How Heavyweight Should Play Out

Curtis Blaydes beat Junior Dos Santos at UFC Raleigh at the weekend. Curtis Blaydes has been calling for a title shot as a result of beating a former champion. In fairness, when he couldn't take JDS down and wrestle him, he out boxed one of the best boxers in the heavyweight division. JDS was frustrated by Blaydes movement and distance management and seemed to be resorting to swinging wild uppercuts and haymakers that were missing their target trying to get a ko. Blaydes is a top prospect and has youth on his side but he was beaten convincingly twice by Francis Ngannou. Francis is next in line to fight for the title when the Stipe v Cormier thing sorts itself out. But Francis has a fight with Rosenstruik coming up. Rozenstruik has knockout power that could put a spanner in the works. But, assuming Francis does get past Rozenstruik, it would be very disrespectful of the UFC not to give Francis the next shot ahead of Blaydes since the only reasons he's been inactive was because he couldn't get a fight lined up and a Stipe v Cormier rubber match seems to be what the UFC wants before anything else in terms of a heavyweight title fight.
I'm not fully tuned in to whats going on regarding Stipe and DC but here's what I make of it: DC is due to retire soon. He wasn't supposed to fight beyond forty as per his own wishes. He beat Stipe for the title and wanted a big money fight against Brock Lesnar before retiring. Eventually Brock Lesnar decided he didn't want to fight in the UFC anymore and DC agreed to a rematch with Stipe. Stipe won the rematch, obviously, and DC is one of those guys who wants to avenge every loss so wants to get that belt back from Stipe before retiring. Stipe felt disrespected that he only got a rematch because Brock Lesnar wasn't available, because the DC win was controversial in terms of eye pokes. Now that Stipe is champion again he's making DC wait, partly because DC made him wait for a rematch and partly because he's getting treatment for niggling injuries. All the while you have Curtis Blaydes and Francis Ngannou ready to take on both of them and Rozenstruik could be in the queue as well after fighting Ngannou. That's how I see it. I think they need to have a definite time line for Stipe v DC or that DC should retire (with plenty to be proud of in his career) and let the UFC get on with sorting out who should fight for the title against Stipe next.