Opinion: The Champion of Interims

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.* * * History didn’t last very long.Two weeks after Conor McGregor became the third person to win Ultimate Fighting Championship titles in two different weight classes — and the first to do so simultaneously — the biggest star in the sport no longer holds that distinction. Instead, the man he knocked out with a single punch has now been upgraded from the interim featherweight champion to the “undisputed” featherweight champion. Meanwhile, Max Holloway and Anthony Pettis will fight for the now vacant interim featherweight championship at UFC 206. If you’re scratching your head at all this, you’re not alone. Interim belts are strange in and of themselves, but they do serve a purpose. Being the champion denotes being the best fighter in the division. When there is ample reason to doubt that, the champion, in theory, defends his or her strap against the top contender. When champions are unable to defend their spot, an interim championship makes sense. It’s a glorified number one contender belt, but it also adds to the storyline of the division. It gives credibility to the notion that the injured champ may no longer be the best, and it rewards the fighter who is willing and able to stay active. Probably the least maligned interim champion was Renan Barao. When Dominick Cruz was unable to defend his bantamweight belt due to injuries, it made sense to not only install Barao as the interim champion but promote him to the undisputed champion after a pair of interim defenses. By the time Cruz was officially stripped, it had been nearly two and a half years since he had defended his title, and there was legitimate claim as to whether or not he was still the best fighter in the division. It made sense then, but in this case, it’s hard to see what the point is for anyone involved. Starting at the top, stripping McGregor accomplishes nothing for the UFC’s biggest breadwinner. After all the hoopla surrounding his historic win against Eddie Alvarez, the accomplishment feels a little cheaper now. Of course, he still has the lightweight belt and no one in their right mind can dispute the fact that he’s the best featherweight on the planet, but that’s the point. The belt was ornamental for McGregor, not essential. The UFC had no problem with McGregor leaving his duties associated with defending the belt to fight Alvarez and Nate Diaz because they were big moneymakers. Now, following a legendary …

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