UFC 30 on ESPN 8/28/21 Barboza vs Chikadze

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Added to Calendar: 08-28-21

John Lee Pettimore

Further south than you
May 18, 2021
6,302
6,762
Why the fuck is Zhang getting a rematch? I like her as a fighter but she got KTFO cleanly. Too bad Suarez is always hurt. She is the only threat to Rose IMO.
I had a quick look at the rankings.

Champ: Rose
#1: Zhang
#2: Joanna
#3: Carla Esparza
#4: Yan Xiaonan
#5: Mackenzie Dern (Booooooooooo!)


So the next in line would be Joanna, but she is 0-2 vs Rose and 0-3 vs the top two contenders, so she needs at least another couple of wins. Tough to get a shot at the champ when you're 0-2 against her including a KO1.

Yan is coming off a loss to Esparza, so she's out of the running for the moment.

Dern has never beaten a top 5 contender.

So really, the only choices are Zhang or Esparza.

On the merits, Esparza clearly deserves the shot. She even has a W over (14 year old) Rose. But really, who wants to book that fight? Is Esparza's own mother even hyped to see her get a title shot? She's a grinder with no power in her strikes (very little striking game at all), and she may be the p4p single least charismatic and dynamic personality in the org. And the reality is, that's a part of it.

Meanwhile, Zhang is a fan friendly action fighter who opens the Chinese market to WME. It makes sense for them to give her the shot.

Agreed on Suarez being a very legit and credible threat to whoever wears the belt....... if she can make it through three consecutive training sessions without needing surgery.

??