Regardless of an undefeated file, together with 9 consecutive wins within the UFC, Movsar Evloev isn’t getting the following shot on the featherweight title.
He revealed in a social media submit that as a lot as he appreciated reigning champion Alexander Volkanovski pushing for a battle between them, Evloev was as a substitute accepting a matchup at the UFC Abu Dhabi card in July in a non-title bout. With Evloev out of the image, all indicators are pointing in the direction of Yair Rodriguez getting the chance as a substitute — even with a 1-2 file in his previous three fights, together with a type of losses coming in a third-round stoppage towards Volkanovski.
As upsetting as that state of affairs may be for Evloev, UFC legend Matt Brown says that’s simply enterprise as standard for the promotion that’s been constructed on leisure slightly than sport.
“It’s important to resolve what you need to watch is leisure, which is what the UFC is, or if you wish to watch an precise sport, which isn’t essentially what the UFC is,” Brown mentioned on the most recent episode of The Fighter vs. The Author. “An precise sport would have rankings from a 3rd celebration. They might have obligatory challengers. They might have lots of issues that the UFC simply doesn’t have.
“As a result of they didn’t construct an organization based mostly on sport. The game is what they’re promoting, however the precise aggressive ranks and the best way that matches are made, will not be sport. They removed tournaments a very long time in the past.”
Brown argues that Rodriguez getting a title shot over Evloev is basically simply the UFC doing what has all the time been performed and that’s making fights which are higher for enterprise.
On paper, Evloev has positively performed extra to deserve a title shot, however Brown understands that the UFC’s main objective includes making income and that retains buyers glad in a publicly traded firm.
Add to that, Brown argues that whereas hardcore followers would possibly get upset that Evloev isn’t getting a title shot, the overwhelming majority of the viewers doesn’t even actually know him, and that’s what the UFC acknowledges when placing collectively marquee fights like these.
“Sadly for a man like Movsar, you need to be an actual fan to even know who he’s [much less] that he’s on a streak and that he might threaten a [champion],” Brown mentioned. “The very fact is most guys don’t know his title. You go to a bar and point out Movsar Evloev, nobody’s going to know who the hell you’re speaking about, and so they put him right into a pay-per-view or hell even a Combat Night time or a co-main occasion on a pay-per-view, nobody’s going to know or care.
“Once more, you’ll be able to’t essentially diss the UFC or hate them for the best way they do it. It simply f*cks the fellows like Movsar. He’s not on the market making an attempt to be Sean O’Malley and make fairly little social media movies. He’s not making an attempt to take a seat round and use CapCut all day. He’s on the market combating like a real warrior that he’s. Like a Belal Muhammad or a [Magomed] Ankalaev, we’ve seen it time and time once more.”
As a result of Evloev isn’t the most well-liked or polarizing character within the UFC, he may need to work twice as onerous to get a title shot in comparison with someone like Rodriguez.
That mentioned, Brown acknowledges that fighters in the same place as Evloev up to now have discovered a strategy to break by way of and begin getting consideration with out placing on essentially the most entertaining fights.
“It’s completely an leisure business,” Brown defined. “That’s what they’re promoting is the leisure. They aren’t promoting the game. If you happen to can step again and take a look at it like that, then you’ll be able to form of acknowledge the fact of the scenario. That’s why Movsar isn’t getting a title shot. He ought to know that. He’s in an leisure business.
“You’ll see guys like Colby [Covington] acknowledge that, or Chael Sonnen, he acknowledged it. Nobody wished Chael Sonnen to have a title shot till he began speaking about having a barbecue with Anderson Silva.”
By means of 9 fights within the UFC, Evloev hasn’t constructed a status as an amazing trash talker, and he’s gone to determination in all of his wins. Brown says prefer it or not, that’s a nasty mixture working towards Evloev getting a title shot.
“Issues will be entertaining in a thousand other ways,” Brown mentioned. “However what’s not entertaining will not be speaking and placing on boring fights.”
In fact, Evloev isn’t the primary deserving contender handed over for a title shot and he gained’t be the final.
Brown says that’s the most effective proof accessible that the UFC holds all of the playing cards in these conditions and it will take a basic change in the best way they do enterprise for something to occur in a different way.
“The UFC has constructed this model, and so they have management over the game,” Brown mentioned. “Prefer it or not, and there’s a lawsuit about it, we don’t must get into all that, however there’s a lawsuit particularly about that, and in case you love the UFC, you need to respect that’s the best way they do issues. That’s the best way issues are going to be performed. They’re a enterprise. They’re an entity, and their goal is solely to promote tickets and generate income. That’s what a enterprise does.
“I suppose my final level is that if folks need to complain about it, you’re going to must attempt to change the entire sport. That’s as much as you. You’re going to do your analysis. You’re going to must look into the folks towards the UFC which are making an attempt to vary issues. There may be an argument for it. I’m not only a UFC speaking head. I believe there’s a great argument. There’s additionally an excellent argument for the best way the UFC does issues, and I completely perceive why they do the issues that they do, particularly when you truly personal a enterprise. You begin realizing why they do shit like that.”
