Featherweight Ryan Hall has only fought twice in the UFC, but he’s not interested in fighting anyone but the best in the world’s biggest mixed martial arts promotion.
“I am looking to face the most challenging opposition available,” Hall told ESPN.
Hall continued:
After facing a really tough guy like Gray Maynard and coming out more or less unscathed, I would have hoped for someone in the top 15.
Hall does not have any stunning UFC finishes to brag about. In fact, both of his wins in the UFC have come by way of decision. It may therefore be hard for Hall to get the fights he’s looking for, even if he is a grappling expert.
However, Hall thinks it is the UFC’s job to help him get those top contenders.
I view the UFC’s job, in its promoting role, is to facilitate that — to create the opportunities for people to fight. Ultimately, if we are going to take ourselves seriously as a sport and athletes, I think it’s the promoter’s job to facilitate that, and not the athletes’ job to peck at each other and try to create some degree of public fervor.
So why doesn’t Ryan Hall want to settle with a guy who isn’t “top tier”? Simple. He believes he’s not going to get anywhere even if he wins.
If I go and fight 10 randoms — and everyone in the UFC is very tough obviously, but there are significant levels between tiers — there is no correlation between winning fights against randoms and fighting top-tier people. Look at James Vick. People still won’t fight James Vick .
Will the UFC budge and give Ryan Hall the top-level competition he believes he deserves, or will they tell him he needs to rack up more wins before he starts challenging the likes of guys like Brian Ortega?
Probably the latter.
