Division GOATs: Your Picks?

[acannxr]

I much prefer the question of divisional GOATs as opposed to a P4P list, since the former can be easily determined and the latter is impossible.

One constraint: you must choose a fighter based on his accomplishments of a single division (i.e. BJ Penn's Welterweight bouts hold no bearing on if he's the Lightweight GOAT, and vice versa).

Heavyweight: Fedor Emelianenko
Light Heavyweight: Jon Jones
Middleweight: Anderson Silva
Welterweight: Georges St-Pierre
Lightweight: Benson Henderson
Featherweight: Jose Aldo
Bantamweight: TJ Dillashaw
Flyweight: Demetrious Johnson

Much as it can be supposed, we don't have evidence that Silva and Jones were cheating for most of their respective title reigns so until a fighter in either of those divisions can surpass their legacies in the post-USADA era, they're my picks by default.

A part of me wanted to pick RDA for the Lightweight GOAT, but he just has way too many losses on his record.

I chose TJ Dillashaw because he's been more active and fought more true top Bantamweights (Cruz fought a lot of current Flyweights during his first big run as champion).

 

[SeattleFightFan]

I much prefer the question of divisional GOATs as opposed to a P4P list, since the former can be easily determined and the latter is impossible.

One constraint: you must choose a fighter based on his accomplishments of a single division (i.e. BJ Penn's Welterweight bouts hold no bearing on if he's the Lightweight GOAT, and vice versa).

Heavyweight: Fedor Emelianenko
Light Heavyweight: Jon Jones
Middleweight: Anderson Silva
Welterweight: Georges St-Pierre
Lightweight: Benson Henderson
Featherweight: Jose Aldo
Bantamweight: TJ Dillashaw
Flyweight: Demetrious Johnson

Much as it can be supposed, we don't have evidence that Silva and Jones were cheating for most of their respective title reigns so until a fighter in either of those divisions can surpass their legacies in the post-USADA era, they're my picks by default.

A part of me wanted to pick RDA for the Lightweight GOAT, but he just has way too many losses on his record.

I chose TJ Dillashaw because he's been more active and fought more true top Bantamweights (Cruz fought a lot of current Flyweights during his first big run as champion).

I'd still go with Cruz, though i admit your argument for Dillishaw is fine.

and LW is tough, but it's certainly not Bendo. Gomi had the most impressive LW run ever, and BJ was better than him. so even though BJ spent his best years chasing the 170 belt, i still have as LW GOAT. i admit that reasoning is a bit circular. but even without those last 2 sentences, he was LW champ between GSP II & Edgar, which is longer than any other UFC LW.

 

[SVG]

 

[sirmorbach]

Heavyweight: Fedor Emelianenko
Light Heavyweight: Daniel Cormier
Middleweight: Michael Bisping
Welterweight: Georges St-Pierre
Lightweight: BJ Penn
Featherweight: José Aldo
Bantamweight: Dominick Cruz
Flyweight: Demetrious Johnson

 

[Mondo Freaks]

Fedor
Jones*
Silva*
GSP
BJ
Aldo
Cruz
MM
Cyborg
Ronda
JJ

 

[acannxr]

Middleweight: Michael Bisping

 

[sirmorbach]

 

[acannxr]

Weidman and Rockhold defeated more top talent than Bisping.

 

[acannxr]

I'd still go with Cruz, though i admit your argument for Dillishaw is fine.

and LW is tough, but it's certainly not Bendo. Gomi had the most impressive LW run ever, and BJ was better than him. so even though BJ spent his best years chasing the 170 belt, i still have as LW GOAT. i admit that reasoning is a bit circular. but even without those last 2 sentences, he was LW champ between GSP II & Edgar, which is longer than any other UFC LW.

It's just that if you look at who they defeated at Lightweight, Benson has the more impressive resume (even if some of them were by split decision). While Gomi certainly had a long win streak, his opponents were lacking for it to amount to much. Ultimately I think Lightweight is the most difficult to narrow down on, there's not a real strong case for any of the candidates.

 

[LcBR]

Heavyweight: Miocic
Light Heavyweight: Jon Jones
Middleweight: Chael Sonnen
Welterweight: Woodley
Lightweight: Winner of Ferguson x Khabib
Featherweight: Jose Aldo
Bantamweight: Dillashaw
Flyweight: Demetrious Johnson

 

[Shaddows]

Heavyweight: The Emperor
Light Heavyweight: Jon Jones or DC (due to Jon's failures on both head to head fights)
Middleweight: Spider
Welterweight: GSP
Lightweight: BJP
Featherweight: Aldo
Bantamweight: Cruz
Flyweight: DJ

W Featherweight: Cyborg
W Bantamweight: Ronda
W Flyweight: N/A
W Strawweight: JJ

 

[DatSamboKid]

They are pretty obvious depending on your views of Pride. LW is always the weird one.

Hw: Stipe
Lhw: Jones
Mw: Silva
Ww: GSP
LW: Khabib (only goat to have never won a belt yet)
Fw: Aldo
BW: Cruz
Flw: MM
WFw: Cyborg
WBW: Ronda
WFlw: JJ

 

[SeattleFightFan]

It's just that if you look at who they defeated at Lightweight, Benson has the more impressive resume (even if some of them were by split decision). While Gomi certainly had a long win streak, his opponents were lacking for it to amount to much. Ultimately I think Lightweight is the most difficult to narrow down on, there's not a real strong case for any of the candidates.

ohhh no. it was just a different era. his opponents were solid. and UFC had no LW division then. and he fought (and mostly wrecked) everyone.

oh Bushido how i miss you so.

 

[welcometohavoc]

I much prefer the question of divisional GOATs as opposed to a P4P list, since the former can be easily determined and the latter is impossible.

One constraint: you must choose a fighter based on his accomplishments of a single division (i.e. BJ Penn's Welterweight bouts hold no bearing on if he's the Lightweight GOAT, and vice versa).

Heavyweight: Fedor Emelianenko
Light Heavyweight: Jon Jones
Middleweight: Anderson Silva
Welterweight: Georges St-Pierre
Lightweight: Benson Henderson
Featherweight: Jose Aldo
Bantamweight: TJ Dillashaw
Flyweight: Demetrious Johnson

Much as it can be supposed, we don't have evidence that Silva and Jones were cheating for most of their respective title reigns so until a fighter in either of those divisions can surpass their legacies in the post-USADA era, they're my picks by default.

A part of me wanted to pick RDA for the Lightweight GOAT, but he just has way too many losses on his record.

I chose TJ Dillashaw because he's been more active and fought more true top Bantamweights (Cruz fought a lot of current Flyweights during his first big run as champion).

HW: Stipe
LHW: DC
MW: My god without Anderson I have no idea
WW: GSP GSP GSP
LW: BJ Penn
FW: Aldo
BW: Cruz
Flw: DJ
WFW: Cyborg
WBW: Nunes
Wflw: Who cares
WSW: JJ

 

[welcometohavoc]

ohhh no. it was just a different era. his opponents were solid. and UFC had no LW division then. and he fought (and mostly wrecked) everyone.

oh Bushido how i miss you so.

Gomi got exposed by Diaz in his prime.

 

[chinarice]

Heavyweight: Miocic
Light Heavyweight: Jon Jones
Middleweight: Chael Sonnen
Welterweight: Woodley
Lightweight: Winner of Ferguson x Khabib
Featherweight: Jose Aldo
Bantamweight: Dillashaw
Flyweight: Demetrious Johnson

How to not be taken seriously on Sherdog 101 by @LcBR

 

[acannxr]

ohhh no. it was just a different era. his opponents were solid. and UFC had no LW division then. and he fought (and mostly wrecked) everyone.

oh Bushido how i miss you so.

Aside from maybe Kawajiri, Sakurai, and Pulver, a lot of Gomi's opponents had very little fights or 50% winning records.

 

[SeattleFightFan]

Gomi got exposed by Diaz in his prime.

well he certainly got whooped by him

but his run from BJ to Diaz (15 fights in 2.5 years or some shit like that - i'm too lazy to look it up right now) was still dominant as fuck. certainly more dominant than Bendo's WEC & UFC run.

 

[jaredmc16]

Only one that's really even debatable is lightweight and bantamweight.. and lol and anyone saying BJ.

Steroids asie that is

 

[chinarice]

HW: Fedor (Stipe is very close)
LHW: Jones
MW: A.Silva
WW: GSP
LW: Honestly no idea. Arguments can be made for multiple guys
FW: Aldo (Could have been Conor had he stayed and defended a few times)
BW: TJ Dillashaw
FLW: MM