.
Regarding International Fight Week, we have a strong indication of who the headliner will likely be. It`s expected to be Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria, unless Jack Della Maddalena upsets Belal Muhammad. In that case, it would likely be Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira for the vacant or interim lightweight belt. So, one way or another, we should have clarity on that in about two weeks.
As for the Jon Jones situation, it is truly inexcusable. In truth, it has been indefensible from the beginning. The planned fight against Stipe Miocic was a pretense; everyone knew it was a pretense, yet the UFC proceeded with it anyway. A champion should defend against the top contender, and an interim champion is *always* the top contender by definition. By any rational standard, Jon Jones’s heavyweight title reign is a charade, and every day the UFC allows it to continue is an insult to Tom Aspinall and, frankly, to the fans.
Hopefully, this absurdity will end soon, and Jones will either face Tom Aspinall or relinquish the belt so everyone can move forward.
