If mma had 8/9 divisions from 1997-2017, how many fighters would have been 2 or 3 weight champions

[Get_that_yayo]

We are talking if mma had 8 to 9 weight divisions, and champs holding more than one belt concurrently (at the same time)

Pride had 4 divisions.

• Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight starting in 2001
• Welterweight and Lightweight (160 pounds) starting in 2005

UFC currently has 8 divisions

• Heavyweight started in 1997, later that same year Lightheavyweight
• Welterweight started in 1998
• LIghtweight started in the beginning of 2001, but was suspended from early 2003 to late 2006 because of the Caol Uno/BJ Penn Draw.
• Middleweight started in 2001, but was suspended from 2002-2005 when Bustamante went to Japan.
• Featherweight and Bantamweight were created in 2010 from the WEC merger.
• Flyweight was created in 2012

If you include the Pride 160 title, at some point there have been up to 9 titles between Pride and UFC.

If 8 to 9 titles existed together at the same time from 1997 until present day, what fighters do you think could have have been concurrent multi-weight champions?

 

[franquito]

5 of them.
But which 5? That's the question.

 

[Irishwhiskey119]

Winning a belt in another weight class means less if you jump the line for a shot.

 

[davisxp]

Frank Shamrock- MW/LHW
Randy Couture- LHW/HW
Jens Pulver BW,FW/LW
Bas Rutten LHW/HW
BJ Penn FW/LW/WW
Royce Gracie WW/MW

 

[Danespina]

Winning a belt in another weight class means nothing if you jump the line for a shot.

So if Frankie Edgar beat Jose Aldo in 2013? What would've been your stance on that? Would mean nothing?

 

[Irishwhiskey119]

So if Frankie Edgar beat Jose Aldo in 2013? What would've been your stance on that? Would mean nothing?

I was being over dramatic out of anger and annoyance.

You are right. It has meaning but it means less than actually earning it but yea you are right.

 

[Gorkle]

Frank Shamrock- MW/LHW
Randy Couture- LHW/HW
Jens Pulver BW,FW/LW
Bas Rutten LHW/HW
BJ Penn FW/LW/WW
Royce Gracie WW/MW

At a guess, I reckon Conor McGregor could do it too.

 

[Get_that_yayo]

Frank Shamrock- MW/LHW
Randy Couture- LHW/HW
Jens Pulver BW,FW/LW
Bas Rutten LHW/HW
BJ Penn FW/LW/WW
Royce Gracie WW/MW

1. Royce no. Time passed him by by the time 97 rolled by.
2. BJ was one that came to mind for me. He competed at 145 in jiu jitsu and was a small lightweight when he came into the UFC. He easily could have been the champ at 145, moved to 155, then to 170 and been a champ in 3 divisions at once.
3. Jens pulver is a good choice. I didn't think anyone would mention that. He easily could have held BW, FW, and LW at the same time, especially around the time he won his first UFC strap.
4. I think Bas Rutten and Randy Couture are bad examples, because they could have possibly done it. There was nothing stopping them (other than the promoter). This is something they could have pushed for.
5. Frank is also an excellent choice. He definitely could have had both at that point in mma when he was at his peak.
6. I'd add Sakuraba to that list. He easily could have had the 170 and 185 belts at the same time. Possibly even LHW when he was at his peak. That's stretching though.
7. Wanderlei could have held the 185 and 205 titles concurrently when he was in his prime.

 

[marwash]

back then, Royce would have had all da belts.

 

[Get_that_yayo]

back then, Royce would have had all da belts.

Royce was a dinosaur by the time 97 rolled around. I don't think he even would have won a belt. Sakuraba was already on the scene at 1997, plus a bunch of other great fighters.

 

[KeiranMc]

Bout tree fiddy.

 

[Seaside]

1. Royce no. Time passed him by by the time 97 rolled by.
2. BJ was one that came to mind for me. He competed at 145 in jiu jitsu and was a small lightweight when he came into the UFC. He easily could have been the champ at 145, moved to 155, then to 170 and been a champ in 3 divisions at once.
3. Jens pulver is a good choice. I didn't think anyone would mention that. He easily could have held BW, FW, and LW at the same time, especially around the time he won his first UFC strap.
4. I think Bas Rutten and Randy Couture are bad examples, because they could have possibly done it. There was nothing stopping them (other than the promoter). This is something they could have pushed for.
5. Frank is also an excellent choice. He definitely could have had both at that point in mma when he was at his peak.
6. I'd add Sakuraba to that list. He easily could have had the 170 and 185 belts at the same time. Possibly even LHW when he was at his peak. That's stretching though.
7. Wanderlei could have held the 185 and 205 titles concurrently when he was in his prime.

Gomi?
Wanderlei?

Wanderlei I am not sure I mean assuming je could make UFC MW then yeah. But he was a big LHW when he was in pride or at least his weight was. I recall him being 220lbs and mostly muscle.

 

[tehShuffle]

Frank Shamrock- MW/LHW
Randy Couture- LHW/HW
Jens Pulver BW,FW/LW
Bas Rutten LHW/HW
BJ Penn FW/LW/WW
Royce Gracie WW/MW

Little Evil was such a monster back in the day!

 

[davisxp]

Little Evil was such a monster back in the day!

Agree. Was undersized in the LW division and still got the strap, just like Frankie Edgar. A fight between prime Jens and prime Frankie would be nice to see.

 

[davisxp]

1. Royce no. Time passed him by by the time 97 rolled by.
2. BJ was one that came to mind for me. He competed at 145 in jiu jitsu and was a small lightweight when he came into the UFC. He easily could have been the champ at 145, moved to 155, then to 170 and been a champ in 3 divisions at once.
3. Jens pulver is a good choice. I didn't think anyone would mention that. He easily could have held BW, FW, and LW at the same time, especially around the time he won his first UFC strap.
4. I think Bas Rutten and Randy Couture are bad examples, because they could have possibly done it. There was nothing stopping them (other than the promoter). This is something they could have pushed for.
5. Frank is also an excellent choice. He definitely could have had both at that point in mma when he was at his peak.
6. I'd add Sakuraba to that list. He easily could have had the 170 and 185 belts at the same time. Possibly even LHW when he was at his peak. That's stretching though.
7. Wanderlei could have held the 185 and 205 titles concurrently when he was in his prime.

I would maaaaaybe add Anderson Silva to that list. He was capable of winning the LHW belt in the time frame after Tito/Chuck/Rampage, but before Jones/DC/Rumble, rest of the guys he could take,IMO.

Also, Hendo couldv'e done it in the UFC too, in the early 2000's

 

[LordMayorMuffSniff]

If the UFC was in the business of 'super fights' - Anderson would have held the MW, LHW and HW belt back when Randy was the HW champion, and he would have stopped all of them inside 3 rounds.

 

[Kassitus]

For 90s fighters its impossible to tell because many of the best in the world were vale tudo guys back then. From the 2000s Jens Pulver is the one that stands out most. Later in his career he fought at 125. He could have been four division champion.

 

[Get_that_yayo]

For 90s fighters its impossible to tell because many of the best in the world were vale tudo guys back then. From the 2000s Jens Pulver is the one that stands out most. Later in his career he fought at 125. He could have been four division champion.

He had one hitter quitter power all the way up to 155.

 

[VanMMA]

Matt Hughes WW/MW.

 

[davisxp]

Matt Hughes WW/MW.

First he should learn how not to lose to Dennis Hallman in under 40 seconds. Hallman is Hughes's kryptonite.