By: Frank Hyden, MMATorch Senior Columnist
There were no major MMA events this week (apologies to ONE and Oktagon) so I’ll just cover some news and notes.
Manel Kape (22-7) has said on X that he’s not getting the next title
shot against UFC Flyweight Champion Joshua Van (16-2). Kape said that
Tatsuro Taira (18-1) will be getting the fight instead. He didn’t say
when this fight would be made official or when it would take place.
There was a rumor from a few days ago saying that Van vs. Taira would
be happening on April 12th in Miami, Florida. So Kape seems to have
confirmed the fight, if not the actual date and place.
Van vs. Taira would be a heck of a fight, as would Van vs. Kape. I would lean toward Taira beating Van but this isn’t one of those situations where Van winning would be a surprise or shocking in some way. I just know that I’d really like to see this fight.
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Petesy Carroll (insert joke here about him writing this after being
let go by the Raiders) has written an article about Tom Aspinall (15-3, 1 No Contest) that can only truly be described as
disappointing, upsetting, pick whatever euphemism you want for something that really sucks.
Aspinall can’t drive himself anywhere, has had three different eyeglasses prescriptions in three months, blurred vision, vertigo, up
to 32 eyedrops a day, and more. He’s undergone multiple surgeries and
still, nearly four months later, faces the prospect of many more surgeries.
I just hope that the people who doubted him or accused him of quitting
(I would hope that no one is still doing that) think of this the next
time a similar situation arises and they don’t accuse the next person of giving up or worse.
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It’s being reported that the UFC has released Jailton Almeida (22-5).
However, there’s talk that it’s not true.
It’s believable that the UFC would cut a fighter after two losses if they don’t think he’s an exciting fighter. At the same time, though,
heavyweight isn’t exactly the best division in the company.
Anyway, hopefully we get some clarity on this soon.
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I’ve seen some people suggest that the UFC should eliminate the
heavyweight division. Quite frankly, that’s one of the most absurd
things I’ve heard in a while.
Don’t get me wrong, I know the heavyweight division is thin. I’ve been
saying for years something I jokingly call Hyden’s Law “The lighter the fighter, the more exciting the fight.”
However, there’s a contingent of non-fans and casual fans who would
chuckle at two 5’5″ dudes going at it. They want spectacle, they want
to see large dudes going at it.
Now, you might laugh or shake your head at people like that, but it’s
important to remember that there’s also people who defend fighters
like UFC Middleweight Champion Khamzat Chimaev (15-0) and others
laying on top of their opponents and not even trying to win their fights, just not lose.
I understand those are extremes but if I said that the UFC should
strip and release Chimaev, I imagine a fair amount of the people who
would say the UFC should eliminate the heavyweight division would
think I’m the biggest moron in the world.
If Ciryl Gane (13-2, 1 No Contest) didn’t blatantly go knuckles deep
in Tom Aspinall’s eyes in their fight, there would be no discussion at
all about eliminating heavyweight. Either Aspinall wins the fight and
continues dominating the division or Gane wins and the story shifts to
can Aspinall regain the title?
The UFC getting rid of the heavyweight division would be an unbelievably bad decision. It just makes no business sense.
Does the heavyweight division need to improve? Absolutely. The UFC
needs to invest money in all of their divisions. For getting punched
in the face and risking CTE, the fighters aren’t getting paid enough.
This is most evident in the heavier divisions, where you can get paid
more in another sport without as much risk of long term injury. Thus,
Hyden’s Law is fulfilled because the more athletic heavier fighters are going into other sports.
But the idea of eliminating what could be one of, if not the, most
popular divisions in your company is just bad and shouldn’t be seriously entertained.
If you’re a collector (action figures, statues, comics, cards, and
more), you should check out
Nibble on the Toyrat website!
It’s an amazing experience that allows you to catalog your own
collection, search for items you want (across multiple storefronts!),
and buy/sell items with other users! You can even create and order your own custom toys!
It’s an incredible tool that you can use and there’s so much more I
haven’t even mentioned. I would highly recommend that anyone interested in collecting should join. Thank you.
My new epic fantasy book is out. It’s called Kingdom of Zarias: The End’s
Beginning. The exciting epic fantasy series Kingdom of Zarias
returns with the 4th book in the series. After the harrowing events of
Book 3 the residents of the Kingdom of Zarias continue on their paths.
Serena Summers continues to learn and grow as a fighter, desperately
seeking to become stronger before she loses anyone else in her life.
Daniel Summers discovers new parts of the world that open his eyes to
just how little he truly knows. A new hero, Lamar Abeers, arrives to
join the fight against evil. Plus, Zach Summers, Tiana Highsmith, and
Xavien Ekens continue their journeys with their friends, and a new ruler of Vhaharen is crowned. The world has found a little peace.
However, that peace is only temporary. In a shocking act of violence,
the monstrous villain Galren strikes from the shadows and changes the
world forever. This is Book 4 in the series. There’s lots of action, magic, and monsters in the Kingdom of Zarias. It’s like a tabletop game in novel form. It’s on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and many other
places. If you’re interested, I would greatly appreciate it if you would check it out and support me. Thank you very much, have a good day.
Comments and suggestions can be emailed to me at
hydenfrank@gmail.com and you can follow me on Twitter at @hydenfrank.
Thanks for reading and have a good day.
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