With welterweight champion Belal Muhammad sidelined by a foot an infection, the UFC is scrambling to discover a new foremost occasion for the ultimate pay-per-view of 2024. High-ranked contender Shavkat Rakhmonov is looking for an interim title struggle and naming Kamaru Usman as an ideal opponent for the Dec. 10 card.
Whereas the struggle itself is sensible primarily based on availability, and the resumes for the 2 fighters concerned, Muhammad instantly pushed again in regards to the interim title contemplating he simply gained the belt in July, and he’s solely anticipated to be out of motion for roughly six weeks whereas receiving remedy on his foot. Veteran UFC welterweight Matt Brown understands the need to fill the void left by Muhammad’s absence at UFC 310, however as a lot as he enjoys the potential Rakhmonov vs. Usman struggle, he simply doesn’t see a necessity for an interim title.
“I feel everyone knows at the least it’s not a title,” Brown stated on the newest episode of The Fighter vs. The Author. “Belal has the f*cking title. He’ll be again quickly. He’s going to struggle the winner. It is a title contender match. Nice.
“It’s an important struggle. I’m stoked to see the struggle. I’m simply as stoked to see Shavkat and Usman as I’d be for Shavkat and Belal, besides it could be for the precise title with Belal.”
In recent times, the UFC has began introducing interim titles extra typically out of necessity to construct up a pay-per-view than as a result of a reigning champion isn’t capable of defend the true belt for a big period of time.
In 2023, Jon Jones suffered a torn pectoral muscle that cancelled his struggle in opposition to Stipe Miocic, and in his absence, the UFC booked an interim title bout between Tom Aspinall and Sergei Pavlovich as an alternative. Aspinall gained, however he gained’t get the possibility to unify the belts, as a result of the UFC moved ahead with rebooking Jones in opposition to Miocic.
Simply months after Francis Ngannou gained the heavyweight title, the UFC wanted to discover a foremost occasion for a card slated in August, however with the champion unable to make a fast turnaround, the promotion launched an interim title for the struggle between Ciryl Gane and Derrick Lewis.
Brown understands that the UFC should have some type of inner analysis that exhibits followers are extra apt to purchase a pay-per-view card headlined by a title struggle, however that doesn’t change the truth that most of the time, crowning an interim champion simply isn’t crucial.
“They normally do this as a result of they should promote the pay-per-view and put a title on it, proper?” Brown stated. “I really feel Usman can be promoting PPV’s. Everyone knows who Usman is. All of us need to watch Usman struggle. I don’t suppose placing a title in entrance of that struggle actually modifications the dynamic of that struggle. I get why they’d do it, and I perceive the logic behind it and possibly it makes it an even bigger struggle, however I don’t see why you may’t maintain it 5 rounds and simply say it’s not for the title.
“Sadly, it sort of diminishes what an interim title is. That is most likely a stronger case for that than we’ve even seen previously. We’ve had our personal qualms for what they’ve finished with these interim titles, however this one’s most likely acquired to be one of many worst cases we’ve seen, proper?”
It stays to be seen if the UFC pulls the set off on an interim title, however Brown admits that’s actually the danger you’re taking when a promotion yields this a lot energy.
On one aspect, the UFC has the power to e book the most important and finest fights obtainable — a difficulty that has plagued a sport like boxing for many years — however that may additionally end in selections like this actually coming right down to {dollars} fairly than making probably the most sense.
“The blessings and the curses of getting one firm rule all the pieces,” Brown stated in regards to the UFC. “We speak about Dana [White] taking on boxing, and we all know the messes that you’ve got in boxing on a regular basis, however there’s type of the blessing and the curse. They will simply do this. It’s their firm. They will do regardless of the f*ck they need.
“The issue is there’s simply no set rule set. There’s no tips. Like for those who’re out for six months, we’re doing an interim title. There’s nothing like that for the rankings just like the No. 1 man’s going to get the subsequent shot. If there was a set guideline, I feel that may repair quite a lot of issues.”
Prefer it or not, Brown says the UFC must promote pay-per-views, and if Rakhmonov vs. Usman with an interim title up for grabs will get a couple of extra buys, then that’s virtually definitely what’s going to occur.
“That’s the blessing and the curse of it being a enterprise and being that it’s a personal enterprise, they’re on the market to attempt to earn a living,” Brown stated. “The curse is that they do regardless of the hell they need. You get these completely different interim titles.”
