Jon Jones old interview from 2009—how he started MMA, learning striking from YouTube and Heavyweight

[Britbug]

You’re right about everything. 205 has always been an extremely popular division but it’s a weight class that has always been about names.

Actually names resumes great proformance a and knock outs easily the most exciting and illustrious division.

 

[Rum]

Lightheavyweight was a shark tank when Jon Jones was on the rise and his starting several title diffences. It didn't start getting shallow until people started moving up and down in weight for a chance at becoming champion and leaving for bellator, which all happened in 2013.

Even after the division became "shallow" there were still a few big names who would have crushed anyone in the couture tito era I.e. Gus Rumble Cormier to keep the division interesting

Also Teixeira was hot before Jon Jones ended Teixeiras 20 fight win streak!

2013? Nah.

The division was so shallow in 2011 they had to feed him a Lyoto who had lost 2 of his last 3. And the win was over a senior citizen. In 2012 LHW was so horrendously shallow they had to feed him a guy who had fought zero LHWs in the previous HALF A DECADE, and who had zero relevant wins in the division in the previous 8+ years.

Of Jonny Bones' first 6 title fights - 5 of which took place prior to 2013 - only 1 opponent had an active win streak at LHW of more than 2. Any non-casual knows that legitimately deep divisions aren't forced to stoop to giving title shots to so many contenders with such anaemic win streaks.

In the divisions with legit deep talent pools it was much, much more rare to see GSP or Jose Aldo get to defend against an opponent who didn't come at them with the solid momentum that comes with a win streak at least 3 fights long.