Dillashaw has never made 125 before. Why take the risk of potential lost income etc if it proves he can't make the weight?
I don't blame Mighty Mouse one bit.
This women's 145 lb division is such a mess. They rushed it to begin with in order to sell a few more PPVs by having a title fight and now they don't know what to do. De Randamie had gone completely silent since winning the belt and now says she won't fight Cyborg and is focusing on returning to 135 lbs. I think they should just pretend like this never happened and stick to 135, 125, and 115.
Ray Borg has missed weight in 2 of his last 4 fights and DJ wants to fight him. So, that's not an issue for DJ.
Big difference between a guy who missed weight twice and a guy that has never made the weight. It's not the only reason for electing a proper 125 lbs division fight, but it's definitely a valid one.
To prove he's pound for pound the best fighter? He complains not being paid enough or getting enough attention. And then refusing to fight the guy that would bring all of the above?
If you're being offered a fight against a top competitor who will bring you fame and money (at least more) and you choose to fight some scrub, it makes you look like a coward.
let's not pretend TJ Dillashaw is a money fight for DJ. Love the guy, but he's not a big draw either
He would get a lot more PPV points against TJ than he would against whichever can he's fighting next.Exactly. What casual fan is honestly lining up to buy a PPV with TJ as the main event?
He would get a lot more PPV points against TJ than he would against whichever can he's fighting next.
The upside for DJ is that he goes from being a guy with no appealing fights to throwing himself into one of the more compelling stories right now with Dillashaw, Cody, and Garbrandt.
Maybe he doesn't make a ton more by fighting Dillashaw, but that fight sets him up to jump Dillashaw and fight Garbrandt next. That's a fight that will make money, champ v champ. Oh, and then he can win that fight and be setup for a big fight with Cruz. Then if he beats Cruz in a fun fight, you have an appealing trilogy fight with Cruz.
So avenge your loss and cement your place as the best p4p guy, under 135lb guy at all time, make a bunch of money, hold two belts, and get your name brought up as a top five p4p guy of all time by the end of 2018.
Or you know, fight Ray Borg and Sergio Pettis on Fox cards.
Your move, DJ.
Sure, I get it from a fan's perspective. But again, he's chasing a record, not trying to make it fun for the fans. So uh, yeah, Fox sports one it is. And let's be honest. Those other fights with Cruz, Garbrandt, Dillishaw will all be there after. So he gets to do what he wants and still benefit from those.
Pretty much everything I typed were things that would benefit DJ, not fans. Financially, legacy-wise, whatever.
MM-TJ isn't a ppv main event seller.
If the record is important to him I'm not gonna fault him, but avoiding top competition to achieve it cheapens it, and let's be honest, it's not like when he sets that record it's gonna do anything for his brand.Please. That's flat out nonsense. He's fighting the next guy up in his division, to set a record that he's been chasing for years.
It's a slap in the face to offer him the biggest fight he could possibly hope for at 125? Particularly when he's been complaining about his pay for quite some time now? What more can the UFC do for him?Not taking a more difficult fight with a guy who is only coming down because his opponent got hurt does nothing of the sort. As a matter of fact, him being offered this fight as a replacement is a slap in the face, if anything.
Former champ who just coached TUF and is FAR more well known than Borg. That's all very good for a guy trying to build his brand.And again, it's not like Dillishaw is a top competitor in DJ's division. He's a former champ in the division above his. Big difference.
This is the one problem. If TJ beats him and goes to 135 then interest in the 125-pound division goes from slim to none.You throw in the detail about Dillishaw not actually sticking around the division should he win, again, you have to ask why is this a fight DJ would take? It makes no sense.
They most certainly will not. As m9 mentioned, this is MM's easiest path to those fights, because if he wins you could make the case for him fighting Cody since TJ was the number one contender. A fight with Cruz could also potentially be made sometime down the line if he performs well at 135. None of those guys are moving down to 125 to chase a guy that's arguably the smallest drawing champion in the history of the company.And let's be honest. Those other fights with Cruz, Garbrandt, Dillishaw will all be there after. So he gets to do what he wants and still benefit from those.
You are wrong again, as Dana White has been very outspoken about wanting the fight. The only one who doesn't want it is DJ.
https://www.google.ca/amp/mmajunkie...nson-ppv-fight-t-j-dillashaw-its-insanity/amp
If the record is important to him I'm not gonna fault him, but avoiding top competition to achieve it cheapens it, and let's be honest, it's not like when he sets that record it's gonna do anything for his brand.
It's a slap in the face to offer him the biggest fight he could possibly hope for at 125? Particularly when he's been complaining about his pay for quite some time now? What more can the UFC do for him?
Former champ who just coached TUF and is FAR more well known than Borg. That's all very good for a guy trying to build his brand.
This is the one problem. If TJ beats him and goes to 135 then interest in the 125-pound division goes from slim to none.
They most certainly will not. As m9 mentioned, this is MM's easiest path to those fights, because if he wins you could make the case for him fighting Cody since TJ was the number one contender. A fight with Cruz could also potentially be made sometime down the line if he performs well at 135. None of those guys are moving down to 125 to chase a guy that's arguably the smallest drawing champion in the history of the company.