After the chaotic thrust that was UFC 280 successful Abu Dhabi past weekend, determination are inactive plentifulness of unanswered questions.
What combat should the UFC look to marque for caller lightweight champ Islam Makhachev, and if the matchup is Alexander Volkanovski, however would that impact the pound-for-pound rankings?
Will Sean O'Malley situation for a rubric adjacent year? Or does "Suga" Sean request different combat oregon 2 against the likes of TJ Dillashaw oregon Merab Dvalishvili to beryllium he's worthy of being the No. 1 contender astatine 135 pounds?
Speaking of Dillashaw, what should we marque of his wounded concern aft his nonaccomplishment to UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling connected Saturday?
With a caller twelvemonth rapidly approaching, Brett Okamoto, Marc Raimondi and Jeff Wagenheim reply these UFC questions and more.
Will the victor of Alexander Volkanovski vs. Islam Makhachev go the pound-for-pound No. 1?
Wagenehim: Yes, of course. Volkanovski already owns that spot, and a triumph implicit Makhachev to go a two-division champion would trump thing that anyone beneath him successful the apical 10 mightiness do. And if Makhachev were to bushed "Alexander the Great," aft having finished No. 2-ranked Charles Oliveira arsenic well, that 1-2 punch would surely elevate him to the highest of the mountain. Any pound-for-pound voters who contradict the caller lightweight champion the No. 1 spot astatine that constituent should person to spell person a sit-down with Khabib Nurmagomedov to explicate themselves. And support themselves astatine each times.
Okamoto: It's hard to say. Middleweight champ Israel Adesanya fights successful November, and the effect of that could person an interaction connected this discussion. But astir likely, yes. I person Volkanovski arsenic my pound-for-pound No. 1, and I've had him determination since July. I ideate Makhachev volition beryllium astir the apical 5 of astir people's rankings aft this past performance. Volkanovski volition beryllium taking a hazard successful warring a bigger man, but he'll beryllium taking little hazard due to the fact that his rubric is not up for grabs. Bottom line, the victor of this combat volition astir apt beryllium considered the champion successful the world.
Raimondi: It depends connected what happens betwixt present and then, peculiarly with Adesanya and Alex Pereira astatine UFC 281. If Adesanya wins, he'll person 13 consecutive UFC middleweight wins and six palmy rubric defenses. The lone combat helium has mislaid successful his vocation was extracurricular his division, a airy heavyweight rubric bout against Jan Blachowicz. Can Makhachev leap implicit Adesanya and that awesome résumé with conscionable 1 rubric defence if helium beats Volkanovski? I'm not definite astir that.
Volkanovski, meanwhile, is already the existent pound-for-pound king. If helium beats Makhachev and wins the title, we'll speech astir wherever helium stands connected the all-time champion fighters list, fto unsocial the existent pound-for-pound list. But Makhachev volition request to bash more. If someway Pereira beats Adesanya and Makhachev beats Volkanovski -- neither of which is retired of the question -- past a lawsuit could beryllium made for Makhachev.
Should TJ Dillashaw person been allowed to combat connected Saturday?
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Aljamain Sterling defends his bantamweight loop with a convincing TKO triumph implicit TJ Dillashaw.
Okamoto: Whose work is it to forestall that? As Dana White noted astatine the postfight quality conference, Dillashaw didn't look injured. Even if the committee had been alert of a enarthrosis injury, there's nary warrant it would popular out. It seems likely, fixed the accusation we know, but there's nary guarantee. And astir likely, the committee wasn't alert of the injury. If Dillashaw didn't disclose it, however volition the committee cognize it has been slipping out? That's a hard happening to place and past people interest on. His squad knew and went on with the fight. Fighters sometimes spell successful with undisclosed injuries, and there's nary mode to forestall that completely. And sometimes, it works retired and they inactive win. There are examples of that. As a spectator, you astir apt privation to spot Dillashaw propulsion retired of that fight, but arsenic a competitor, I recognize wherefore helium didn't.
Wagenehim: No way. The 2 astir indispensable jobs of an diversion committee are to support the integrity of the contention and to guarantee combatant safety. Allowing this combat to spell connected was a dereliction of those duties, and the blasted falls squarely connected the UFC, which serves arsenic a de facto committee erstwhile its fights hap successful jurisdictions without one. Dana White said afterward that Dillashaw did not disclose his wounded to the UFC, but possibly the institution president should person checked with his radical earlier passing the buck. In his postfight interview, Dillashaw said that helium had informed referee Marc Goddard backstage earlier the combat -- and the referee works for the commission, successful this case, the UFC. I'm nary betting man, but I'd beryllium plentifulness peeved if I had enactment wealth connected a compromised fighter.
Raimondi: No, of people not. That benignant of happening should ne'er happen. Dillashaw apologized to the remainder of the part aft the combat for knowingly going successful with an injury, but much questions indispensable beryllium asked. No 1 wants to hold adjacent longer for a rubric shot, but if you cognize you're not going successful 100% -- not adjacent adjacent to it -- wherefore instrumentality the risk? Wouldn't Dillashaw privation his champion imaginable accidental astatine Aljamain Sterling and the title? No 1 knows amended than him what it takes successful rubric fights -- helium has been bantamweight champ doubly before. But possibly the rival successful him wouldn't springiness in, oregon possibly it was thing much tangible, similar helium needed the payday.
In immoderate event, that's 1 of the reasons diversion commissions exist, to marque definite fighters are competing connected an adjacent playing tract and not going into bouts astatine immoderate disadvantage (or advantage), particularly with an wounded that could pb to them taking undue punishment. In the postfight quality conference, UFC president Dana White said Dillashaw should person disclosed the injury. He's right, of course. But these are fighters we're talking astir here. They are not hazard averse, which is wherefore regulatory bodies exist. The UFC acts arsenic its ain successful overseas places similar Abu Dhabi, and that's a struggle of interest.
Fact oregon fiction: Sean O'Malley volition beryllium a champion successful 2023.
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Sean O'Malley beats Petr Yan via divided determination aft an explosive 3rd round.
Raimondi: Fiction. I mean, helium looked terrific against Petr Yan connected Saturday, but the immense bulk of radical watching thought Yan should person won the fight. Many adjacent had Yan winning each 3 rounds. I hatred the word "robbery," and determination were adjacent rounds successful the fight, but fewer could blasted Yan and his squad for being upset. If Yan gets the motion here, this isn't adjacent a discussion. O'Malley would inactive person much enactment to do.
None of this is to accidental O'Malley can't spell successful and bushed Sterling (or idiosyncratic else) for the belt. He'd person the vantage connected the feet implicit astir anyone he'd look successful a rubric bout. It's imaginable helium adjacent gets the adjacent rubric changeable against Sterling, though White made notation of Henry Cejudo successful the postfight presser. But Yan's wrestling and grappling gave O'Malley immoderate issues; Sterling's wrestling and grappling are adjacent much dominant. It would beryllium nary cakewalk for O'Malley. I volition accidental that Suga Sean is simply a batch person to the UFC bantamweight rubric present than helium was 72 hours ago, proved galore radical incorrect and is simply a morganatic contender. Can't instrumentality that distant from him.
Okamoto: I'll thin fabrication here. Another happening that's truthful hard to predict. Which fights volition hap successful 2023, however volition they go, and what volition the timing look like? I'll accidental that I don't get the content O'Malley is successful immoderate unreserved close now. He knows that he's successful a large presumption whenever helium fights next. Does helium request to tally to judge a rubric combat successful a fewer months? No, helium doesn't. Not if helium believes it would beryllium successful his champion involvement to remainder a small spot aft a engaged 2nd fractional this year. This part has plentifulness of options astatine the top. And let's not hide the stylistic matchups astatine the apical volition beryllium pugnacious for O'Malley. He's a large talent, but asking him to support up with the wrestling pedigree of Sterling oregon Cejudo, would beryllium a challenge. A situation helium tin conscionable for sure, but if we're talking astir 2023, he's an underdog to triumph a title.
Wagenehim: Fiction. But bash not construe that arsenic a slam connected Suga Sean, who passed the biggest trial of his vocation with a poised and resilient show that should soundlessness immoderate doubters -- and I'll see myself successful that show-me crowd. To me, that was the takeaway from O'Malley's victory, not whether he's connected the verge of a rubric changeable and not adjacent whether helium should person had his limb raised successful the archetypal place. (I scored the bout for Yan, but arsenic O'Malley acknowledged successful his postfight interview, the determination could person gone either way. Social media judges claiming robbery are fools.) After being impressed by O'Malley, wherefore bash I pooh-pooh the thought that he'll triumph the loop successful 2023? Because O'Malley doesn't dependable similar a antheral successful a rush. He's 27 and conscionable proved helium belongs. He has plentifulness of clip to instrumentality over.
Who gets a rubric combat first? Belal Muhammad oregon Beneil Dariush?
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Belal Muhammad hands Sean Brady his archetypal vocation nonaccomplishment with a flurry of punches successful a TKO victory.
Wagenheim: Can I accidental Conor McGregor? I connection that smart-aleck reply to radiance a airy connected the UFC's misguided signifier of rewarding accidental based connected prima powerfulness implicit accomplishment. That has affected the careers of Muhammad and Dariush, arsenic neither has the flair that enables idiosyncratic to leapfrog up the ranks. Dariush has had to triumph 8 fights successful a enactment adjacent to beryllium mentioned successful transportation with a rubric shot. Muhammad has had to spell unbeaten successful 9 straight. Both are present successful beardown positions, but it seems to maine that Dariush is closer. While Muhammad is stuck down 3 big-name contenders astatine welterweight -- Kamaru Usman, Colby Covington and Khamzat Chimaev -- Dariush could person a clearer way to a lightweight rubric shot, astatine slightest erstwhile Makhachev gets done defending against a featherweight, champ Volkanovski. Yeah, arsenic always, it's complicated.
Okamoto: Dariush has a much wide way astatine the moment. If Volkanovski weren't moving up successful weight, Dariush would astir apt beryllium getting a rubric changeable close now. The timing is unfortunate for him due to the fact that you've got a UFC pay-per-view lawsuit successful Australia and Volkanovski is the No. 1 pound-for-pound champion. Dariush is great, but helium can't vie with that successful presumption of picking Makhachev's adjacent opponent. My conjecture is Dariush is 1 triumph distant from a rubric changeable now. For Muhammad, it's acold little clear. You person the Leon Edwards vs. Usman trilogy that needs to happen. Chimaev is perchance facing Covington, and Gilbert Burns is perchance facing Jorge Masvidal. That's a batch of contention for aboriginal rubric shots. Muhammad is successful a bully spot, but he's besides overmuch much astatine the mercy of which fights travel unneurotic and erstwhile than Dariush.
Raimondi: Both should get rubric shots successful 2023, but who knows? I'm inclined to accidental Dariush for respective reasons. Neither 1 volition get the adjacent shot. Makhachev seems precise apt to spell to Australia successful February and support the UFC lightweight rubric against Volkanovski successful a superfight. That leaves Dariush waiting successful the wings. Then, there's the welterweight belt. Edwards volition astir surely beryllium going into a trilogy combat with Usman, the antheral helium bushed for the championship, successful aboriginal 2023. Muhammad volition person to hold for that.
Many things tin hap earlier Makhachev vs. Volkanovski and Edwards vs. Usman 3. But the welterweight part has astatine slightest 1 contender the UFC mightiness springiness the motion to earlier Muhammad, and that's Chimaev. The UFC wants him against Covington adjacent and if Chimaev wins, he'd beryllium each but locked into a rubric fight. In the lawsuit of lightweight, determination are respective contenders, but astir person blemishes extracurricular Dariush. Plus, Makhachev's manager is Ali Abdelaziz of Dominance MMA. He besides manages Dariush. One would expect Makhachev vs. Dariush to beryllium successful the offing, arsenic agelong arsenic Makhachev defends successfully against Volkanovski. So, I'll accidental Dariush has the champion changeable astatine getting a rubric accidental first.
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