Should the lineal champion have to fight until he losses?

[Kvolcom]

For the first 20 years of this sport the lineal champion always fought until he lost and passed the torch.

Does the champion owe that to the sport or nah? because I'll admit, GSP is one of my favs, but he's ruined 2 lineal belts and was the one that started it.

Conor ruined 2 divisions, and jones ruined 205.

of the original 5 Divisions, only the Heavyweight champ is the true lineal champion now.

It's setting a bad precedent imo turing MMA into boxing where we won't know who the real champ is any more. Wouldn't be shocked at all if there's multiple "intern Champs" per division in the future who refuse to fight each other.

 

[Leinster Rugby]

CM Punk just got another fight ffs. at the end of the day, this dictates what will happen:

 

[Ares Black]

You can't force anyone to fight. This isn't fucking gladiators in the coliseum.

 

[qw3rty]

Lineal champs is BS IMO
Specially when a fighter vacates/retires/doesn't wanna defend

Edit: Retires during his prime obviously

 

[dipstickjimmy]

For the first 20 years of this sport the lineal champion always fought until he lost and passed the torch.

Does the champion owe that to the sport or nah? because I'll admit, GSP is one of my favs, but he's ruined 2 lineal belts and was the one that started it.

Conor ruined 2 divisions, and jones ruined 205.

of the original 5 Divisions, only the Heavyweight champ is the true lineal champion now.

It's setting a bad precedent imo turing MMA into boxing where we won't know who the real champ is any more. Wouldn't be shocked at all if there's multiple "intern Champs" per division in the future who refuse to fight each other.

Royce Gracie was the first UFC champion and he left and went to PRIDE so you are wrong. There never was a single Lineal UFC champion and thats the way it was meant to be! LOL

 

[SeattleFightFan]

For the first 20 years of this sport the lineal champion always fought until he lost and passed the torch.

F Shamrock didn't. Bas didn't. BJ Penn didn't.

3 counters to your argument in 3 seconds. i could prob come up with a 4th if i tried a bit harder.

but if your point is that the UFC should draw a harder line against Conor, then generally i agree.

 

[777 Others]

No ones got to do anything

 

[grimballer]

Who cares?

“To be the man, you gotta beat the man”

Only works if the man is actively fighting

If he’s sitting home doing nothing , he’s no longer the man

 

[Kvolcom]

Royce Gracie was the first UFC champion and he left and went to PRIDE so you are wrong. There never was a single Lineal UFC champion and thats the way it was meant to be! LOL

He fought in a tournament, not for a belt.

 

[Kvolcom]

F Shamrock didn't. Bas didn't. BJ Penn didn't.

3 counters to your argument in 3 seconds. i could prob come up with a 4th if i tried a bit harder.

but if your point is that the UFC should draw a harder line against Conor, then generally i agree.

Frank Shamrock is a fair example..but Bas was never Lineal champion..The lineal championship had left the UFC when Bas fought for the belt

And BJ eventually lost the 170 belt back to GSP.

 

[SeattleFightFan]

For the first 20 years of this sport the lineal champion always fought until he lost and passed the torch.

Bas was never Lineal champion..The lineal championship had left the UFC when Bas fought for the belt

how could Bas not be a lineal champ if for the first 20 years of this sport the lineal champion always fought until he lost and passed the torch?

 

[blaseblah]

Lineal is meaningless

 

[ajwbjj87]

CM Punk just got another fight ffs. at the end of the day, this dictates what will happen:

This is the first I heard he has another fight, have they said who he is fighting?

 

[Kvolcom]

how could Bas not be a lineal champ if for the first 20 years of this sport the lineal champion always fought until he lost and passed the torch?

because the lineal champion can still leave the ufc and fight outside of it? Randy Couture left the UFC with the lineal belt and lost it to Enson. Fedor held it for most of the time outside the ufc but the UFC Heavyweight belt didn't become the lineal championship until UFC 155 when Cain fought JDS for the 2nd time

 

[Leinster Rugby]

This is the first I heard he has another fight, have they said who he is fighting?

No opponent mentioned yet

 

[dipstickjimmy]

He fought in a tournament, not for a belt.

Yeah I know but it set the precedent! LOL
The thing I find funny about the Lineal situations is GSP wins the MW belt and Dana and half of Sherdog are calling for him to be stripped for not defending before he even gets out of the Octagon. Will Whittaker be forced to vacate or be stripped since he won't let us know exactly when he will be back?

Even funnier would be in GSP and Whittaker were to both recover at the same time could they book them for the Real MW title? Luke Rockhold would have an aneurysm.