Lengthy earlier than Jon Jones held up the heavyweight title, the UFC stripped their champions months after profitable the belt.
There’s been plenty of discuss recently about UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones doubtlessly being stripped of his title as he has but to unify towards interim champion Tom Aspinall.
Aspinall gained the interim belt 555 days in the past and he has been patiently ready for the Jones battle to come back to fruition ever since. In Jones’ absence, Aspinall defended his interim belt against Curtis Blaydes final summer time whereas Jones went on to battle and retire a 42-year-old Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 in November.
Jones, who was previously stripped of his light heavyweight title on multiple occasions, didn’t appear to care about his heavyweight title doubtlessly being stripped in a recent update on the Aspinall fight.
Three months earlier than Jones was stripped of the sunshine heavyweight title (for a 3rd time) in 2017, on account of a optimistic drug take a look at for the steroid Turinabol, the UFC stripped a champion who was thought-about to be one of many worst in firm historical past.
Germaine de Randamie misplaced UFC title as a result of she refused to battle Cris Cyborg
Germaine de Randamie turned the inaugural UFC girls’s featherweight champion at UFC 208 in Jan. 2017 when she defeated Holly Holm in a controversial resolution.
On the time, Cris Cyborg was the plain #1 contender for the title with two TKO wins within the UFC and a 16-fight unbeaten streak.
De Randamie refused to battle Cyborg due to a earlier drug take a look at for Cyborg, one which noticed her suspended for a yr in 2012 after testing optimistic for an anabolic steroid. Cyborg was also exempt from a USADA suspension in 2017 following a optimistic take a look at for the drug Spironolactone, a generally used masking agent for steroids that she used for a ‘medical situation’.
In June 2017, 4 months after de Randamie gained the title, the UFC stripped her of the featherweight title.
“UFC has knowledgeable Germaine de Randamie and her administration crew that she is being eliminated as the ladies’s featherweight champion on account of her unwillingness to battle the No. 1 ranked contender, Cris ‘Cyborg’ Justino,” the UFC stated in a statement.
“UFC maintains that any champion is anticipated to just accept fights towards the highest contenders of their respective weight lessons so as to keep the integrity of the game.”
Following the information, de Randamie advised MMA Fighting she had ‘completely no concept’ she was being stripped of the belt and discovered via social media.
UFC stripped Nicco Montano proper after she withdrew from Valentina Shevchenko title protection
In the identical yr Jones and de Randamie had been stripped of their titles, Nicco Montaño gained the inaugural girls’s flyweight championship in ‘The Final Fighter 26’ with a win over Roxanne Modafferi in Dec. 2017.
10 months later, the 4-2 Montaño was set to defend her title towards #1 contender and former title challenger Valentina Shevchenko within the co-main occasion of UFC 228 in Sep. 2018.
In the end, Montaño wouldn’t make it to the battle as she was hospitalized earlier than weigh-ins on account of well being issues.
Montaño was stripped of her belt instantly after, and she said the UFC’s move was ‘completely uncalled for’, citing, ‘There have been loads of different fighters who haven’t been punished for lots extra’.
Montaño additionally acknowledged she had requested for a battle in October, a month later, claiming she was ‘compelled to just accept the date’ at UFC 228 or threat being stripped.
Previous to the title battle being cancelled on the last-minute, Shevchenko expressed doubts Montano would make it to the Octagon, and he or she was proper.
