UFC 310 options 4 present or former champions, however solely two of them are on the principle card with Alexandre Pantoja headlining the occasion and former interim title holder Ciryl Gane taking over Alexander Volkov in a rematch.
In the meantime, former middleweight champion Chris Weidman is the fifth struggle of the night time on the early prelims with former bantamweight king Aljamain Sterling two spots in a while the preliminary card. Whereas it usually occasions looks like there’s no actual rhyme or cause to the way in which the UFC fills out a bout order, Sterling took offense to his spot on the prelims as arguably the best 135-pounder of all time to not point out his struggle towards Movsar Evloev might doubtlessly crown a brand new high contender within the featherweight division.
Throughout his profession, Matt Brown occupied nearly each spot attainable on UFC card, however he admits that being positioned on the prelims at all times rubbed him the mistaken approach. That’s why he totally understands Sterling’s gripe even when the UFC wasn’t attempting to slight him along with his spot on the cardboard.
“It’s like this — I feel fighters naturally have a look at it as nearly a respect factor,” Brown mentioned on the newest episode of The Fighter vs. The Author. “What do [the UFC] consider us? Once they put us on the principle card, we predict that they suppose extra of us. Once they put us on the prelims, you are feeling such as you’re sort of demoted.
“When it comes to the followers and that’s sort of the promoting level that the UFC will say ‘nicely in the event you’re in the event you’re on the ESPN prelims, extra persons are going to look at than the pay-per-view’ or one thing alongside these strains. I don’t suppose that actually does it for many fighters. It undoubtedly by no means did it for me. I used to be on the prelims, I felt like I used to be being disrespected in a way or simply demoted. I’m not a prelim man!”
Brown says it in all probability feels even worse for Sterling and Weidman as former UFC champions as a result of they reached a plateau that almost all fighters might solely think about.
Now each are buried deep on the cardboard with the present happening on the T-Cellular Area in Las Vegas the place the crowds are notoriously late to reach, which suggests Sterling and Weidman aren’t more likely to compete in entrance of a full home.
“The most important distinction is whenever you’re on the principle card, there’s extra crowd there and that’s what all of us need,” Brown mentioned. “All of us wish to be in entrance of extra individuals, a louder crowd. I’m guessing each different fighter does … I really feel far more snug in entrance of the largest crowd than sort of scattered, empty seats and folks sort of cheering and going to get their beers and getting settled in, individuals strolling in as you’re preventing, issues like that.
“Particularly whenever you’ve received a man like Chris Weidman, who’s a former champion. Aljamain Sterling, who’s a former champion. They really feel like they’re demoted. I assure. I really feel that approach after I’d get placed on the prelims. Like I’m demoted, such as you don’t care about me as a lot. Such as you suppose I’m on my approach out. You’re not transferring me up the cardboard in direction of the principle occasion. That’s the place all of us wish to be. We wish to be in the principle occasion.”
The UFC not often addresses why some fights are decrease on the cardboard than others, and Brown can’t say he’s ever heard any actual perception on how the promotion decides the ultimate bout order for any explicit occasion.
That mentioned, notion is actuality and Brown is aware of from private expertise that it bugged him when he received positioned on the prelims, particularly throughout a pay-per-view the place the principle card issues a lot.
“What you are feeling like in your head, you’re working your approach up the cardboard,” Brown defined. “Like the primary struggle on the cardboard is the white belt and the subsequent struggle is blue, and purple and also you wish to be the black belt. Whether or not that’s actually true or not, I don’t suppose the UFC really appears to be like at it that approach. I don’t suppose they’re really like ‘we’re going to place you on the prelims as a result of we don’t such as you otherwise you’re not promoting’ or no matter. I feel there’s a unconscious feeling in each fighter’s head.
“Any time somebody’s a former champion, you’ll suppose they might get a essential card spot only for being a former champion. The featured prelims, I’ve been featured prelims a number of occasions — you don’t really feel such as you’re a essential occasion. That’s sort of the way in which they promote it like ‘you’re the featured prelim/essential occasion of the prelims.’ No.”
As a lot because it bothered him to finish up on the prelims every so often, Brown is aware of the job remains to be the identical regardless of if he’s the primary struggle of the night time or the ultimate particular person to make the stroll to the octagon.
He’s assured Weidman and Sterling really feel the identical approach, however he sympathizes with any ailing emotions they may have about the place they’re really preventing on Saturday.
“I’ll inform you what, finally you receives a commission the identical until you’re the principle occasion and also you get a bonus,” Brown mentioned. “These guys are getting fights. Movsar [or] Aljamain successful that is going to be an enormous struggle.
“You’ve received put that shit at the back of your head and also you’ve received to exit and carry out nonetheless. You’ve received to neglect about all of the bullshit. That’s what I at all times did.”
