One opinion — and it is only an opinion — which raised its ugly head in the aftermath of the Jon Jones vs. Dominick Reyes fight is a challenger has to beat the champion to become the champion. That phrase was used to defend scoring the fight, which served as the main event of Saturday’s UFC 247 fight card, in favor of Jones. This wrongheaded opinion has lingered in sports, especially in combat sports, for years. No one with any knowledge of MMA scoring should use this phrase seriously.
Take some time and think about what those words imply.