Title Defenses is the Most Overrated Stat in UFC History

[Black9]

I was looking at the "All Time GOAT" Poll and everyone was highly valuing "Title Defenses" which DOES matter but shouldn't be the MAIN argument against many fighters and their legacies.
We need to stop this BJ Penn vs Khabib Lightweight GOAT and Jose Aldo vs Volk Featherweight GOAT debates

The problem with that metric is that the variance in WHEN they got the title shot:

BJ Penn- 2 Fights before Title shot
Jose Aldo- Got the UFC belt from the jump(Worked his way from WEC but still)
Anderson Silva - Got a title shot after ONE fight in the UFC
Jon Jones- 3 Fights before Title Fight(Short Notice)
GSP - 4 Fights(3 Fights for Long Reign)
Demetrious Johnson- 2 Fights(Flyweight Tournament)
Tim Sylvia - 2 Fights Before Title shot
Anthony Pettis- 2 Fights before Title Shot
and So forth

On the other hand you got other great fighters who had to win FAR more fights before the title but are often LEFT OUT because they got their titles FAR later Legacy Wise
Khabib - 9 Fights Before Title Shot
Max Holloway - 9 Fights Before Title Shot
Charles Oliviera- 7 Fights Before Title Shot

This being the overall title defense stats:

Title Defenses - Fight Matrix

Most consecutive UFC title defenses Last Updated: 03/14/2024 Fighter Streak Timeframe Demetrious Johnson 11 2013-2017 Anderson Silva 10 2007-2012 Georges St. Pierre 9 2008-2013 (relinquished title) Jon Jones 8, 3 2011-2015 (relinquished), 2019-2020 (relinquished) Jose Aldo * 7 2011-2014...

www.fightmatrix.com

Also, the arguement about "You face the best when you're the champion", that is true however how do we know they couldnt beat those contenders if they had gotten the title shot after 2-3 fights? Is anyone really stopping Khabib or Max during their 6+ win streak if they got the title shot after 2 or 3 fights like the rest?

 

[GrantB13]

It depends on their competition. But ultimately, title defenses matter. The history and record books are going to show their defenses and not who they beat to get there.

 

[Contempt]

Let me guess TS, you're a Conor fanboy?

 

[Willek]

Maybe if Khabib didn’t go life and death with Gleison Tibau he would have gotten a shot sooner.

 

[chinarice]

I was looking at the "All Time GOAT" Poll and everyone was highly valuing "Title Defenses" as the MAIN argument against many fighters and their legacies

The problem with that metric is that the variance in WHEN they got the title shot:

Anderson Silva - Got a title shot after ONE fight in the UFC
Jon Jones- 3 Fights before Title Fight(Short Notice)
GSP - 4 Fights(3 Fights for Long Reign)
Demetrious Johnson- 2 Fights(Flyweight Tournament)

On the other hand you got other great fighters who had to win FAR more fights before the title but are often LEFT OUT because they got their titles FAR later Legacy Wise
Khabib - 9 Fights Before Title Shot
Max Holloway - 9 Fights Before Title Shot
Charles Oliviera- 7 Fights Before Title Shot

This being the overall title defense stats:

Title Defenses - Fight Matrix

Most consecutive UFC title defenses Last Updated: 03/14/2024 Fighter Streak Timeframe Demetrious Johnson 11 2013-2017 Anderson Silva 10 2007-2012 Georges St. Pierre 9 2008-2013 (relinquished title) Jon Jones 8, 3 2011-2015 (relinquished), 2019-2020 (relinquished) Jose Aldo * 7 2011-2014...

www.fightmatrix.com

Dude no one whose opinion is worth a damn thinks any of these guys are up there with GSP, Silva, Jones, etc.

It's because they straight up aren't. Khabib especially. He has like 3 or 4 wins worth talking about.

GSP wasn't fighting 16 bums in Canada. He was fighting the best fighter in MMA in his 2nd year of MMA.

 

[Jackonfire]

Millennials and their participation trophies

 

[AmonTobin]

It’s one of the best indicators actually but I agree it’s not the whole picture. If you're comparing win streaks, winning title fights is overall more impressive than beating lower ranked opponents. If it comes down to the caliber of your opponents, the quality of your individual opposition, which I think it does, we generally assume title defenses present the highest level of competition. Thinking "if so and so had the belt at the beginning of his win streak, he'd be a 6 time defending champion by now!" isn't true because the opponents would be different and that fighters skill level wouldn’t be as high. The mistake is overemphasizing quantity over quality.

 

[tequilaboy]

Naming 3 goats of their respective category to make your point isn't the best way to prove title defenses are pointless indicators..

 

[BLIND]

Champ fights the #1 contenders every fight so…….
I honestly think title defenses is severely undervalued. Double champ status is meaningless without any defenses really. Domination is the name of the game

 

[TempleoftheDog]

I was looking at the "All Time GOAT" Poll and everyone was highly valuing "Title Defenses" as the MAIN argument against many fighters and their legacies

The problem with that metric is that the variance in WHEN they got the title shot:

Anderson Silva - Got a title shot after ONE fight in the UFC
Jon Jones- 3 Fights before Title Fight(Short Notice)
GSP - 4 Fights(3 Fights for Long Reign)
Demetrious Johnson- 2 Fights(Flyweight Tournament)

On the other hand you got other great fighters who had to win FAR more fights before the title but are often LEFT OUT because they got their titles FAR later Legacy Wise
Khabib - 9 Fights Before Title Shot
Max Holloway - 9 Fights Before Title Shot
Charles Oliviera- 7 Fights Before Title Shot

This being the overall title defense stats:

Title Defenses - Fight Matrix

Most consecutive UFC title defenses Last Updated: 03/14/2024 Fighter Streak Timeframe Demetrious Johnson 11 2013-2017 Anderson Silva 10 2007-2012 Georges St. Pierre 9 2008-2013 (relinquished title) Jon Jones 8, 3 2011-2015 (relinquished), 2019-2020 (relinquished) Jose Aldo * 7 2011-2014...

www.fightmatrix.com

 

[IndyCovaHart]

habibs pre UFC resume is littered with wiki nobodies and he won the title off of a real estate agent lol

 

[Psychojoe86]

It is absolutely one of the most important traits for measuring greatness in ufc history. Champions have tons more burden, responsibility, 5 round fights, targeted, only fight top contenders (theoretically)

Long title reigns are the best mma fighters ever (Anderson, GSP, jones, aldo, etc)

 

[dildos]

Lol white belts…

 

[jko1355]

Obviously title defenses matter.... because every defense is a top 5 win... khabib and max fought guys that weren't title worthy on their rise to fame....

 

[Black9]

Let me guess TS, you're a Conor fanboy?

Actually im Anti-Mcgregor pretty hard(Not the Prime Mcgregor, the new drunken one lol).

It was just the fact that if they got their title shot at the same time as the "GOATs" which is 2-3 fights. They would have very close if not more title defenses.

 

[Fergelmince]

The OGs can't help it if the new kids are afraid to go for the title until they know the belt holder is too old to defend it anymore.

 

[Michaelangelo]

Naming 3 goats of their respective category to make your point isn't the best way to prove title defenses are pointless indicators..

Especially when those 3 destroyed the champions for their titles

 

[Black9]

Obviously title defenses matter.... because every defense is a top 5 win... khabib and max fought guys that weren't title worthy on their rise to fame....

That is true however how do we know they couldnt beat those contenders if they had gotten the title shot after 2-3 fights? Is anyone really stopping Khabib or Max during their 6+ win streak if they got the title shot after 2 or 3 fights like the rest?

Its really how we determine that metric i think

 

[BigSexy444]

Millennials and their participation trophies

Everyone is the GOAT!

 

[cws80us]

It's early, but this is already in the lead for dumbest thread of the year. Title defenses don't matter lol that's rich!