Media Belal is ANGRY with Leon!

[Pechan]

If I recall, the UFC offered 3 fights to Leon.... for the special event of UFC 300 only. That does nothing to suggest he's been accepting everything throughout the year, and that's also different than Leon saying he wants to fight at any specific time or event. The UFC would be offering fights to a champ who is trying to get back in there.

The only info we have is Dana saying they offered him 3 fights and he said yes, everything else is just made up theories.

And "everything throughout they year" as if we are 8 months deep or some shit, we are in the fourth month of the year and Leon has already said yes to 3 fights, if Betal wasn't one of them then he needs to take it up with the match makers and his manager.

 

[SeattleFightFan]

I don't think people forget that they already fought, infact I think it gets brought up quite a bit. Either way I don't think that fight is a good reason to screw the guy over. He steps in on short notice, gets his eye nearly raked out in a fight that barely got out of the first round, but because he was losing he shouldn't get the opportunity he's worked his whole life for? Fuck that.

I know you weren't saying he shouldn't get the shot, I'm just sorta venting because the whole situation is bullshit.. and I'm not even much of a Belal fan.

Leon was totally in control, and i have little doubt he would be again. But the guy who caused the NC shouldn't be the one denying the rematch. Both of these statements can be true.

I agree with your sentiment; it is bullshit. We can admit that ppv sales > merit and even acknowledge that it makes sense (in the "money makes the world go around" sorta way) but also dislike it.

 

[Gang Sign Luke]

Make it a fight night headliner. If Cruz/Dillashaw headlines a fight night, then this one damn sure should. This isn't a PPV headliner worthy fight IMO. Yeah, he deserves the title shot, but Jesus Christ that fight will be a snooze fest.

 

[TempleoftheDog]

Fuck this division.

The UFC have proven over the time span of about 5 years that they don’t give a fuck about it. Nothing but fuckery by the UFC, cherry picking, and ducking at the top.

1 - Usman. Cherry picking clown no longer in the division. Get him the fuck out of the WW rankings you assholes.

2 - Belal. Already at least a year past his earned TS. He’s earned it. And was publicly PROMISED the TS after Colby.

3 - Shavkat. The clear next number 1, after Belal. But may just end up sitting for a while. Or risks his rank fighting somebody behind him. Unless of course the UFC does actually break the ironclad public, verbal contract put they put forward to both Belal, and Burns.

4 - Colby. Completely, and utterly.. He, and Dana can fuck eachother.

This is a fucking joke.

Made Edwards wait much longer than he should have had to for his earned TS. Then the UFC were trying to shove Borz into a TS off of a single win over Edwards. All while giving assholes like Masvidal, and Colby unearned TS. They extorted Edwards into signing to fight Borz by stripping Edwards of his number 3 ranking.

I’m sick of it. The unbelievable rank squatting, cherry picking, and everybody talking about money fights, and/or wanting a free TS at MW, etc.

There are ZERO merit based arguments for Colby, and Masvidal getting their last TS. I MEAN FUCKING ZERO!

Give Belal his shot, ffs. I can’t guarantee who wins that fight. I’d pick Edwards by decision 100%, though. But the Edwards rematch was a mere formality according to most people in here. And I did pick Usman for the rematch. But I had Edwards in the UNNECESSARY instant rematch.

Give Belal his shot. Without the fuckery we’d have already seen Edwards, Borz, Belal, and Shavkat have their TS. The question would be who is next. after Shavkat.

Do people not realize that?

No Usman getting a free win against the fucking clown he beat 50-45 the first time. That should have been Edwards.

No completely unnecessary instant rematch for Usman. That was Belal’s.

No third TS for Colby. That would have been Shavkat.

And Borz could have been put in there instead of the Usman instant rematch as well.

Fuck this DNB division. Look how far it’s fallen since GSP ruled the roost.

 

[NoBiasJustMMA]

Make it a fight night headliner. If Cruz/Dillashaw headlines a fight night, then this one damn sure should. This isn't a PPV headliner worthy fight IMO. Yeah, he deserves the title shot, but Jesus Christ that fight will be a snooze fest.

Make Edwards vs Belal as the co-main event for the Manchester card they are going to announce soon and have Aspinall's first title defense as the main event. Throw Arnold Allen and Paddy Pimblett on the card as well and it should have no trouble selling very well in the UK.

 

[Gang Sign Luke]

Make Edwards vs Belal as the co-main event for the Manchester card they are going to announce soon and have Aspinall's first title defense as the main event.

I can get with that.

 

[kingmob6]

i appreciate belal. I don't necessarily like his fighting style, but he deserves his flowers. I don't know of any other fighter with limitations that he has, being so successful; he has no physical advantages, kind of short, no power, yet he sticks to his game plan and out battles and outworks his opponents. He is also game to take on any challenger. Dana can easily sell Belal vs Leon is Saudi Arabia or adjacent arabic country, so this hold up is kind of embarrassing.

Leon on the other hand, I just can't stand. I don't hate him by any means, but I just have no interest in anything he does.

 

[richardjohnson]

Leon was totally in control, and i have little doubt he would be again. But the guy who caused the NC shouldn't be the one denying the rematch. Both of these statements can be true.

I agree with your sentiment; it is bullshit. We can admit that ppv sales > merit and even acknowledge that it makes sense (in the "money makes the world go around" sorta way) but also dislike it.

I wouldn’t favour Belal in a rematch but you just never know. Leon was rocked by Nate Diaz of all people, so he certainly hasn’t shown himself to be invincible.

 

[NoBiasJustMMA]

Leon was totally in control, and i have little doubt he would be again. But the guy who caused the NC shouldn't be the one denying the rematch. Both of these statements can be true.

I agree with your sentiment; it is bullshit. We can admit that ppv sales > merit and even acknowledge that it makes sense (in the "money makes the world go around" sorta way) but also dislike it.

Hard to say who would have won the 5 round fight when it was stopped 18 seconds into round 2.

 

[kingmob6]

Hard to say who would have won the 5 round fight when it was stopped 18 seconds into round 2.

yea, people keep making the same mental mistake over and over again, judging the whole fight based on 1 round. Like its something uncommon for fighters to lose round 1, and win the rest of the fight. Happens every card.

 

[CatchtheseHands]

Fuck this division.

The UFC have proven over the time span of about 5 years that they don’t give a fuck about it. Nothing but fuckery by the UFC, cherry picking, and ducking at the top.

1 - Usman. Cherry picking clown no longer in the division. Get him the fuck out of the WW rankings you assholes.

2 - Belal. Already at least a year past his earned TS. He’s earned it. And was publicly PROMISED the TS after Colby.

3 - Shavkat. The clear next number 1, after Belal. But may just end up sitting for a while. Or risks his rank fighting somebody behind him. Unless of course the UFC does actually break the ironclad public, verbal contract put they put forward to both Belal, and Burns.

4 - Colby. Completely, and utterly.. He, and Dana can fuck eachother.

This is a fucking joke.

Made Edwards wait much longer than he should have had to for his earned TS. Then the UFC were trying to shove Borz into a TS off of a single win over Edwards. All while giving assholes like Masvidal, and Colby unearned TS. They extorted Edwards into signing to fight Borz by stripping Edwards of his number 3 ranking.

I’m sick of it. The unbelievable rank squatting, cherry picking, and everybody talking about money fights, and/or wanting a free TS at MW, etc.

There are ZERO merit based arguments for Colby, and Masvidal getting their last TS. I MEAN FUCKING ZERO!

Give Belal his shot, ffs. I can’t guarantee who wins that fight. I’d pick Edwards by decision 100%, though. But the Edwards rematch was a mere formality according to most people in here. And I did pick Usman for the rematch. But I had Edwards in the UNNECESSARY instant rematch.

Give Belal his shot. Without the fuckery we’d have already seen Edwards, Borz, Belal, and Shavkat have their TS. The question would be who is next. after Shavkat.

Do people not realize that?

No Usman getting a free win against the fucking clown he beat 50-45 the first time. That should have been Edwards.

No completely unnecessary instant rematch for Usman. That was Belal’s.

No third TS for Colby. That would have been Shavkat.

And Borz could have been put in there instead of the Usman instant rematch as well.

Fuck this DNB division. Look how far it’s fallen since GSP ruled the roost.

If Belal gets his TS and beats Leon and Ian ends up fighting Colby and losing, you already know that Colby will be back in title contention and getting another TS ahead of Shavkat.

 

[MDoza]

Considering that Leon got his title shot by beating lightweights, sitting out for two years, then beating another lightweight..

How can he discredit Belal’s run?

 

[OldBoy91]

Considering that Leon got his title shot by beating lightweights, sitting out for two years, then beating another lightweight..

How can he discredit Belal’s run?

Criticize the competition all you like, but saying he sat out for 2 years is revisionist history.

He had a fights with Woodley, 3 fights with Khamzat, and a fight with Masvidal fall through.

 

[whocares]

Belal is not playing the right game. I guarantee you if he runs up on Leon publicly and sucker punches him, he'll get his title shot

 

[FlyingDeathKick]

I'm sure if Leon has 2 options (Belal or Shavkat) he'll take the Belal fight. Other than that I could see him trying to fight Ian Garry or somebody like that.

 

[Nobru]

Belal x Rakhmonov. Book it Dana.

 

[Question]

If they didn't waste their time giving an undeserved shot to Colby back in December, a fight where he did next to nothing to win it then this Leon/Belal 2 fight would of been over and done with by now.
Seriously just book the bout ASAP, it's been long overdue and keeping both on ice this long is such an odd decision.

 

[Laheys'Liquorland]

Honestly, give belal the shot. Let him win and then make him defend it 2 times in 2024 and 4 times in 2025.

This

 

[RonDante]

they need to get this fight over with. leon was destroying him before the eye poke, let him pick up where he left off

He landed one good kick before leon stabbed belal and made his eye bleed

 

[Uber_Noober]

He should be angry at himself for having a fight style that people don’t care to watch. He should train Swang and Bang and go get some fans.