UFC 310 options 4 present or former champions, however solely two of them are on the principle card with Alexandre Pantoja headlining the occasion and former interim title holder Ciryl Gane taking over Alexander Volkov in a rematch.
In the meantime, former middleweight champion Chris Weidman is the fifth battle of the evening on the early prelims with former bantamweight king Aljamain Sterling two spots afterward the preliminary card. Whereas it typically occasions looks like there’s no actual rhyme or cause to the best way the UFC fills out a bout order, Sterling took offense to his spot on the prelims as arguably the best 135-pounder of all time to not point out his battle towards Movsar Evloev may doubtlessly crown a brand new prime contender within the featherweight division.
Throughout his profession, Matt Brown occupied nearly each spot potential on UFC card, however he admits that being positioned on the prelims at all times rubbed him the incorrect means. That’s why he absolutely understands Sterling’s gripe even when the UFC wasn’t attempting to slight him together with his spot on the cardboard.
“It’s like this — I feel fighters naturally take a look at it as nearly a respect factor,” Brown mentioned on the newest episode of The Fighter vs. The Author. “What do [the UFC] consider us? Once they put us on the principle card, we predict that they assume extra of us. Once they put us on the prelims, you’re feeling such as you’re sort of demoted.
“When it comes to the followers and that’s sort of the promoting level that the UFC will say ‘nicely when you’re when you’re on the ESPN prelims, extra persons are going to observe than the pay-per-view’ or one thing alongside these traces. I don’t assume that actually does it for many fighters. It positively by no means did it for me. I used to be on the prelims, I felt like I used to be being disrespected in a way or simply demoted. I’m not a prelim man!”
Brown says it in all probability feels even worse for Sterling and Weidman as former UFC champions as a result of they reached a plateau that the majority fighters may solely think about.
Now each are buried deep on the cardboard with the present happening on the T-Cell Enviornment in Las Vegas the place the crowds are notoriously late to reach, which implies Sterling and Weidman aren’t prone to compete in entrance of a full home.
“The largest distinction is while you’re on the principle card, there’s extra crowd there and that’s what all of us need,” Brown mentioned. “All of us wish to be in entrance of extra folks, a louder crowd. I’m guessing each different fighter does … I really feel far more comfy in entrance of the most important crowd than sort of scattered, empty seats and folks sort of cheering and going to get their beers and getting settled in, folks strolling in as you’re preventing, issues like that.
“Particularly while you’ve obtained a man like Chris Weidman, who’s a former champion. Aljamain Sterling, who’s a former champion. They really feel like they’re demoted. I assure. I really feel that means after I’d get placed on the prelims. Like I’m demoted, such as you don’t care about me as a lot. Such as you assume I’m on my means out. You’re not transferring me up the cardboard in direction of the principle occasion. That’s the place all of us wish to be. We wish to be in the principle occasion.”
The UFC not often addresses why some fights are decrease on the cardboard than others, and Brown can’t say he’s ever heard any actual perception on how the promotion decides the ultimate bout order for any specific occasion.
That mentioned, notion is actuality and Brown is aware of from private expertise that it bugged him when he obtained positioned on the prelims, particularly throughout a pay-per-view the place the principle card issues a lot.
“What you’re feeling like in your head, you’re working your means up the cardboard,” Brown defined. “Like the primary battle on the cardboard is the white belt and the subsequent battle is blue, and purple and also you wish to be the black belt. Whether or not that’s actually true or not, I don’t assume the UFC really appears at it that means. I don’t assume they’re really like ‘we’re going to place you on the prelims as a result of we don’t such as you otherwise you’re not promoting’ or no matter. I feel there’s a unconscious feeling in each fighter’s head.
“Any time somebody’s a former champion, you’ll assume they might get a predominant card spot only for being a former champion. The featured prelims, I’ve been featured prelims a couple of occasions — you don’t really feel such as you’re a predominant occasion. That’s sort of the best way they promote it like ‘you’re the featured prelim/predominant occasion of the prelims.’ No.”
As a lot because it bothered him to finish up on the prelims now and again, Brown is aware of the job continues to be the identical regardless of if he’s the primary battle of the evening or the ultimate particular person to make the stroll to the octagon.
He’s assured Weidman and Sterling really feel the identical means, however he sympathizes with any in poor health emotions they may have about the place they’re really preventing on Saturday.
“I’ll inform you what, finally you receives a commission the identical until you’re the principle occasion and also you get a bonus,” Brown mentioned. “These guys are getting fights. Movsar [or] Aljamain profitable that is going to be a giant battle.
“You’ve obtained put that shit behind your head and also you’ve obtained to exit and carry out nonetheless. You’ve obtained to neglect about all of the bullshit. That’s what I at all times did.”
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