Ask Ant: The 12-to-6 Elbows Edition

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Robbie - With BKFC 6 behind us, and Lobov vs. Malignaggi a) not a good fight and b) not a good decision, where does BKFC go from here?

Agreed on both counts. Artem Lobov vs Paulie Malignaggi was not a good fight from an action standpoint and the decision wasn’t good in my opinion. As far as where the promotion goes after this unlikely big event, who knows?

The official plan on the books as of this writing is a main event between Jason Knight and fellow former UFC fighter Leonard Garcia. As fun as that fight might be, I seriously doubt it has the same reach as Lobov-Malignaggi. While Knight and Garcia made a name for themselves engaging in wild and chaotic brawls in the Octagon, the reach of those names doesn’t go nearly as far as the men who headlined BKFC 6.

Lobov and Malignaggi was the culmination of 2 years of buildup with combat sports two biggest pay-per-view attractions intertwined. When Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor met for their carnival boxing match, the worldwide interest was nearly unprecedented. It was popular enough to essentially revitalize the entertainment factor in the sports entertainment we enjoy every weekend.

Part of that was a ridiculous amount of interest shown in the infamous sparring session between McGregor and Malignaggi. The endless rants and interviews related to it never seemed to stop. Somehow, we kept listening and gathered around the campfire to share rumors and stories about the most controversial 12 rounds that we’ve never seen.

So when Lobov continued his unfortunate habit of inheriting the numerous enemies of his longtime friend and training partner, it magnified an otherwise silly and useless feud. Bare Knuckle FC founder David Feldman simply saw an ATM that just needed to be plugged into an outlet.

It’s highly unlikely that Feldman will find another one of these ATMs just laying around again anytime soon. The mostly uneventful fight doesn’t have the fight world screaming for a rematch. Malignaggi’s loss probably turned off even more of the traditional boxing community, at least any names for whom fans might be willing to pull out their credit cards, which rules out continuing to sell the boxing-versus-MMA angle.

That means that BKFC will have to rely on its well-established pattern of recruiting the mid-tier ghosts of MMA’s past while hoping for bloody slugfests. Unless it stumbles across a Mark Hunt or a Wanderlei Silva desperate to cave in a skull under a different ruleset, they’ll have to hope names like Knight and Garcia can carry the torch in the ring and build more interest over time.

ReadWrite - Should Jon Jones' only loss be expunged?

It should have been about a decade ago. Jones’ lone loss represented a terrible job of officiating and was travesty at the time. However, overturning it now just seems like a huge waste of time. Where was this push from the UFC in 2009? Why, after an insane streak of wiping out legends, numerous title wins, headlining 16 events (including the upcoming UFC 235) and firmly establishing himself as potentially the greatest fighter ever, are we now revisiting this chapter in his story?

There’s not a remotely sane or informed observer in the world that would reasonably argue that Matt Hamill legitimately defeated Jones. It ranks up there with Tsuyoshi Kosaka “defeating” Fedor Emelianenko. It’s just a harmless footnote in history that doesn’t do any damage to the legacy of a great fighter. The only benefit to scratching the “L” off of Jones’ record would be that the UFC can market him as an undefeated fighter. It all just seems pointless.

Poll Question: Was Colby Covington vs. Robbie Lawler the right fight to make?

I definitely don’t believe that Colby Covington being paired with Robbie Lawler was the right move to make. For all of his faults and cartoonish persona, Covington has earned a shot at the welterweight title. He earned it back at UFC 225 when Dana White placed a championship belt around his waist after defeating Rafael dos Anjos. He got snubbed in favor of Darren Till and Kamaru Usman.

On the other hand, Lawler shouldn’t be anywhere near a true No. 1 contender right now. The man known as “Ruthless” has lost three out of his last four fights, even if his last outing resulted in the controversial stoppage at the hands of Ben Askren at UFC 235.

Covington has every right to sit out and wait for Usman to heal from his injuries. However, two things make that option less appealing. First, he has been skipped over before. With Askren and Jorge Masvidal scheduled to fight, his status as the No. 1 contender is in great jeopardy, as both men have been active and have enough popularity to steal the next title shot.

The second reason is that Covington probably needs the money. He hasn’t fought since June of last year and it’s about time for another payday. Interviews with the old belt and “MAGA” hat while making puns out of the champion’s name don’t pay the bills if you’re not fighting. Besides, somebody has to pay for the “talent” in his social media promo videos.