Happy Friday everyone. In addition to being the start of the weekend, today is also when we open up the mailbag and share the answers we have to your burning questions.
As always, you gave us some great things to think and write about this week. Thanks all!
Scroll down to see what we had to say.
MVP to MVP?
Question: What do you do with Michael Page? He’s 5-1 in the ufc, only loss was a razor close split to a top 3 guy. He’s had some boring fights but is it his fault or his opponent’s? Seems like he tried to engage
this fight. Where do you think his next fight takes place? (JackReacharound)
Andrew Richardson: MVP in MVP looks next. If you want Page to have fun fights, you gotta book him against guys who will go forward, which is why his Kevin Holland win was more fun than the rest. At Middleweight, I would’ve booked him against someone like Robocop and expected a fun fight.
Thomas Myers: Not a huge fan, but that’s not to say I don’t appreciate what he is able to do at the top level of the sport. He’s a “match up”-type guy … and I don’t think UFC matchmakers could every really figure out his sweet spot. He bounced between divisions, never really got settled — his UFC run was sort of a mess. I think he lands with MVP or with whatever Scott Coker is doing because he has clearly rubbed Dana White the wrong way and I’d be shocked if he returns to UFC for just that ridiculous reason alone.
Alex Behunin: Look, I hate watching MVP fight for the most part but it’s ridiculous that the UFC cut him after going 5-1 in the promotion – when there are several other boring fighters with no finishes. If the best fighters in the world are in the UFC, he needs to be there.
But it feels like he’s going to go to PFL but I wouldn’t mind seeing him go back with Scott Coker or take a couple fights in Karate Combat.
Tim Edwards: I’m going to echo what some of my colleagues have already said here, but Page not having fun fights is not just because of him or his opponents, it’s because of how the UFC have booked him. Some of those fights looked as boring on paper as they ended up being in reality (Ian Machado Garry, Shara Magomedov). I also agree with the question that Page was more of an aggressor in this most recent fight. I also thought his fight with Jared Cannonier was very watchable.
For his next fight, the stars seem to be aligning for MVP. Scott Coker’s promotion doesn’t look like it’s gotten out the blocks yet. And I doubt Karate Combat can match MVP’s offer, though Page in KC would be awesome. Page did fight Mike Perry in BKFC in 2022 (losing a decision). I’m not a fan of bare knuckle, but he’s probably someone BKFC might make another run at. And they have a roster full of guys who won’t sit back and wait for something to happen.
Save a Head, Kick a Knee
Q: There has been lots of discussion about MVP being “dirty” for using a legal kick. What value is there for the UFC in continuing to allow kicks designed to rip apart knee ligaments? (armchaircornerback)
Andrew Richardson: The value is in being “as real as it gets.” Why is sending your opponent to the knee surgeon worse than giving him brain damage? I would rather be Nursulton today than Fares Ziam in terms of long-term health. I have no qualms about these kicks — it’s part of the risk fighters sign up for.
Alex Behunin: I don’t like oblique kicks because it could seriously injure someone but in the same breath, I want soccer kicks to be legalized so yeah.
But to parrot, Andrew, we’re cool with fighters taking brain damage, but we’re crying about oblique kicks?
Thomas Myers: This was pretty much Ian Machado-Garry’s entire gameplan against Islam Makhachev. Jon Jones is probably the one who introduced it, using it effectively throughout his career. This is MMA — the goal is to hurt your opponent. I would like to see stomps and soccer kicks, so oblique kicks don’t bother me. Having said that, have they ever caused a UFC fight to end early like calf or low kicks? It seems like a technique designed to injure an opponent, but I think it just might look worse than it really is in reality?
Tim Edwards: It’s legal. I don’t love it. But if it were me, I’d rather have knee surgery than forget my kids’ names when I’m 60. If we really cared about fighters’ health, then we would deprioritize strikes to the head, but that’s never going to happen. The sport is sold on seeing guys and girls fall to the canvas with their eyes rolling to back of their skulls. I used to crusade against head trauma and bang the drum about the fact that the process that can cause CTE happens every time you get hit in the head (that’s every time, not just for blows that knock you out or elicit concussion symptoms). I’m out of that game now, though. The information is out there for everyone who wants it and, unlike ten or fifteen years ago, I don’t think fighters are unaware of the risks they are taking. If they are willing to risk their brain health, then I’m fine with them risking their knee health, too.
Stock Watch on Salahdine Parnasse
Q: Ceiling for Parnasse, how many wins is he away from a title shot? Personally I think he beats Justin tomorrow which doesn’t mean I think he’s the best in the division. (Chucs)
Andrew Richardson: One more win? Lightweight is still logjammed as the old guard continues to fight the old guard. In an ideal world, we get Justin back in the cage some time around January against not Ilia Topuria. Meanwhile, whoever has the best performance among all the top Lightweight contenders (i.e. Arman, Ruffy, Paddy, Oliveira etc) in the next few months (including Parnasse) should get his opportunity.
Thomas Myers: I really like Parnasse. And I was a fan before his UFC debut. I think UFC needs to book him against Renato Moicano — who somehow holds the No. 7 spot in the rankings — immediately so that Parnasse will be sniffing Top 5-level competition once 2027 hits.
Alex Behunin: It feels like the Lightweight division is notoriously tough to break through to get a title shot because it’s a glamour division, but with UFC hell-bent on wanting a French champion *cough Ciryl Gane *cough – I would say he’s probably a win or two away.
And I agree with you; I think he beats Gaethje tomorrow, along with most of the division – not sure about Arman and Ilia though.
Tim Edwards: I’ve been on the Parnasse hype train for a while and I was delighted to see him look as good as he did against Dan Hooker. Granted, lots of guys look good against Hooker now. I love Parnasse’s call out of Holloway. If he can score a big fight with a Holloway or a Pimblett and looks that good again, I think he could get fast tracked to the title after that.
Salahdine or Salkilld?
Q: Salkilld and Parnasse are clearly both world class fighters – who gets to the belt first and who has the better career? (cavemanoncomputer)
Andrew Richardson: Great question. I think Parnasse is the superior athlete, but Salkilld is a more appropriate size to contend at 155 pounds. I’d give Parnasse the slightly better odds at capturing gold overall, though maybe Featherweight is his path?
Thomas Myers: I would love to see this fight, but UFC probably won’t book it anytime soon. I think Quillan is the future and beats Parnasse if I am forced to make a prediction.
Alex Behunin: Parnasse gets the belt first and has the better career. Salkilld is a big 155er and is incredibly fun to watch, but he’s going to get beat against the top of the division.
Tim Edwards: Man, Lightweight is so stacked. I think the case around Parnasse and Salkilld shows the power of the call-out. Parnasse called out Holloway on the microphone and Dana White responded positively. Salkilld has used call outs lately. He called out Mateusz Gamrot and now he’s calling out Benoit Saint Denis. Those are good fighters, but they aren’t greats. Parnasse had the guts to call out a great, after his debut, and that might generate the buzz and interest he needs to leapfrog Salkilld.
As far as who might have the better career, it’s really tough to say. Salkilld has youth on his side, but he also has a more dangerous shark tank ahead of him than Parnasse had when he was racking up numbers (though, KSW does deserve some respect). I haven’t seen anything to doubt Salkilld so far, so I’m going to tentatively say he’s got more good things ahead of him than Parnasse has (who I still think challenges for the title and possibly wins it).
Ziam’s Struggles
Q: Did Fares Ziam just get caught or is his previously impressive 2nd run simply over? (LoneCowboy)
Andrew Richardson: As a previous big Ziam believer … we’ll see. Lightweight has seen plenty of fighters get KTFO and rebound to contend (Charles, Gaethje, Eddie, RDA). Ziam is young enough to do so and has plenty of skill, but does he have to grit to start from scratch again? We’ll see.
Alex Behunin: I think he may have been cursed by going to train with Trevor Wittman – he’s now 0-2 under him. That being said, I think this last fight, he just got caught.
Tim Edwards: The Nolan loss was surprising to me, especially coming off those big wins over Davis and Frevola. This most recent loss, though… I don’t know. Axel Sola might really be that guy. This losing streak started after he had to pull out of a fight with Kaue Fernandes due to a death in the family. It’s possible that this has something to do with it, too.
Farmboys
Q: How would your ideal UFC farm league function (I.e. DWCS and TUF can get replaced) and how much would you ideally pay fighters starting out? (cavemanoncomputer)
Jesse Holland: I wish APEX operated like the WWE Performance Center where athletes could train and fight every few weeks. They could build themselves up and establish their names and also help UFC avoid flash-in-the-pan types. TUF was great at that because you got to see multiple fights before crossing over, but all that dumb reality show drama made it unbearable to watch.
Alex Behunin: I would try and get fighters to compete 10 times before the UFC comes calling – fight for a regional title, fight five rounds, get a knockout, get a submission, get a decision, fight a southpaw, etc.
Basically, get all the experience possible. Unfortunately, regional pay is awful, basically 200 bucks and hotpocket.
Tim Edwards: It’s hard to argue that their current system isn’t working for them. Contender Series, TUF and Road to Asia is where they try before they buy. Business is booming for them with that approach, mostly because it helps them keep costs down.
I think it would be cool if they went the WWE route, though, with lower divisions and belts available. For example, you could have an NXT-like brand called UFC: Next Gen or something and do UFC NG events on a Friday with fighters who are younger and have less bouts on their record. Those who do well there then make it onto the main brand and we can hype them up by saying, “X was a lightweight champ in the UFC NG, coming over here to make his debut…” I think that would be fun and interesting.
Who Can Rival the UFC?
Q: Realistically, no other promotion is going to compete with the UFC, and if they develop any serious prospects they get picked up by the UFC. It’s never going to happen, but would it be a better organizational structure if these other promotions were able to operate as minor leagues? (cavemanoncomputer)
Anton Tabuena: You mean if UFC got even more control over the sport that they already have a monopsony in? That would certainly be terrible for athletes. It would probably be worse for fan entertainment too, since we’d be stuck with even lazier matchmaking and promotion when UFC execs have even less reasons to put on quality cards.
Andrew Richardson: A lot of regional promotions already do operate as minor leagues. UFC Fight Pass has some level of influence over which fights get featured on their streams, and those fighters eventually end up on Contenders Series or in the Octagon proper.
Alex Behunin: Every single promotion is basically considered the minor leagues in the fans’ eyes. Johnny Eblen could 1000% beat Sean Strickland right now, but no one takes him seriously because he’s in the PFL.
All of the traditional regional promotions like LFA and Fury are feeder leagues to the UFC.
All in all, there just needs to be 2-3 promising promotions that are legit options for fighters that get cut from the UFC or will never make it. (CMON SCOTT COKER!!!)
Jesse Holland: They don’t need minor leagues when they have Contender Series and TUF, which serve as a proving ground for top regional prospects.
Ryan Harkness: This question deserves an essay length answer but short and sweet: a new org could gain traction by doing no more than six events a year with all their big names fighting every three to four months. That’s the winning organizational structure.
Big Boss Talk
Q: Who’s your favorite final boss of any video game you’ve played and which game do you think had the best soundtrack? (AceSpadez37)
Jesse Holland: I ordered both Mortal Kombat CDs from Midway in ‘93 and ‘94 (got the comic books too) and still have them to this day. As for a more modern soundtrack, Hades has some incredible tracks. Favorite boss? First one that came to mind was “Sweet Tooth” from Twisted Metal 2.
Alex Behunin: Best soundtrack: Tony Hawk 1
Favorite final boss: The Boss – Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater – emotional, fun, tough
Andrew Richardson: I’m echoing Alex, all the bosses of MGS 3 are the best bosses in video game history. As for music, I’m a sucker for the TES: Oblivion and Persona 4: Golden soundtracks.
Anton Tabuena: Easy! Final boss AND soundtrack goes to Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
Dan Hiergesell: Shredder from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles NES is an absolute MENACE and one of the hardest video game bosses ever. Soundtrack would have to go to any early-2000s Madden game.
Tim Edwards: I’m not a huge video game guy, but I mostly play simulation and RTS games. Those don’t really have bosses. As a kid I loved Tekken and I really enjoyed meeting each characters mini boss before taking on the big boss after (the devil, especially, in Tekken 2).
Quick hits
Q: Does Delgado actually have a shot? (LoneCowboy)
Andrew Richardson: I’d pick Jean Silva head-to-head against any Featherweight, but he can be hurt. Delgado has a puncher’s chance.
Alex Behunin: Jose Delgado sure got me to believe he can beat Jean Silva this weekend, but I think I’m just super gullible because McGregor did the same thing.
Jean Silva probably knocks him out early.
Tim Edwards: I feel like if Delgado puts it all together he can have an outstanding night and beat anyone. I don’t think he has the consistency to do that enough times to be a big factor in the game, though.
Q: Any word on the timing for Coker’s next MMA thing? (Chucs)
Alex Behunin: His first event will happen next year but the launch event goes down next week on the 14th.
Q: What fight do you think the UFC could have realistically booked instead of Wang v Natalia to headline 332? Who was available and would’ve accepted a relatively short notice main event? (Neiljohnson37)
Andrew Richardson: Paulo Costa vs. Ankalaev interim title fight would’ve been kickass.
Alex Behunin: Costa vs. Jiri was the plan for the event, but talks fell through when Paulo didn’t want to sign the contract because he wanted a new contract.
Tim Edwards: I’ll take Max Holloway vs. Diego Lopes for a BMF trophy (let’s ditch the belt and make it so we can just do these fights with whomever we want).
