The biggest names in combat sports often enjoy special privileges—a reality far more glaring in boxing than in MMA. While mixed martial arts has its flaws, it still manages to keep stars somewhat accountable. Boxing, on the other hand, has long struggled with favoritism. Take Canelo Alvarez, for instance. The Mexican superstar has been allowed to handpick his opponents for years. One of the biggest casualties of this has been David Benavidez, who was forced to move up in weight just to keep his career progressing.

MMA isn’t entirely immune to such issues either. In the UFC, for example, former heavyweight champion Jon Jones repeatedly avoided a showdown with former interim titleholder Tom Aspinall . Rather than risk a loss, Jones ultimately chose retirement. As analyst Luke Th

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