jimufctna24 Posted February 26 Posted February 26 Team based MMA leagues have never really appealed to me. For example, I never got into the International Fight League. Quote
Paid Members Egg Shen Posted March 1 Author Paid Members Posted March 1 Never a dull moment when Arman Tsarukyan is about, here is throwing punches in an RAF match last night. Quote
Paid Members Egg Shen Posted March 5 Author Paid Members Posted March 5 Just another wrinkle to the story: Quote
kev2050 Posted March 6 Posted March 6 (edited) Tom is never fighting again in the UFC is he 😥. Edit - I feel like I just also need to add - fuck the UFC. I wouldn't blame Tom. In the slightest if he never fought for them again, he's been treated like shit. Just from a completely selfish standpoint I just want to watch him fight regularly. Edited March 6 by kev2050 Quote
Paid Members Carbomb Posted March 6 Paid Members Posted March 6 I would hope, with Hearn in his corner, he'll have the resources to bring a lot more legal pressure to bear on TKO to either let him fight or get him out of his contract. With Frank Warren also bringing a lawsuit, it might turn the tide a bit. I think that might be the one thing Plastic Caesar and TKO have never really dealt with: boxing promoters are probably more experienced and more cut-throat at being sharks than they are, because they themselves have never really had to contend with that type of competition before. The likes of Warren and Hearn have had decades of chicanery against the likes of King, Maloney, Arum, etc. More importantly, they're not scared of the likes of White/TKO, and won't be cowed easily. Could be overstating this, of course, but at the very least I'd like to believe it's a factor. Quote
Paid Members Egg Shen Posted March 6 Author Paid Members Posted March 6 The Ngannou experiment is over. A bit of a disaster for the PFL overall? Quote
Paid Members wandshogun09 Posted March 6 Paid Members Posted March 6 Yep. Free agent. The UFC could bring him back tomorrow. Dana’s gonna block it though most likely. Or maybe Eddie Hearn signs him just to stop the UFC getting him back. It’s all happening. Quote
jimufctna24 Posted March 6 Posted March 6 So no Nemkov vs Ngannou then. What a waste of time Ngannou's PFL stint was. The same will probably be said of Nemkov's PFL stint too. Ngannou vs Aspinall promoted by Matchroom incoming! Quote
Paid Members wandshogun09 Posted March 6 Paid Members Posted March 6 12 minutes ago, jimufctna24 said: Ngannou vs Aspinall promoted by Matchroom incoming! Would be hilarious but no way it can happen with Aspinall under UFC lock and key. If Dana has anything resembling braincells left in 2026 (and I know it’s debatable) he’ll be on the blower to Ngannou’s people immediately. Or at least get someone to call who Francis doesn’t hate. Put all the past aside and do what’s right. The UFC Heavyweight division is on life support at the moment. Ngannou alone wouldn’t fix all the division’s problems but it would certainly help keep things afloat for a bit if you had Aspinall, Ngannou and maybe Jones around. As well as Pereira who’s clearly moving up. Those four at the top is better than what we’ve had for the last few years. Even if Jones will most likely just duck Aspinall and Ngannou like he has been forever. Even if you just get Jones vs Pereira out of him, you could get some mileage out of Aspinall, Ngannou and Pereira all fighting each other. Three big names, three devastating finishers and all would be fresh fights. But Dana’s gonna tell Francis to fuck off isn’t he? Because balls to what’s good for the sport. Sod what fans want. Dana doesn’t like him so we can’t have it. Master promoter. Quote
jimufctna24 Posted March 6 Posted March 6 8 minutes ago, wandshogun09 said: Would be hilarious but no way it can happen with Aspinall under UFC lock and key. I haven't checked, but is Aspinall under long-term contract to Zuffa? If not, then surely the money that Matchroom would likely pay him to fight on their shows would tempt him to leave the UFC once his contract expires? I recall that he has entertained boxing bouts in the past. Quote
Dai Posted March 6 Posted March 6 As Ebb said, this was a disaster for PFL, and a disaster for name fighters thinking they have any clout to fight for mega money in places other than the UFC. If someone as big as Francis cant make it work, then they're not going to try with anyone else, surely. Has to be seen as a big win for Dana too, unfortunately. Can you imagine the smugness of them offering Francis a derisory offer, or something that is even less than what he rejected when he decided to leave? Unfortunately I can see that happening, as there's absolutely no incentive now for the UFC to offer huge money when they aren't even on PPV any more. Quote
Paid Members Carbomb Posted March 6 Paid Members Posted March 6 What exactly happened with Ngannou, though? Was it him refusing matches, or did they simply not book the matches for him? Quote
Paid Members wandshogun09 Posted March 6 Paid Members Posted March 6 10 minutes ago, jimufctna24 said: I haven't checked, but is Aspinall under long-term contract to Zuffa? If not, then surely the money that Matchroom would likely pay him to fight on their shows would tempt him to leave the UFC once his contract expires? I recall that he has entertained boxing bouts in the past. Sorry I thought you meant Ngannou vs Aspinall on a Matchroom card could be next. It’s amazing how many people seem to think this Hearn and Aspinall news means Aspinall is a Matchroom boxer now when Eddie is actually just his manager not his promoter. I don’t think Aspinall’s on a mega long term contract with the UFC. Pretty sure I heard someone reputable say he’s got two fights left on his current deal. But he’s also the UFC champion so I’m not sure how that would affect things. Might be just a case of Aspinall vacating the belt if he’s still champ in two fights time. I think the way Dana has handled him post the Gane eye poke fight has really soured Aspinall on the UFC as a whole. Fences could probably be mended if Dana wasn’t an absolute shitbag piece of shit but he is so they won’t be. And now with Hearn involved I’m fully expecting the Dana/Aspinall relationship to get more and more fractured and he’ll probably be off to Boxing by this time next year. Sad really. He’s the best thing the UFC Heavyweight division has going for it and he’s gonna end up walking. Quote
jimufctna24 Posted March 6 Posted March 6 19 minutes ago, wandshogun09 said: Sorry I thought you meant Ngannou vs Aspinall on a Matchroom card could be next. It’s amazing how many people seem to think this Hearn and Aspinall news means Aspinall is a Matchroom boxer now when Eddie is actually just his manager not his promoter. My mistake Wand, I should have been clearer Imagine the UFC Heavyweight division without Aspinall or Ngannou 😄 Quote
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