Heavyweight burning question: Tom Aspinall vs. Francis Ngannou?

But if he keeps winning, the possibilities get a little wild. In MMA, a circus act can actually become more entertaining if it starts to consume legitimate opposition. If his ceiling as a fighter ends up being championship-level, this persona can make him a star, unbelievable as it sounds.

How fast can Gable Steveson become legit?

There's no question in my mind, Steveson will be really, really good at MMA. What's impossible to say is how long that's going to take. Because he's not there yet.

The UFC probably needed to sign the Olympic gold medalist wrestler (which it did last week) to not risk losing him to another promotion. But I doubt the UFC really wanted to sign him this early into his MMA career. He debuted in MMA less than a year ago, and in his most recent fight, a first-round TKO over Hugo Lezama in February, he still looked unpolished.

That said, he is mentored and coached by former UFC two-division champion Jon Jones, and Jones has predicted Steveson will be a UFC champion within a year. I don't see a world in which Steveson would even get an opportunity to fight for the heavyweight belt within a year -- let alone beat someone like Aspinall -- but the division is wide open. If Steveson starts winning UFC fights in highlight-reel fashion, things could move quickly.

It would not surprise me if the UFC signs a new fighter to be Steveson's first opponent in July. Perhaps it finds someone on the roster, such as Allen Frye, who is 0-1 in the UFC and 6-1 overall, but I could see the promotion looking for someone on the regional scene with a 1-1 record to even the playing field for Steveson.

Where do Francis Ngannou and Netflix go beyond May 16?

Most Valuable Promotions CEO Nakisa Bidarian told Sports Business Journal this month that if their Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano-headlining MMA debut card does well on Netflix next month, the company will be "involved in MMA over the long term."

If that is the case, it's probably safe to assume Ngannou will be part of those long-term plans. Ngannou is fighting Philipe Lins in the co-main event, and Ngannou told ESPN he would like to keep fighting for up to five more years. He also said his activity will, obviously, come down to what opportunities are available.

That's the big question then: What kind of opportunities can Netflix drum up for Ngannou, assuming he still looks like the best heavyweight on the planet? An MMA fight against Jake Paul may seem silly, but somehow possible. In fact, the two would have boxed last year had Ngannou had the interest. He said he would entertain the idea after the Lins fight. He also said he is open to reexploring a fight with world kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven.

Another angle is whether Netflix could lure a heavyweight away from the UFC in free agency. A truly interesting thought is Aspinall, whose relationship with the UFC has been strained by CEO Dana White's comments about Aspinall's eye injuries and the company's handling of the heavyweight title once Jones retired in 2025.

The chances of Aspinall trying (and succeeding) to get out of his UFC contract are low, but Aspinall's recent decision to sign a managerial contract with boxing promoter Eddie Hearn was a clear indication of the resistance between him and the UFC. If Aspinall did attempt to secure his release, knowing there was a major opportunity available with Ngannou and Netflix, those negotiations would be the biggest story of the year.