Should Robert Whittaker be stripped of UFC title? | UFC 234 | Ariel & The Bad Guy

[@BlackwingsProphet]

People saying Robert Whittaker should be stripped are crazy this man went 10 Rounds with Yoel Romero no man at MW is more deserving of the belt then Bobby knuckles

[@mrjasonsensation9849]

No 10 round fights in the history of mma dumb ass, he was scared to fight and backed out, if he is having a hernia surgery he has had a hernia they do not happen over night, he has this problem before weigh ins he robbed the fans of money and a fight they paid for, he should be put on a shelf and give his belt up until he can fight for it in order to get it back, period

[@tianapyre2837]

Non title fight second time!

[@slicvm]

Romero is overhyped. He's too much of a bitch to face Costa.

[@BlackwingsProphet]

@@mrjasonsensation9849 you're so f****** stupid I'm not sure I want to waste facts on somebody too ignorant to understand them but I'll enlighten you Robert went two 5 round fights with Romero 2 x 5 is 10 so next time think before you comment

[@harveylove202]

Jason Sensation My eyes hurt from reading your uneducated thoughts on this very sport, never mind how seriously stupid you come across when it comes to the human body. Paraesophageal hernias usually have no symptoms, but can come on at any time. Low blood flow from cutting weight to quickly can cause a sudden onset of a paraesophageal hernia. So next time you want to spread falsehoods, try picking up a book or go back to school and get any type of education, so you don’t come across as a dullard.

[@grays617]

Lol... He last fought in June settle down. Funny how McGregor had the belt for 17months without defending 😂

[@Yahowah777]

Yep and now they are talking about an interim belt opportunity for Conor lol. How ridiculous is that.

[@esfitnesspro2455]

Which made it a joke and why he should be stripped

[@juzrhyme712]

Mcgregor is god, so he is allowed to do anything, cause he's funny, but the rest of the guys should not get chances

[@jektonoporkins5025]

Eric Massey And that's the whole problem with this sport. Title fights should be the best fighters against the best fighters, not the best moneymakers against the best moneymakers

[@robertmead6543]

I like watching McGregor fight but no single fighter should hold a division hostage. Defend or vacate.

[@robbmckenzie5940]

Get well soon Rob. all the best with your recovery.

[@MaFra-gc7vr]

Even if he gets well he'll still pull out.

[@readcastor2977]

@G Said nobody but you. Have some fucking respect!

[@readcastor2977]

@@MaFra-gc7vr oh yeah then why did he not "pull out" fighting Yoel Romero twice in one year??? You fucking dumb dipshits you two are!

[@AnnexF]

Forget the belt! I wish Rob good health and speedy recovery. Best of luck Champ.

[@gordonliangmagic9292]

He literally is in surgery and you’re talking about stripping him. C’mon

[@bkmessiah1068]

it's lies

[@immaculateperception557]

Gordonliangmagic calm ur ass down rumor is he had it before the weigh ins but he thought it wasn’t that serious, do u really think it just magically happened? How the fuck does he get a hernia hours before the fight lol was he lifting a fridge?

[@supremeleaderarmy9164]

@@bkmessiah1068 Shut up with your fake news and go back to the desk at the daily bugle

[@jstiles1659]

Whatever, Other fighters waiting for their opportunities

[@TheLosclan]

jew

[@Topher_1551]

Why is this being talked about. HELLL no he shouldn’t be stripped

[@immaculateperception557]

Liberals are GAY that’s a real liberal mindset

[@1matrixman328]

Hes stripped its bull crap no fair

[@negative949]

news cycle...they have to have something to talk about...no matter how ridiculous the subject matter is...

[@thecurious926]

But its so fucking irritating. There is always some problem with him.

[@paleo704]

He sucks. Strip him

[@Tbone1492]

Ariel vs Cerrone

[@MafiaboysWorld]

That's why Ariel's not at 234, Cerrone would put him in an abandoned mineshaft in the outback here. 😎

[@MafiaboysWorld]

@HM Fitness Mate, Ariel would be on milk cartons around here, guaranteed. 👍 Either that or our government would deport him for being an illegal alien and he'd end up on Manus Island.

[@phillipdelfmoore6716]

ive already seen ariel cry 2 the world once i dont want to see it again pls 😢😭🤤💯

[@t.j.watson7112]

Ariel for the easy win,,1st round knocked out

[@rorywynhoff1549]

No, not his fault. Where is honor in this sport any more?

[@_Noluv]

Fuck outa here... he’s pulled out of main events in his own country multiple times and hasn’t fought since Yoel... he’s a good dude and humble but he needs to be stripped if he can’t stay healthy. Winner of Silva and Adesanya should fight Kelvin for the belt and Robert can fight the winner of that

[@frankscales382]

Be real hell no you cut strip! A$$!

[@ExaltedXero]

@gerardo mexico Relax bud you need to understand that he began feeling pain and when he went to get checked by the doctor THEN they found out. IT's not like he was planning it beforehand. It's a god damn hernia and they wouldn't let a fighter go out there to fight when it could be fatal.

[@goatedcrafty7733]

@@_Noluv Robert fought a lot of killers just to be the champ. Shut the fuck up.

[@ExaltedXero]

@gerardo mexico Agreed. :) hopefully he gets better soon.

[@Yaziiir]

He fought yoel romero.... TWICE!!! although romero missed weight he should have given another 2 belts for fighting that monster twice. so give the man a little repect and do a interim belt. but dont strip him because he got hurt (and once while fighting that monster the 2nd time)!

[@robbiesantos7677]

Strip him, he knew he had a hernia well in advance. Should be backed out earlier

[@UNCLEBILLYTEE]

@@robbiesantos7677 you have no idea how a hernia works you pleb, I seriously wonder how you uneducated dumb fucks get through life

[@thebee9907]

No he should not be stripped. But Kelvin Gastelum should be stripped of that fake belt he keeps walking around with.

[@al-mcevoy]

The One It came out that it was Cejudo's belt

[@omarnieves2030]

I believe this fight tonight should be the low low price of Free

[@stevenmontovani1638]

Not sure if it's worth paying that

[@theangrycheeto]

I'm not even sure if it would be worth watching at the low low price of free.

[@AP-bo1if]

let's be honest, we only really wanted to see Adesanya vs Silva. the Whitaker vs Gastelum fight was considered a bonus.

[@deucespades9416]

especially how it went tonight, trash

[@theangrycheeto]

@@AP-bo1if the whole card was garbage. So disappointed. Poor aussies, man.

[@mick7727]

No, but don't let him defend in Australia. He's cursed.

[@komokeo]

Damon Hargrave If 3 is a curse then what is Khabib vs Tony

[@vaibhavnegi6637]

@Damon Hargrave *How about 4?Khabib vs Tony?

[@MichaelP-ke1tm]

@@SinicizedTurk They both pulled out 2 times

[@alfredogonzalez2576]

@@Banana_Split_Cream_Buns rockhold is going up,he will try to defeat Jon Jones,but try is the only thing he will be able to do

[@jynxdezyns5933]

Ariel comparing your mate riding a motorcycle to someone defending a UFC belt after surgery is probably the most ignorant comment i've ever heard you make.

[@mr.porkchop6377]

ikr! coz riding a motorcycle is the same as mma training and fighting. lol

[@JoesAutoElectric]

Wittaker should not be stripped for something out of his control. Wow, people come on! Ferguson was never the real champ anyway. If they should do anything, they should get rid of the BS interim titles. This is not the WWE. Make MMA great again and keep it real. And another thing they should do is make rankings actually mean something. These are things that should be done. Stop getting on a guy who was rushed into surgery.

[@innertubez]

I mostly agree with your comment, except for this part: "Ferguson was never the real champ anyway." That statement is more of an argument against having interim titles in the first place, not an argument in favor of stripping Tony of the interim title he earned when the UFC (for better or worse) decided to have this thing called "interim champ."

[@W3STSID303]

how many fights he have in the last 2 years?

[@stevenlee4831]

Idk why they say he should be strip for his title what if he was to fight that night and die what then oh he shouldn't be fighting that like wtf people are such hilarious people.

[@OrlandoHernandez-bo9tm]

They should strip khabob then because he is choosing to stay out until November when he has the opportunity to fight in April

[@Fireblaze15]

It was a fuckin hernia. Whittaker is a bitch.

[@Amzyy]

No he shouldn't be stripped, he'll be back real soon. Izzy vs Silva winner waits until Whittaker and Kelvin fight then they fight for the undisputed

[@immaculateperception557]

A M negative! Winner of that fight goes against Kelvin for the interim title

[@profileone5655]

He’s been champ for over 500 days and haven’t defended the belt yet

[@willrichardson8140]

Stolen From Africa you’re so dumb i see u everywhere talking the worst shit

[@willrichardson8140]

Profile One he defended it against yoel...

[@profileone5655]

Will Richardson wasn’t a title fight cause Yoel missed weight . They should just declare gastelum the interim champ .

[@3rdSanderson]

Ariel hiding from cowboy in studio

[@rcoh4]

@@theangrycheeto Poor people hate jews.

[@borisbadenov9863]

@@rcoh4 They like to be called dermatologists.

[@artcarmona8592]

Ariel is right he noes ufc is bullshit and only promotes McGregor as a star what about all other fighters that deserve fame...ufc has become a fuckin joke there is so many champs that deserve more promotion but only give one person big money fights thats bullshit spread the word i love alote of fighters but only McGregor can make big bucks thats bullshit

[@ShayanKhanbazzinga]

@@MrWulfric1 mate stop copying your Lord McGregor! If you dont like Ariel, don't bring religion into this...

[@zafmo9829]

@@MrWulfric1 he's inbred.

[@crxerz]

he probably pretend to be hurt cause kelvin has ringworms/herpes

[@almostafa4725]

lmao

[@glendurrant3988]

Boris l - haha...nice one!! 😂👍

[@AlvaroPerez-ox7ul]

i would

[@haha5809]

kevins neck

[@marcillioficino4663]

Yea, I saw something wiggling on his neck.

[@loveforthe90s]

The guy fight Romero twice, wins both. Out for 4 weeks, belt stripped? 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@ashketchup9555]

"won both"? lol maybe the first one

[@Yahowah777]

No he shouldn't be stripped. They are bloody talking about giving Conor an interim title shot and what has he done to deserve that? I wouldn't be surprised if they do strip him.

[@artcarmona8592]

Fuck ufc it is becoming bogus lets not support them money wise i cant believe they stripping him and letting McGregor and cowboy fight for belt what a ficking joke

[@MMA-CLIPS2]

Yeah man it's an absolute shambles. I love mma and most of my favourite fighters are in the UFC but it's really difficult to respect the company anymore.

[@grecomaori9056]

Its black and white. Tony was stripped because he was the 'interim champ'. Interim champs are next in line for the real title shot, if you cant fight as 'interim' then you are stripped. Nunes wasn't stripped because she was the Undisputed Champion.

[@boblarry7879]

Beat me to it.

[@madjune123]

Stripped because of a hernia?

[@jayluis189]

@Sagacious 🤦‍♂️ Those interims, you dumbass..

[@tommyg879]

That niko montano chick got stripped quick

[@madjune123]

@Sagacious Tony and colby weren't real undisputed champions

[@readcastor2977]

@@madjune123 Yes but his point is valid. No clue what Dana or UFC will do honestly. But he 100% should NOT be stripped.

[@madjune123]

@Sagacious GSP vacated the belt so Whittaker was promoted to the Undisputed Champ.

[@Precisionmagert]

It's a very cold world we live in for people to automatically want to strip him of his belt because of a medical emergency he had overnight he had no control over that he's not known to not show up to press conferences weigh-ins this is something that the UFC really needs to take a look at

[@jesusduarte1271]

Tbh yes. Not defending the belt for over a year u should be stripped

[@Amzyy]

Jesus Duarte stfu he shouldn't be stripped u twat

[@mmaboxing8674]

he defended it in June vs Romero and had to have a surgery

[@mick7727]

Starting now, amirite? Edit : this was sarcasm, meatheads.

[@biggiesmalls5895]

Jesus Duarte mate stfu he defended the belt in June who deserves a title shot in mw ??? Exactly

[@supremeleaderarmy9164]

Go back to your xbox child

[@neveroffended45]

Wow not even out of surgery yet and ppl are already calling for Whittaker to be stripped ? That's some fn bullshit straight up..

[@darrensmith9980]

Dumbest thing I’ve ever heard, Rob will back in no time because he’s a true champion

[@ashketchup9555]

he pulled out due to his herniated pussy

[@RollinRocker]

Even a year's too long. A champ should have to fight every 6 to 9 months not once a year.

[@johnrogers1133]

Every fighter should fight every 3-4 months. At least 4 times a year minimum.

[@Kelz_vee]

I'm guessing you've never fought before, 3-4 months at that level of competition is just ridiculous, it can take at least 3-4 months to recover from 1 fight

[@jorald1230]

@@Kelz_vee not to mention some medical suspension ca get 6 months or more. But I do agree that there should be some kind of timeline and what type of injury can exclude from the rule. Sometimes they didn't stripped a fighter for a year because of injury then without any reason didn't strip someone who didn't fight for almost 2 years without any good reason.

[@johnrogers1133]

@@Kelz_vee Well of course it should depend on how much damage the fighter sustained but if the fighter wins easily without much damage he should fight asap.

[@zavodszkiabel7919]

@@johnrogers1133 At least 4 times is fucking nuts. Not a lot of people can fight more than 3 times a year with 100% not everyone is Cowboy. IMO 3 fights a year if the fighter is healthy shouls be the norm regardless of his champ status or nah.

[@adammckenzie8769]

After the wars and I mean wars that rob has put on!! His straight up personality of not causing any probs, not backing down from a challenge and still fighting Romero when he missed weight, the guy deserves to still be champ it’s unforeseen circumstances and he had double surgery so it’s legit he’s not backing away from a fight for nothing and he hosted the ultimate fighter for them!!! No way they strip him and he’ll fight again mths before June (12 mth mark)... and I’m the same as a lot are commenting I’ve lost respect for kelvin walking around with the belt declaring himself champ with Henry ceudo belt!!! Came across like a disrespectful bitch to be honest ... one hand says get well rob then two faces and says he forfeited the belt and his now champ!! Was a real piece of shit move if u ask me!!!

[@artcarmona8592]

Fuck ufc rules are always changing. No more paying for fights lets hurt them were it counts no cash for bullshit fights like cow boy and mcgregor what a joke

[@MMA-CLIPS2]

@@artcarmona8592 I've never once paid for a UFC event but watch them all in vivid HD. Take that Dana

[@SincereDoper]

obviously no... what a dumb question to even be asking. if he's out for 4+ months you have kelvin and israel fight for the interim title and the winner fights rob for the undisputed title. if rob is back and ready in 3 months or less you just have him and kelvin fight and the winner will fight israel. this isn't complicated and dipshit questions like this shouldn't even exist.

[@jeremycrowe234]

Black and white yes set the rules. No don’t strip Whitaker but make some set rules and everyone live by them

[@THIS---GUY]

Rule of thumb used to be a year give or take

[@jaysteven8135]

Whittaker has had the toughest road to be a champion literally he’s had to go through assassins , he’s probably the most underrated champion ever

[@MrCris2021]

Is Ariel getting fatter or is it me ?

[@nationharris]

I think it too

[@Bundun]

Don't strip him. Just make an interim belt for Adesanya v Gastelum. Winner faces Rob down the track after he has recovered and has had time to begin his prep.

[@krick_mufc9291]

If a champion doesn't defend a belt in a year then he definitely should be stripped. However this isn't the case with Rob, as he defended against romero in June. However his injury problems are starting to become a concern. If he consistently keeps getting injured like he has in recent years, there may be a case for stripping him. It's a slightly harsh view but would be necessary. Some guys are just injury prone and have little luck. Not much rob can do if that's the case. Still a fantastic fighter/champ and hope he heals up good

[@krick_mufc9291]

@@asmodeusasmodeus8617 😑 your absolutely correct, can't believe I forgot that. I stand corrected 👍

[@kieranRRPP]

@@asmodeusasmodeus8617 but thats not whittakers fault. he fought the fight he was scheduled to do. thats like saying were gonna strip him even though he wasnt booked for any fights. he's gotten injured in his last 2 fights because he's fought yoel romero. a fucking bulldozer of a man. whittaker does not deserved to be stripped. atleast lets see what the doctors say first.

[@readcastor2977]

@@kieranRRPP nobody else in the division would fight Yoel Romero back to back. Let alone not give up during the fight when you tore your knee or broke your main hand. Hell Bisping did everything he could not to fight Yoel.

[@Mrraerae]

@@readcastor2977 Exactly. People say Whittaker gets hurt too easily but he fought fuckin Yoel twice. How tf can you win against Yoel without getting hurt? Even if you kick him in the head the first minute it´s gonna shatter your damn foot xD 2nd Romero fight u could clearly and I mean really fuckin clearly see Whittaker was hurting hella bad every time he kicked Romero, dudes feet looked like they already got hit with a hammer during round 5, imagine what they looked like the next day. His reaction shaking out his feet and his expression was like he just kicked a cement bag with a wall behind it. Romero is a fuuuucking monster, I´d break my right hand just looking at him the wrong way

[@dirtydan9298]

KG vs Stylebender for the interim belt winner faces Whittaker what’s so hard about that?

[@OrlandoHernandez-bo9tm]

If anything khabob should be stripped because he's choosing to sit out until November when he has the opportunity to fight in April!

[@stacelunches9790]

Give him some time, if he doesn't defend within a few months, maybe strip, or make an interim.

[@loveforthe90s]

Is Ariel looking a little stockier? Or is it just me?

[@westyw6117]

he is stacking weight for the cowboy fight

[@ericvandiver3739]

If this happens I’ll be soo pissed, you can’t fault a guy for an injury like a hernia

[@TheFightDialogue]

Hes been injured so no

[@MuiscAndMisc]

i think 365 days is a good rule. Tony was stripped of an interim, not the real belt and was expected to be out for way longer than he was (and should have been if he wasn't insane). Robert hasn't defended officially yet, but fought Yoel on what was supposed to be a defense and also was hours from fighting Kelvin. Stripping him would be disrespectful in my opinion.

[@doublecheeseburger5728]

King of the Backout

[@mattsmith819]

Double Cheeseburger he fought Yoel with one hand for four rounds I’m sure he was in some serious pain

[@TheRichyrich1281]

Wouldn't be surprised if he is..... Since he's going to be holding up the division.. when will he be back? Last fight was In june

[@thinweasel1]

Rob is a real champion

[@Sky-rh3uf]

Kelvin is having fun with uncle Henry’s belt

[@kingjoshua9084]

Strip him

[@starboy32]

Those other injuries were not life or death. Anyone saying to strip rob for this deserve a punch on the nose

[@ImPacosTacos]

If anything needs stripping, its that ringworm or staph infection on Kevin Gastelum's face!

[@BTRshow]

I think it's safe to say that if Whittaker gets stripped, alot of people would become very uninterested in middleweight

[@ricardoortiz580]

A hernia?? He should have known what he had weeks before the fight..but he had to pull out the day of the fight..strip him

[@kieranRRPP]

im not sure you know how hernias work or what they are do you.

[@ricardoortiz580]

@@kieranRRPP oh i know

[@TheJpmaster69]

@@ricardoortiz580 you clearly don't. He only showed symptoms last night you dope.

[@tommyg879]

@@ricardoortiz580 youre an idiot

[@readcastor2977]

You are a dumbass!

[@ShaTziLoft]

Fight should be rescheduled. Fans who paid should get a big discount on that fight. Unless the time frame of recovery is too long then yes he should be stripped of the title.

[@darconcorp3579]

Yep do it for the belt. And when said champion comes back. Give them the title shot they win they get their belt and title streak restored.

[@supremeleaderarmy9164]

So why even do it then,

[@darconcorp3579]

@@supremeleaderarmy9164 Cause the show must go on bro.

[@supremeleaderarmy9164]

@@darconcorp3579 U donkey little kids, go back to your xbox child

[@supremeleaderarmy9164]

@@darconcorp3579 Lmfao I was kidding but went to your KZbin page, lmfao. Ahahaha

[@AL-ih5mm]

The standard procedure is to have an interim belt which they didn’t do, Kelvin was ready and should have had a shot at an interim belt...👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@eldio2124]

Absolutely, Strip him. This is Unacceptable.

[@supremeleaderarmy9164]

Strip u of your internet rights

[@320speed]

Ofcause not! This man overcame and beat adversities his whole life! I mean he beat Yoel twice ffs, cut this guy a break. It was something out of his control. This man is a born fighter and deserves some respect.

[@gavinlaird85]

If he can fight in 4 weeks? no. If it's any later? yes.

[@madjune123]

After a hernia surgery you should avoid training for a good month

[@ebsell]

silkyskills85 he fought last in June. He will be ready before the years up so no,keep the belt.

[@adrianperez5647]

This man fought Yoel compromised with injuries both fights. First with an injured knee, went 5 rounds. Second with a broken hand 5 rounds. Comes out with wins on both. He was going to fight with a damn hernia and didnt want to go to hospital until he was forced to at 3am. The audacity of people saying strip him or even adesanya saying "I showed up to work" like he had a choice. He could have died if he fought with that injury. He is a warrior and should not be stripped. Ridiculous.

[@mmaboxing8674]

Nooo!!

[@AlexColberg]

"If you're not defending the belt within X amount of days we can strip you of this belt" is just as problematic because of the word "can". OK, they can. That word suggests that sometimes they will, sometimes they won't, maybe they will, maybe they won't. And we're back where we started.

[@jstiles1659]

Yep, Let someone else fight for it

[@mr000hunter000]

Who wants a belt given to them and not earned these guys are suppose to be hard

[@MichaelP-ke1tm]

Strip that pull out machine. Pulled out 2 times from Australia

[@patthai4669]

Kelvin didn't earn that belt. He just prepared to have a chance to earn it and to receive it by default is not deserving of being called a Champion.

[@shade4520]

he lost against yoel btw

[@readcastor2977]

Nothing funnier than KZbin referees! Check his record it doesn't say that dumbass!

[@readcastor2977]

@Nathan Jarrett it is literally unbelievable the amount of disrespect Rob is getting. He is truly the definition of a mixed martial artist and a straight up class act!

[@maka3130]

It’s only been 8 months since Whittaker defended his title back to back Against a clear #1 contender and possibly the biggest specimen ever to compete in the ufc, there is no questioning that Whittaker is the champ and he deserves it for all the work he has put in and to say that he should be stripped is absolutely crazy

[@livefree1030]

I have searched the comments of many videos, and such. It would appear Ariel is the only person who has made these snake claims. No one has stated Rob should be stripped other than Ariel.

[@MMADIVE]

The man fought Yoel Romero for 50 minutes of his life and actually didn't lose. Let him have his belt. Edit: in my personal opinion the second fight was a draw but still... almost nobody else has even made Yoel look human (because Yoel isn't human).

[@Chubzdoomer]

Might as well. Not like belts/titles mean anything anyways.

[@joeyreups11]

A bunch of other channels dropped this audio hours before you guys put up this video

[@bronzetiger3837]

Tony Ferguson is the type of fighter to call a"flowery"fighter a"closet champion"😂

[@Modelfokel1121]

Ariel Said at the beginning : "Whitaker Should be Stripped" No one Backups his Opinion and at the end he said: "Robert Shouldn't be Stripped of the Title"

[@TheKevinDuncan]

The only fair solution for a situation like this aka (medical) Is not to strip them but give the fight purse to the other fighter or some kind of compensation because this is completely out of everyones control although i do agree they have the right to strip anyone

[@SeventhEofficial]

chael's face while listening to these guys is priceless , he 'bout to interrupt all the time, but manages to stop himself haha

[@BTRshow]

I mean, There should be an interim belt and Whittaker gets to keep his until he can comeback in a month or 2. But in the world of boxing, Whittaker would have been stripped and gastelum would have fought someone low ranking for the belt. I think Whittaker should keep it tho

[@theogate-snipyninja9556]

Gilbert sitting there like how can I compete with these guys on the mic

[@gregspencer7287]

He has an abdominal hernia.. Apparently the doctor said 4-6 weeks out which isn’t even close to right. I realise he’s the kind of person to do everything he can to recovery quickly and safely, but I suffered the same injury playing rugby and I was out for almost 3 months, and not back to full strength/fitness for ~5. There’s no way they can strip him, just put up a fight for an interim belt Gastelum vs Adesanya make it happen. Other title holders have failed to defend for longer than that just because they didn’t want to, not because they couldn’t, and have not been stripped.

[@jons2936]

Reminds me of Cain. One hell of a fighter, but plagued by injuries. Hope he can get is health together and prolong his reign as the champ. Can’t wait to see Cain come back too!

[@jeepz669]

Ariel is the best asking all the right questions! Keep it coming Ariel! 💯✌️

[@otstuff78]

If you look just at Helwani's head it starts to look superimposed on his body...HAHAHHAH

[@coldcoffeebear7459]

You can't lay down rules on defending your belt in an allotted time unless it goes for every fighter,and it won't.

[@dodgyfrenchman]

i don't see what's the complication all about, Tony got stripped because ACL is usually 8 to 10 months out. Robert's injury is schedule to take just a few weeks 8-10 weeks. So he shouldn't be stripped if he fights within that window

[@humility-righteous-giving]

This is why fighters shouldn't forfeit if they back out for medical reasons,,allot of fighters ignore various medical problems when going into the octogan and having fighters forfeiting might incaurage fighters to ignore harsher and life threatening conditions

[@the-mma-guru]

this is silly, whittaker is the champ. It's not like he has been breaking bones in sparring, his fights have been pulled due to two random medical catastrophies and today his life was at risk. Tony ferguson example? he was the interim champ... Whittaker is for sure not gonna be stripped, Chael for sure is gonna side with Gastelum. I don't get this, he's not dodging, and not counting whittaker romero 2 as whittaker even fighting? because he didn't technically defend because his opponent missed weight? He fought in June, and it's not like there is a rightful contender and everyone waiting around at middleweight, kelvin is ranked no.4 we have a bunch of guys at the top who have all lost to eachother and none of them are fighting eachother. The only guy who IS fighting all the top contenders (including signed bouts that he medically has been pulled from) is WHITTAKER. People are reacting this way because it happened the way it did, and essentially somewhat ruined an event, the hardcore mma fans are angry and in a few weeks when we calm down people will wonder why this was even a discussion...

[@the-mma-guru]

i love everyone who is subscribed to me

[@MMA-CLIPS2]

Why on earth would the guy be stripped? I do not understand. He's injured ffs

[@thalarctos1900]

Yep, I think if you sign the contract, then weigh-in, the fight must happen regardless of circumstances. If the fighter pulls out after these two deliverables have been met, it's an automatic forfeit; too much at stake to not have a clear policy in place!

[@jettlaxholly]

You cannot count the fight against Romero in June as not defending his belt and then put in a rule that says if you don’t defend in X amount of time you are stripped. He did everything in his power to make it a championship fight and fought Romero who missed weight. What if 4 guys miss in a row while the champ is perfect? He didn’t technically defend his belt in over a year, better strip him because his opponents can’t make weight makes total sense.

[@fightclipfilms6649]

If you're going to reference Tony Ferguson being stripped as part of a discussion about the UFC's inconsistency when it comes to stripping champions, I feel like it is important to also mention that Tony was an interim champion at the time. Which imo, the UFC is much more consistent about stripping interim champions when you also consider the Colby Covington situation.

[@drmariopepper4354]

They need to do something with that division. It’s too good to only have one title defense a year if that.

[@IKhanNot]

I get what Ariel is trying to say but this is a rare occurrence. Illness and injury (especially in such a demanding sport) can happen. At the end of the day humans get injured and sick from time to time and to punish that is just plain dumb. We get sick days so why can't an athlete?

[@carsonc3314]

Why Ariel lookin like Robert Whitaker in the thumbnail 😂

[@cosmik7147]

Whittaker won't get stripped, he's to valuable for the UFC right now. The UFC needs him, just like they need Amanda and Rose.

[@Signingman]

How do you post on ig "ready more than ever" literally hours before finding out that your intestines are entangled, and you have a potentially life threatening hernia complication.

[@kenjiniru1]

After the weigh in an injury should lead to being stripped, the fight is basically official at that point.

[@robertmead6543]

If he doesn't defend the belt in a reasonable amount of time then they should strip him of the belt. 1 / 2 years is a ridiculous amount of time to hold up a division IMO.

[@mrImAwesome485]

But when Dominick Cruz and Cain Velasquez were Champs, they were out for at least a couple years before they were stripped. By all means, pull Costa and make Yoel and Kelvin an interim fight, or if Robert isn't good to fight by June, put Kelvin and the winner of tonight as an interim belt.

[@edgehead411]

Chael legitimately can’t make a point without saying “listen” before he starts

[@owtkvst]

This is either the second or third time he’s had to pull out of a proposed tittle defense, sure he fought Romero, but that wasn’t a title fight. I think he shouldn’t be stripped, but the interim title needs to be brought in to light a fire under him. Think about this people, Woodley fought Maia and tore his labrum. He needed surgery but was offered a fight within a couple of months, he could go, and Dana created an interim title fight between RDA and Covington. If that situation garners an interim title, then this one definitely should

[@mattyone78]

Ariel needs to wake up, the only reason his belt wasn't defended was because Romero missed weight. That is technically a forfeit, and the belt was defended, because Rob turned up ready to fight and fought.

[@zeaferjones1404]

I would definitely not strip Whittaker but I do wonder if Kelvin will get passed over? I hope not. Whittaker has suffered enough this is the 2nd time he hasn't been able to fight in his home country. Not being able to have a break out performance in front of his home country is a big reason why he is so underrated.

[@jynxdezyns5933]

Sure strip a champ who misses weight or cannot defend their belt because of their weight cut, but never a champ recovering from injuries incurred in a title defence or a champ with a diagnosed medical condition that prevents a defence of their belt.

[@SteveRelentless]

Probably had the hardest path ever for the belt and defending it. He will keep it. Period.