About 10 years ago, when the UFC was fighting both PRIDE and boxing for fight fans’ attention and entertainment, Dana White would go on these regular rants about why the UFC was superior:

Champs couldn’t duck fights: they always had to fight the top contenders.

No freakshow fights, novice fights, or crazy mismatches.

No fighter was pushed, or de-pushed, or coddled. Everyone had to go through the same meat grinder.

Fighters essentially couldn’t refuse fights.

And now, 10 years later, the UFC has become what it beheld.
It’s a damn shame.