Is the UFC entering a new era of backup fighters? MMA journalist Ariel Helwani raises concerns

Sports journalist Ariel Helwani recently raised concerns about the emerging trend among MMA fighters vying to be backup fighters for title fights as a shortcut to earning the next title shot.

During The Ringer MMA Show following UFC 287 this past weekend, Helwani spoke about the new phenomenon in light of Colby Covington being named the next challenger for Leon Edwards after serving as the backup at UFC 286 and Gilbert Burns demanding to be the backup for Edwards vs. Covington. He questioned the reasoning behind this approach and hopes that it does not become a recurring trend in the sport.

He said:

"I hope we're not entering an era where it's like, 'Let me be the backup fighter,' is the thing that people are calling for. Is that not the lamest sh*t? C'mon."

It's a strategy that seems to be working, especially in the welterweight division as 'Chaos' earned a title shot after serving as the backup fighter. When he found out that Burns was demanding to be the backup for that welterweight title fight, UFC president Dana White said he liked the idea. The MMA Hour host continued by questioning whether fighters would now use their post-fight interview to demand to be a replacement for a title fight rather than call out their next opponent, saying:

"Are we setting ourselves up for people getting on the mic being like, 'Dana, let me be the backup fighter!' F*cking hell...Oh my God. You're gonna do a f*cking roundtable for this sh*t."

Helwani does raise a good point as fighters with lengthy winning streaks like Belal Muhammad are being passed over when a backup fighter is rewarded with the next title shot for making weight.

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Ariel Helwani weighs in on the UFC-WWE merger

Ariel Helwani also weighed in on the recent merger between UFC and WWE and what it could mean going forward.

The MMA Hour host noted that the two entities have had a long history with each other and mentioned that WWE Chairman Vince McMahon had to sign off on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter airing after WWE Raw, when the two aired on Spike TV in 2005.

He said:

"Vince McMahon had to clear The Ultimate Fighter, the first season of The Ultimate Fighter to air immediately after Monday Night Raw back in 2005 when they were on Spike TV...If he says, 'No, I want this nothing near my flagship program,' Who knows what happens to the UFC all these years and now here we are with them under the same roof."