The Trenches, Episode 31 Poll: Will the new interim champs of UFC 236 vie for undisputed belts next?

Will the new interim champions from UFC 236 fight for the undisputed belts next?


  • Total voters
    96
Here we go! We are live!
 
"Living, breathing ATM machine" - I love it.
 
Adesanya does, but Poirier, for Khabib and UFC, is always second choice to a rematch with the dolly-throwing phone smasher.
 
If T-Ferg gets back in time he'll get the Khabib fight. The UFC hype machine is firmly behind Adesanya so he'll likely get Whittaker next
 
What do you make of the many parallels between Israel Adesanya's rise and Conor McGregor's rise from a story stand point?

Robert Whittaker (the undisputed champion) is sidelined due to illness which forces an interim bout between Israel and Kelvin. Jose Aldo (Undisputed champion) is sidelined due to injury and it forces interim bout between Conor and Mendes.

Both Conor McGregor and Israel were both coming off of weak wins in which they were both heavy favorites of. (Anderson Silva & Dennis Siver) and were now stepping up against guys who were shorter than them + had heavy hands and great wrestling.

Although both favored, majority of the hard core fans believed Kelvin and Chad would get the wins in the fights. Even after Israel and Conor won, many people still aren't sold on either guy being legit enough to beat the undisputed champ.

Also both Whittaker and Aldo were coming off VERY close fights. Whittaker was dropped several times in a war vs Romero & Aldo was cracked several times in his rematch with Mendes before facing Conor the next year.

Aside from their interim bouts, neither guy faced highly ranked opponents. Conor fought Poirier and Siver, Israel fought Tavares and Brunson. Neither had a really "tough" match up until it came title fight time.

Also:
Israel = Conor (the "hype train")
Kelvin = Chad (guy who will shut down hype train)
Whittaker = Aldo (humble champion who is dominant)
Frankie = Romero (the guy they are being "protected" from).
The comparison is somewhat valid BUT:

- Izzy never lost to two cans in the process like Conor
- Izzy's striking is better
- Izzy's TDD is better
- Izzy's gas tank is better
- Izzy's ego is (slightly) smaller
- even an ancient Silva is better than Siver
- Kelvin is better than Chad

Conor was more of a protected hype train and had an easier way up IMO, while Izzy is more legit and still improving. I don't see him plunging into coked up delusion if he wins the belt either.
 
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