Who’s the most effective fighter at heavyweight? Is determined by who you ask.
If we’re going by the books? Jon Jones is the most effective on this planet. He’s the division’s prime 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 the most effective?
The difficulty with this “finest” query is a straightforward method to describe the problems at heavyweight presently. As a consequence of delays in fights and a promoter who hasn’t stepped in to finish a reign, heavyweight has discovered itself in a normal place with two champions who’ve gotten snug 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 every year since 2019, it’s been a weight class dragging its ft 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 got seen just lately. It’s a problem with no clear finish in sight, and with unavoidably dangerous optics.
How the UFC Heavyweight mess Obtained 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 prime.
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 appeared like he might be an energetic fighter: Eight months after profitable his title with a first-round end of Ciryl Gane, Jones was anticipated to face former champ Stipe Miocic at Madison Sq. Backyard.
The struggle 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 street bump in Jones’ title reign and took him out of the struggle. The damage not solely prevented the champ from combating in New York, but additionally meant that he could be benched for a major time frame, slicing right into a critical chunk of 2024 as properly.
With Jones on the bench, UFC tried to maintain the division transferring. 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 towards Sergei Pavlovich.
An interim is, by definition, a placeholder. Because the Cambridge Dictionary defines it: “short-term and supposed for use or accepted till one thing everlasting exists.” Nevertheless, this title quickly grew to become extra common than, properly, the common title.
It was introduced this week that Aspinall will defend his belt at UFC 304 towards Curtis Blaydes. A wonderful matchup, however one which retains the division in a puzzling place. The one that is meant to be the true champion sits on the sidelines, whereas the person with a supposed short-term belt goes out and faces authentic contenders.
A minimum of as soon as the struggle between Blaydes and Aspinall is completed with, we are able to lastly unify the titles and have a singular true finest fighter within the class, proper? Effectively, when 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 will be around 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 preferrred.
What Can Be Completed?
That is an unsightly mess. With all the obligations and issues, UFC’s heavyweight division has develop into a disorganized room that wants a full makeover. From an inactive champ to owing a struggle 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 an advanced puzzle to unravel.
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 fact is, that may seemingly take a very long time. It’s laborious to think about a actuality the place a yr from now we may have an undisputed heavyweight champion that has confronted Miocic and unified the titles via a struggle. 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 mean time. If somebody asks who’s the most effective energetic heavyweight on this planet, it feels dishonest to say it’s Jones. Why? He’s merely not energetic. It’s no knock on his combating skills or accomplishments to say that he isn’t combating in the mean time, which ought to realistically take him out of the equation so the category can maintain transferring.
Would stripping Jones of his title because of damage kill his momentum? Completely not. When he would return and inevitably get one other title struggle, the gang that had come out to assist him prior to now would present up as soon as once more.
He was stripped for wrongdoing in three totally different cases throughout his mild heavyweight title years and remained a star nonetheless. Why would releasing up a title for damage—as an alternative of a problem the place he can take the blame—damage him? Jones is completely deserving of a title shot and will obtain a chance as soon as he is able to totally return, whether or not or not it’s in November or on a later date. However there’s no motive for him to take a seat 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 laborious extremely to justify him getting a title struggle since he hasn’t fought in years, is 41 and coming off a nasty knockout defeat, it additionally appears like he has been a sufferer of circumstance. He ought to have obtained a shot on the title approach sooner, as an alternative of simply quietly ready for all of this time.
After the UFC saved him ready for too lengthy, it feels straightforward to contemplate him a contender who isn’t worthy. Miocic was seemingly assured a shot after the tip of his title reign and has been ready for ages for it. Due to that, it will 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 in all probability desires to make a struggle between Jones and Miocic particularly as a result of its two guys from a particular period and it may be marketed as a super-fight. However hat struggle is changing into not solely much less lifelike however much less enticing as every day passes by. In an ideal world, Miocic would return in a non-title struggle first to point out the kind of form he’s in, which it looks like many are questioning. If that may be accomplished, nice, do it.
What Will Really Occur, If Something?
With these adjustments, you’ve got a weight class stuffed with energetic fighters who’re retaining the title image transferring. In fact, these are combative adjustments 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 struggle.” It’s one other factor to really make these strikes after which cope with the potential blowback from them.
UFC has two choices in entrance of them. They might 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 your complete time. Or they may put in some calls and make some adjustments that might instantly put the division again into form, though not with out some scrutiny from corners of their fanbase and fighters. They might 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 actually much less disgrace in one in all these choices.
