When did you first recognize the championship potential in each of the current champs?

DeeDubb

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Here's mine.

LHW/HW - Daniel Cormier
After his pudgy ass ragdolled Bigfoot Silva and especially Josh Barnett, I thought he could be a UFC HW champ.

MW - Robert Whitaker
I haven't been on the Whitaker train long enough. I remembered him getting beat down by Wonderboy, and I didn't think much of him. Didn't think he had a chance to beat Romero once, let alone twice. Happy to be wrong about him.

WW - Tyron Woodley
After he put a beating on Koscheck and wrecked Condit's knee, I thought he could make a run. Rory derailed him, and I actually didn't think he could beat Robbie. I guess after he brutally KO'd Robbie, I was all aboard the Tyron train.

LW - Khabib
I remember everyone talking about him, but he never seemed to be actually fighting. He was always injured, and when he did fight, it was against pretty low-level competition. After RDA won the title, I remembered Khabib beating him, and that's when I thought Khabib was legit. His stomping of Michael Johnson really solidified it for me.

FW - Max Holloway
I've been big on Max for a while. I remember watching how smooth his technique was when he wrecked Akira Corassani. His UFC record wasn't great at the time, but I saw something special.

BW - TJ Dillashaw
I think, like everyone else, TJ's win over Barao was the real eye opener. Joe Rogan inflated him so much in that fight, and he deserved it. I thought TJ was just a wrestler, but he's become one of the most dynamic striker's in MMA. Duane taught him extremely well.

FW - Henry Cejudo
Henry looked like crap the first time against DJ. He started looking better, but I still didn't think he had a chance to beat Might Mouse. He impressed me in that fight, but I don't think he has a chance against TJ.

WFW - Cyborg
When Cyborg dominated poor Gina Carano, it was a huge eye opener (holy shit, that was 2009). There's never been a female fighter close to her level, though the competition is catching up.

WBW - Amanda Nunes
Didn't really know much about her until she put that beating on Meisha. I've picked The Lioness in every subsequent fight since then.

WFW - Valentina Shevchenko
When she beat Holly, I thought she was pretty damn good. Losing twice to Nunes doesn't help, but, like everyone else, I knew she would be a wrecking machine at 125. That's her division, and there's no one at her level there. Unless some of the gals at 135 can make the cut, there won't be anyone to compete with Valentina for a while.

WSW - Rose Namajunas
When Rose shaved her head to fight PVZ, and I thought that showed she was committed to fighting over profits, branding, and everything else. I remembered seeing her get way better each time she fought. She just seemed to be a sponge, absorbing knowledge. A lot of her success is because her coaches come up with great gameplans, and she follows those gameplans to perfection. I still didn't think she could beat JJ, but she proved me wrong twice. Hopefully she gets her head straight and keeps winning.
 
DC - Barnett
Whittaker - Jacare
Woodley - Lawler
Khabib - RDA
Max - Aldo I
TJ - Barao II
Nunes - Zigano
 
Khabib- When Sherdog told me he was unbeatable.

I remember Sherdog being all over Khabib for the longest time. I don't buy into Sherdog hype trains, cause they usually lead down the Erik Silva/Platinum Perry path. I guess a broke clock is right twice a day.
 
Whittaker when he stopped Jacare, that was an eye opener for sure.
 
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