Spring Madness

The storylines across the UFC are beginning to heat up and are set to bring us spring madness and major noise as we enter the final stretch of February and the end of the brunt of winter. The sun is shining bright over the UFC as we just witnessed a jaw-dropping moment at UFC 298, and prep for more jaw-droppers with 299 and 300 nearing in the distance ahead. I recently updated the blog with what went down at 298, but we still have so many headlines and talking points to run. The slate is full on this piece. No time to waste- let's run it.

Kayla Harrison has officially reached the pinnacle of MMA competition. Finally, she makes the jump to the UFC. The promotion has now signed two major talents in Michael "Venom" Page and the most dominant woman fighter, outside of the UFC, Kayla Harrison. I was the first one to jump up and roar The Rock's "finally" across the room. For awhile now, Harrison has yapped that she is the best women's MMA fighter on the planet without taking the opportunity to fight the most dangerous names in the sport. Now, she is ready to PROVE that she is the best in the world.

I don't degrade anything that Harrison has done. She is a workhorse, a Double-Olympic, Gold medalist winning judo champion who made a dominant name for herself in the PFL. I think the addition of Harrison is massive for the UFC and their women's division. The big name talent across the division is dwindling with Nunes retired, Namajunas past her prime, and Shevchenko nearing the end of her prime and less active. The top two pound-for-pound fighters right now are Alexa Grasso and Zhang Weili. The rest of the rankings are good to great fighters, but not strong attractions. UFC needs to build the division back up with the Nunes/Shevchenko era now a thing of the past. Harrison is a great signing. She already has a established name wth being a Gold medalist and dominating the PFL's women division until her loss to Larissa Pacheco. I am excited to see her prepare to take on the best comp' in MMA.

Harrison is a great MMA talent, but you aren't the best until you beat the best. Soon, I may no longer have to hold that against her. Just fighting in the UFC won't change that narrative. Harrison has a ways to go, but finally, she begins to pave her road to prove her self-proclamation. Her first task is set: UFC legend Holly Holm at 300. For those who degrade Holly Holm because she isn't Amanda Nunes- go kick rocks. Holm has been an icon for women in MMA, boxing, and kickboxing. One of the all-time great competitors who gave us one of the more shocking and awesome moments ever with her finish of the undefeated Ronda Rousey. Have Holm's fights been exciting lately? No they haven't, but that gives no right to cry about this booking. Holm and Harrison are not the main-event of 300. Won't even be on the main card. This is a great nod to Holm, whom at 42, can have a possible retirement fight at the promotion's prestigious 300th installment. Holm is also a good opp for Harrison to get her feet wet in the UFC. I think it's good they are going a different route than the one with Michael Chandler. Ease her in. Who knows... Holm could have another iconic moment in her. Time to find out what Harrison is about on the grand stage.

Speaking of UFC 300; we have our main-event locked in for the packed card. Alex Pereira will defend his UFC Light Heavyweight strap against the man who had to vacate the title, Jamahal Hill. The reaction to this announcement was as I figured it would be. The crybabies that didn't get their McGregor fight, or the best fantasy fight they want, will stop the tears within minutes of these two going to war. This matchup has some intriguing storylines and is sure to pack a punch to feed the appetite of fight fans around the globe.

Hill gets his shot to reclaim his throne atop the LHW division seven months after vacating the strap due to rupturing his Achilles tendon. Pereira looks to slay back-to-back former champions in their return fights from vacating the LHW belt (Procházka). Pereira also will look to avenge his friend, Glover Teixeira, who Hill smashed for the title before vacating it. This fight packs some major noise. I'd be shocked if it went the full five rounds. Both guys have unreal power. Some of you folks are downgrading Hill's power. That's not smart, especially if you are placing money on those feelings. If Adesanya can shut AP's lights out- you can bet your tail that "Sweet Dreams" Hill can as well. Obviously I don't need to elaborate on Pereira's power. This should be a slobber-knocker.

It will come down to the shape of Hill and his mind space. I have no worries on Pereira. He is always game; always working. Programmed to fight and to better himself. He is the definition of locked-in. The Kobe of fighting. I don't have that same confidence in Hill. Outside of some personal issues during his recovery, coming back from an injury is tough. Becomes even more tough when you aren't in the very best shape. Hopefully he can lock in and put the right stuff in his body and mind. Hill came from the bottom- he's overcome adversity before. This is a huge moment for him. Hill has the potential to beat AP if he returns to the form he was when he won the belt. Just a matter of removing the toxins in his life. I am pumped for this bout. The fact a Grand Rapids native is main-eventing UFC 300 is so badass. Shoutout to that.

We have quite the debacle regarding the Heavyweight division and the booking of the title. We will surpass one full year in March of not seeing the UFC Heavyweight belt be defended. Why? Because the UFC didn't force Jon Jones to vacate the belt after he unfortunately withdrew from his 295 headliner with Stipe Miocic due to having surgery to repair a torn pectoral tendon. Seems like a harsh way to put that sentence; allow me to clarify my feelings on this.

I hate interim title belts. They are used to camouflage poor management. The heavyweight division has been poorly managed. Jon Jones keeping the title after his injury holds up the entire division. Now it gets worse as he claims he only wants to defend his belt against 41-year old Miocic and is willing to wait longer for that to come to fruition. Holding up the division more and more while the interim champion Tom Aspinall waits holding his thumbs. We are allowing a title holder to dictate how the division is to run because he wants a silly legacy fight. Strip him and make that fight whenever you want. Sure as hell doesn't need the title involved. This is silly.

My issue isn't with the UFC not "forcing" Jones to vacate. My issue is with Jones dictating who his opponent will be in his first defense. I also am tired of the interim title nonsense. There is nothing good that comes from it. Jiří Procházka vacating the LHW belt while he recovered from injury is the exact way of doing things. Same with Jamahal Hill. I think it needs to be a standard. You have the fighter vacate the belt to continue the flow of the division and allow fighters not to waste any career time waiting. The fighter who vacated the belt then immediately gets a shot for the belt in their return fight. I believe that is how things should be handled... on every instance of this matter. Routine it should be.

We are seeing some of that Jon Bones behavior sponge on to Suga Sean O'Malley in terms of wanting to fight guys to his own please. We can only blame Islam Makhachev for this, by the way. Luckily, it's really just banter from O'Malley. We get to see him defend the Bantamweight belt in a rematch against Marlon "Chito" Vera. The perfect booking for his first title defense and it's next up on the PPV schedule, baby.

Realistically, Merab Dvalishvili and Corey Sandhagen are above Chito Vera on the ladder, but Chito gets the title shot for his very notable history with the current champion. Vera took O'Malley's zero in the record books, rather fans like it or not. Can't change the books. Not only does he technically hold the lone win over Suga on his resume, but the two guys hate each other... well, despises one another. For Chito, he gets the opportunity to finish what he started with O'Malley, while winning UFC gold in the process. For the champ, he gets the opportunity to shut the door on the last thing holding him back from reaching the next level of his soar. To shut the door and eliminate that negative time from his mind, forever. The first nominee for Best Sell of the year comes on the final PPV before 300. We should also get one helluva press conference and stare-down(s) as well. 18 more days.

The new champ has spoken. He wants to bring the UFC to Spain to defend his strap. The former champ has spoken as well. He wants his strap back; and would love to visit Spain. I say run it back. Without a question. Volk held his foot on the division's throat for five years until he was finally slayed. Max Holloway got the deserved automatic-rematch; so should Volkanovski.

Running this back in Topuria's home-nation of Spain would be box office noise. From shining knight to the King defending his throne with a ravage wolverine seeking revenge. The former champion is the first one raising his hand for that booking:

video via UFC on TNT Sports//X

I have my hand raised with him. Sign me up forsho. Denying Volk his rematch clause would be nasty after he stepped up and saved UFC 294. A decision that has altered his career and place as pound-for-pound king. It really would be nasty. Topuria is going to have to deal with it, besides his little call out of Conor McGregor will never happen.

The reality of Conor McGregor returning to the Octagon seems to lose legitimacy as each month goes by. I don't think it will happen. I have felt that for some time now. My reasonings finally aligned with someone more credible. Both Dana White and Matt Brown spoke on the McGregor return matter, and both said what I have been thinking. Conor is too rich to create the motivation to fight again. Here's what Dana had to say at a presser:

video via MMA Fighting//X

People don't get what all entails in fighting on the most elite stage. Everything else gets tossed out the window. That can even include time with family in most cases. Fighters have to give everything to reach the highest level; there can't be any "distractions". People try and talk about McGregor's "ego" being in play. Yes, it is, but not in the matter you think. Conor has to be the best. It's what got him to be a double-champ. It's what helped him shoot the sport to the clouds. If he is booked for a fight, he aims to conquer and can only do that with training under no distractions. That can't happen anymore for him, in my opinion. He's a family man that adds kids like a shoe collection. He just filmed a movie that comes with other strings and obligations. He's also filthy rich & likes to have fun.

Conor knows he isn't winning a title again. He's no fool, you keep that in mind. Very intelligent. Knowing he won't fight for a belt again, and that he has nothing else to really prove, besides a trilogy, what would give him motivation to fight again? He is filthy rich. He accomplished more in the fight game than anyone in that regard. I think he's grown well past it. Matt Brown had the perfect words for it:

Would I love for the Mac to return? Of course. I just don't see it happening and have no desire in holding my breath for it to happen. I seriously think there is more a chance of him showing up to WWE than returning to the UFC. That doesn't take the level of effort knowing he would never be a year round talent for them (house shows etc.). I guess all we can do now is wait and see. Won't be holding my breath though. Neither should you. Neither should Michael freakin' Chandler.

Ilia Topuria's knockout victory at 298 shook up my pound-for-pound list in a big way. With Topuria's dub and Dricus du Plessis' dub over Sean Strickland, I have a whole new top-15. Checkout my updated list as you finish this piece:

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