UFC 310 mailbag: What’s subsequent for Alexandre Pantoja and did Shavkat Rakhmonov’s inventory drop?

UFC 310 is within the books, and the extra issues change, the extra they keep the identical. Alexandre Pantoja stays the flyweight champion after demolishing Kai Asakura, and Shavkat Rakhmonov stays undefeated after edging one out over Ian Machado Garry. On prime of that, there have been a number of different notable outcomes this previous weekend, together with some heavyweight controversy, so let’s dive proper into your questions.

Alexandre Pantoja

“Pantoja vs. [Kai Kara France] 2? Or is Pantoja making an argument at double champ shot?

“ Belal vs. Shavkat, was Garry combat a product of sparring at vary demons or is that this simple for Belal on quantity/tempo?

“Did Gane make the HW scene much more ugly or does Tom Ciryl nonetheless maintain curiosity?”

Man, the flyweight title image is tremendous fascinating now.

When you’ve learn my work earlier than (and if not, glad to have you ever!), you realize I don’t suppose a lot of “champ-champ” fights. I’m of the opinion that double-champ alternatives needs to be reserved for long-reigning champions who actually clear out a division of contenders, not guys who get a few wins and we suppose will beat their contenders. Effectively, Pantoja hasn’t fairly cleaned everybody out, however he’s rattling shut.

When you depend his wins on The Final Fighter, Pantoja is 9-0 in opposition to at the moment ranked flyweights, and that doesn’t embrace his win over Asakura. The one dudes Pantoja hasn’t fought within the top-5 at the moment are Tatsuro Taira and Amir Albazi, and each of them simply misplaced. Given all that, this is among the instances the place I imagine a shot at double-champ standing is justified; there’s only one downside: bantamweight has an excessive amount of different stuff happening proper now.

Merab Dvalishvili goes to combat Umar Nurmagomedov in January, and nonetheless that finally ends up, Petr Yan and Sean O’Malley each look like within the combine to get a shot on the winner. And with no actual momentum for Pantoja to leap up (plus, he’s not even making a giant case for it), it’s not going to occur.

All which means Pantoja goes to defend his title not less than as soon as extra, and if Kara-France is the man, I’m OK with that. Positive, he’s solely on a one-fight successful streak, however many individuals thought he beat Albazi and, personally, I don’t care about Pantoja beating one of many Brandons (Moreno or Royval) for the sixth time. At the very least the Kara-France matchup is comparatively new.

BUT, I believe there’s a secret third possibility no one has talked about: Deiveson Figueiredo.

“Figgy Smalls” has been lights out up at bantamweight, however the loss to Yan put him nicely again from getting a title shot. Maybe he reconsiders his place and decides to return to the division he was champion of and, most notably, the place he holds a win over the present champion. To me, that is the most suitable choice. Carry Figueiredo again down for the rematch, and have Kara-France and Brandon Royval duke it out for the subsequent title shot.

As for the opposite two questions, I’ll get to these later.

Shavkat Rakhmonov, title contender

“How does Belal Muhammad vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov go based mostly on what he confirmed final evening? The place does Garry go from right here, enchancment smart?”

Earlier than leaping into the longer term welterweight title combat dialogue, let’s begin with an sincere evaluation of Rakhmonov’s efficiency at UFC 310.

There’s been a quiet however rising contingent of followers that imagine Rakhmonov is overhyped, and on Saturday, these individuals all felt vindicated. These persons are foolish. Sure, for the primary time in his profession Rakhmonov failed to complete his opponent. After 18 fights, the earlier six of which all got here in opposition to high-level opposition, Rakhmonov received a clear-cut resolution as an alternative of ending a man who has by no means misplaced earlier than. What a fraud he’s!

Did Rakhmonov look his greatest? No. However even setting apart the rumors that he fought with a torn MCL (which, if true, would definitely clarify a few of it), it shouldn’t be surprising that Rakhmonov had a harder time than normal on Saturday. Individuals could not like him, however Ian Machado Garry is a rattling good fighter. It’s arduous to combat good fighters! And it’s even tougher to combat good fighters who you’ve skilled with earlier than, who you weren’t making ready for, and who’re preventing extraordinarily defensive and are greater than you. Whereas the combat was undeniably a let down from a viewing perspective, Rakhmonov shouldn’t lose one iota of credibility for taking a transparent win.

Now, does this make you rethink the matchup with Belal? Probably not. Earlier than UFC 310 I used to be extraordinarily assured that Rakhmonov would beat Muhammad as a result of he’s distinctive and I believe the stylistic matchup favors him. I nonetheless principally suppose that however now I’ll go from “extraordinarily assured” to “fairly assured.”

Belal is a good fighter and brings clearly outlined instruments to the desk, however they aren’t the identical instruments Garry brings. Muhammad isn’t close to the vary striker Garry is and I nonetheless don’t suppose he’s going to have a ton of success initiating grappling exchanges with Rakhmonov. In order that doesn’t actually depart Muhammad a whole lot of choices in my thoughts, however I assume we’re going to search out out.

As for the Garry query, learn on under.

Ian Machado Garry

“Do you are feeling kind of assured about Ian Garry changing into UFC champion following his efficiency in opposition to Shavkat?”

I really feel about the identical. Earlier than UFC 310 I stated that Garry is sort of actually going to problem for a title and has an honest shot at successful a belt at some point. After watching him give Rakhmonov a really powerful time, I’ve no motive to suppose any completely different.

Individuals don’t like Garry for quite a few causes, a lot of them silly, however solely a complete buffoon would argue that he’s not an awesome fighter. You don’t get to 15-0 by chance and he was one spherical away from transferring to 16-0. On prime of that, he’s getting higher each trip and he’s solely 27 years previous. All of that’s in favor of him making a severe title run over the subsequent few years.

The one query, actually, is whether or not he’ll get the belt? On that I’m undecided as a result of a giant problem for Garry is that Rakhmonov is healthier than him and solely three years older. If Shavkat does get the belt, meaning Garry has to undergo him, and whereas that’s doable, it’s nonetheless a tall order. If I needed to make a name, I’d say Garry doesn’t get a belt, however I’ve no confidence in that prediction by any means.

Ciryl Gane “robs” Alexander Volkov

“Was Volkov “robbed” or did he lose a detailed combat?”

He was not robbed, and I say this as a person who had a +280 underdog guess on Volkov and scored the combat for him, too.

I’ll depart a full “Theft Evaluate” to the esteemed Alexander Ok. Lee, however statistically, this was a razor shut combat. Gane landed 4 extra vital strikes and tried another submission than Volkov, whereas Volkov had another takedown and 52 extra seconds of management time. Stats don’t inform the entire story of a combat, clearly, however they’re instructive sufficient with regard to theft speak.

The most effective argument for calling Gane’s win “a theft” is that the media overwhelmingly gave the combat to Volkov. That’s not nothing, but in addition most of these members scored it 29-28 and this merely comes down to at least one, extraordinarily shut spherical.

In my thoughts, “theft” ought to solely be used when there isn’t a affordable approach for judges to attain a spherical for a fighter. Scoring the primary two rounds for Gane is fully affordable, so this isn’t a theft, only a shut combat that Volkov obtained the quick finish of the stick on.

And to reply the earlier questions on whether or not Gane vs. Aspinall nonetheless has curiosity: no, but it surely doesn’t actually matter. Jon Jones just isn’t going to combat Tom Aspinall so Aspinall vs. Gane is what we’re getting, and whereas no one is happy about it, such is the state of the heavyweight division.

Movsar Evloev

“On featherweight, how do you suppose Movsar Evloev would go along with Ilia Topuria? And given he obtained his primary card spot, what yr did Kron’s sport plan expire – pre-Zuffa late-90s, or extra into late 00s? By no means seen anybody bounce half guard earlier than.”

Hopefully we discover out subsequent yr.

I do know individuals don’t like Evloev as a result of they suppose he’s boring however that’s simply not true. Sure, he’s by no means had a end within the UFC and that’s suboptimal, however his previous few fights have been fairly rattling enjoyable. The concept that he’s boring is essentially based mostly on Dana White hating him, which is foolish. And even when it have been true, it shouldn’t matter: Evloev is among the three greatest featherweights on the planet and deserves his shot on the belt.

Individuals like Diego Lopes as a result of he’s very enjoyable, however Evloev deserves a title shot earlier than him as a result of they fought and Evloev received. It’s actually that straightforward. Nonetheless, provided that Alexander Volkanovski is getting one other shot at Topuria, Evloev received’t get his probability and so as an alternative I think we get Evloev vs. Lopes 2 as a title eliminator, which can then take away any controversy across the problem.

And if Evloev does win that and faces Topuria, he’s obtained an actual probability to win the belt. Don’t get me fallacious, I’ll favor the champion, however Topuria just isn’t unbeatable and Evloev has an extremely environment friendly grappling sport that, for my part, presents the largest problem to Topuria at 145 kilos.

Merab Dvalishvili

“Are you able to inform precisely what’s going on with Merab’s mindset? Can he be suspended for beating a fan and in that case, is he organising this on goal as a result of he feels UFC pushed him early to combat?”

In case you missed it, UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili obtained into an altercation with a fan at UFC 310. Not solely is that this clearly a foul search for the champ, however it might have severe ramifications as nicely.

To the most effective of my data, Dvalishvili was a reliable cornerman for his teammate Aljamain Sterling, which suggests the Nevada State Athletic Fee can droop him for his actions. As you may bear in mind from the time Arman Tsarukyan hit a fan at UFC 300, the NSAC doesn’t take too kindly to fighter to fighters doing issues like this. In Tsarukyan’s case, they suspended him 9 months, which was later knocked down to 6. If the identical factor occurs to Dvalishvili, nicely, UFC 311 wants a brand new co-main occasion.

However right here’s the factor, whereas I don’t suppose the UFC will strip Dvalishvili for this, I can’t say for sure that they received’t. On the minimal I’d anticipate Umar Nurmagomedov will keep on the cardboard and combat another person for an interim title. And whereas that may assuage Dvalishvili’s insane competition that “he doesn’t deserve this combat,” everyone knows that the champion’s habits isn’t actually about what Nurmagomedov does or doesn’t deserve.

Within the UFC, you solely make massive cash when you’re the champion. Dvalishvili was very presumably the most effective bantamweight on the planet for a number of years, however his loyalty to Sterling meant he didn’t get to reap the monetary advantages of that. Now that he lastly does have the title, he’s staring down an especially tough combat in his first protection. That sucks for him. It’s why he’s attempting to arduous to get a combat with Petr Yan or Sean O’Malley — guys he already beat with ease — as a result of he noticed the UFC enable Sean O’Malley to hand-pick a straightforward matchup as soon as he grew to become champion, and desires the identical courtesy. Sadly for Merab, that’s not on the desk, and he’s raging in opposition to the one goal he can in consequence.

And whereas I’m sympathetic to all of this, within the phrases of Max Holloway, “it’s what it’s.” Dvalishvili goes to need to combat Umar, be it in January or later this yr if he does get suspended. He wants to come back to grips with that sooner reasonably than later, as a result of he’s actions since successful the belt have performed nothing however tank the goodwill he had with followers.

Thanks for studying, and thanks to everybody who despatched in tweets (Xs?)! Do you’ve any burning questions on issues not less than considerably associated to fight sports activities? Then you definitely’re in luck as a result of you’ll be able to ship your tweets to me, @JedKMeshew, and I’ll reply my favourite 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.