The Bottom Line: Pros, Cons of Champion vs. Champion Superfights

Editor’s note: The views and opinions expressed below are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sherdog.com, its affiliates and sponsors or its parent company, Evolve Media.

* * *
There was widespread shock throughout the MMA world on Friday, when the Ultimate Fighting Championship announced that heavyweight titleholder Stipe Miocic and light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier will compete in July at what is frequently one of the promotion’s biggest cards of the year. There had been a little bit of speculation about that fight but not a lot, and the announcement came suddenly with little in the way of advance warning. It’s one of a number of champion-versus-champion matchups that have been floated recently, with bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw vs. flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson and featherweight champion Cristiane Justino vs. bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes also under consideration.

The proliferation of title-versus-title discussion and the potential that the UFC could present a number of them in a short period has created a flashpoint in the debate about the organization’s treatment of championships in recent years. UFC titles have clearly been devalued, and it is clearly harder to create new stars as a result. The question is how much of the blame for that goes to the UFC’s matchmaking, as well as what specifically have been the biggest mistakes. Unpacking the pros and cons of Cormier-Miocic and other champion-versus-champion matchups provides insight into the merits of the UFC’s overall approach. Is Cormier-Miocic a good idea? Well, it’s complicated.

The downsides to title-versus-title fights at this point are obvious. UFC titles are already weak enough, between the increase in divisions, the increase in interim championships and the number of champions giving up titles without defending them. Champion-versus-champion fights by definition end with a champion losing. That usually leads to them returning to their division with a defeat or giving up one title and forcing a title vacancy. Titles desperately need to be built up right now, not sacrificed for short-term profits.

Champion-versus-champion fights also create all sorts of unpleasant choices after they happen. It’s unclear who is interested in fighting in which weight class. Challengers aren’t sure when they’ll get title shots or against whom. It adds chaos to an already chaotic climate. The UFC would benefit right now from increased certainty where fans can easily follow who the best fighters are in each weight class and what individual fighters need to do to reach the top. That creates the stakes in all the fights up and down the card.

There’s also the issue of redundancy. Any booking gimmick diminishes in value the more it is utilized. Looking into a bunch of title-versus-title fights at the same time makes each one seem less special. That’s true even if they’re just being floated and they don’t all come to fruition. Champion-versus-champion fights can be very special if used sparingly, but the keys are patience and discipline. Neither is something UFC matchmaking has exhibited a lot of in recent years.

In spite of all those issues, there certainly are arguments to be made in favor of the various champion-versus-champion fights currently under consideration. It’s not that hard to understand where the UFC is coming from, not only in the sense of making the best fights in the short term but also in looking at the bigger picture. A lot of that comes down to looking at the specific divisions in question.

Even if one objects generally to champion-versus-champion fights except in rare instances, the circumstances do make sense for all three bouts under consideration. Usually with those fights, worthy challengers have to wait and divisions are thrown into disarray regardless of who wins. In these divisions, there aren’t a lot of strong, logical title challengers for a variety of reasons. Champion-versus-champion fights might actually buy time for stronger challengers to emerge, meaning those fights will be bigger by the time they arrive.

In the case of Miocic-Cormier, Miocic has defeated his top three contenders: Francis Ngannou, Alistair Overeem and Fabricio Werdum. Cain Velasquez lingers as a challenge, but injuries have prevented him from competing regularly. Cormier, the former Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix winner, has never lost in the weight class and is a logical heavyweight challenger if not for his light heavyweight commitments. Like Miocic, Cormier doesn’t have a lot of obvious challengers. He already beat Alexander Gustafsson, although they could fight again given how good their first fight was. Cormier likewise took out Volkan Oezdemir. Jon Jones’ future is uncertain. Glover Teixeira is probably the top fresh challenger, but that isn’t a fight for which anyone is clamoring. Not much is sacrificed in a Miocic-Cormier fight.

It’s a similar situation in the case of a “Cyborg”-Nunes bout. There isn’t really a women’s featherweight division to speak of at this point. Megan Anderson is the most intriguing challenger for Justino, but she hasn’t yet fought in the UFC. It would be good for Anderson to be introduced on the big stage before she’s put into a title fight. Meanwhile, the women’s bantamweight division is a mess. Top fighters have retired or moved to other divisions. Raquel Pennington and Ketlen Vieira are probably the top title contenders. It goes without saying Nunes against either of them wouldn’t draw well on pay-per-view.

The prospective title-versus-title fight with the biggest downside is Dillashaw-Johnson. That’s because it would jam up the bantamweight division, which is full of intriguing contenders in Cody Garbrandt, Dominick Cruz, Jimmie Rivera and Marlon Moraes. Moreover, if Dillashaw beats Johnson, he might not want to continue fighting at flyweight and that title would be diminished, as has occurred with Conor McGregor and Georges St. Pierre. However, there are no such concerns with Johnson, who has cleaned out the 125-pound weight class. A superfight feels like the logical next move for him.

That there are logical reasons to justify the individual fights under consideration doesn’t necessarily negate the larger concerns at play. Compromising broader principles can create a lot of trouble over time in the world of MMA matchmaking. However, sometimes a fun fight is just a fun fight and the fallout doesn’t end up being as much of a problem as you imagined.

Todd Martin has written about mixed martial arts since 2002 for a variety of outlets, including CBSSports.com, SI.com, ESPN.com, the Los Angeles Times, MMApayout.com, Fight Magazine and Fighting Spirit Magazine. He has appeared on a number of radio stations, including ESPN affiliates in New York and Washington, D.C., and HDNet’s “Inside MMA” television show. In addition to his work at Sherdog.com, he does a weekly podcast with Wade Keller at PWTorch.com and blogs regularly at LaTimes.com. Todd received his BA from Vassar College in 2003 and JD from UCLA School of Law in 2007 and is a licensed attorney. He has covered UFC, Pride, Bellator, Affliction, IFL, WFA, Strikeforce, WEC and K-1 live events. He believes deeply in the power of MMA to heal the world and bring happiness to all of its people.