Top ten American (USA) MWs ever?

It's arguable. but certainly is not just about UFC. Rockholds career didnt started in the UFC (where he took the belt from Weidman by the way) His championship run in Strikeforce is seious too
2 title defenses against Jardine and Kennedy is nowhere near as impressive as beating Anderson, Machida and TRT Belfort.
 
We are not in 2006 anymore. Just like Frank Shamrock is not in the list neither. America have produced some very good MWs in the last decade who can take Franklin's spot

We're not in 1947 anymore either but anyone who has Chuck Yeager outside Top 5 American pilots is a witless imbecile.
 
2 title defenses against Jardine and Kennedy is nowhere near as impressive as beating Anderson, Machida and TRT Belfort.

Vitor was off the T and soft AF by the time he was fed to Chris.
 
2 title defenses against Jardine and Kennedy is nowhere near as impressive as beating Anderson, Machida and TRT Belfort.

Beating Jacare, Kennedy, Machida, Bisping, Weidman and Branch is impressive...the fashion he beat some other legit gatekeepers in UFC/Strikeforce is impressive as well.
I can understand you give more credit to Weidman's run as UFC champion but its certainly arguable
 
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We're not in 1947 anymore either but anyone who has Chuck Yeager outside Top 5 American pilots is a witless imbecile.

Definitely not the point. The field Chuck Yeager got his credentials hardly admit revisionism.

I like Franklin, such a respectable man, but you are way too high on him. Let me guess you are very low on Matt Lindland for the same reason: Marketability has great impact.
UFC wasnt even the #1 promotion back when Franklin was the champion, especially at 185. Then look at the way he got manhandled by Anderson, or how he barely beat a pretty green Yushin Okami
 
Vitor was off the T and soft AF by the time he was fed to Chris.
my bad, you're right. He still had some residual T and brief moments of explosiveness though.
038_Chris_Weidman_and_Vitor_Belfort.0.0.jpg


wasn't complete dadbod mode yet like he was for Machida.
UFC-224-Vitor-Belfort-958917.jpg
 
Some fighters evolve through their career, mate. Just like Woodley from Strikeforce days is not the same as today.
Sonnen since he beat Alexei Oleynik is such a great fighter.

Lol as much as you want, wins over Suloev, Filho, Okami, Marquardt, Stann and Bisping at MW are serious. His 24 minut tittle fight with Anderson Silva in his prime is serious as well. He choked out Shogun too, keep laughing

I am laughing, and choking out a past his prime shogun in a different weight class means nothing here
 
I am laughing, and choking out a past his prime shogun in a different weight class means nothing here

Actually means something but ok.
Then focus on his wins over Suloev, Filho, Okami, Marquardt, Stann and Bisping among others at MW, or his 24 minut tittle fight with Anderson Silva in his prime.
Sonnen around 30 years old was a legit force at 185. Excellent mma wrestling and conditioning, and solid BJJ by that time. You can keep laughing at it but he was legit
 
Can't believe it
Putting Gastelum,Branch and fucking Kennedy in front of him
God damn noob

lol at noob
Yeah I think Gastelum, Kennedy and Branch are more complete fighters than Franklin was.
UFC sold you Rich Franklin as a great champion and you buy it. And you dont even wonder why he was defending against the likes of Nate Quarry or Loiseau instead of, say, Matt Lindland. Lindland wasnt the entertaining, good loocking guy Franklin was thats why but he would have been a big threat for him. A very green version of Okami had Franklin mounted and threatened with a kimura and a guilltine. Yeah, I think Branch, Gastelum and Kennedy could give Franklin all sort of problems
 
Actually means something but ok.
Then focus on his wins over Suloev, Filho, Okami, Marquardt, Stann and Bisping among others at MW, or his 24 minut tittle fight with Anderson Silva in his prime.
Sonnen around 30 years old was a legit force at 185. Excellent mma wrestling and conditioning, and solid BJJ by that time. You can keep laughing at it but he was legit
You have to dig deeper, realistically...

Sonnen arguably lost vs BS-Ping, and he would be the 1st to admit it... And it´s not a good sign when you lose to a journeyman like BS-Ping...

Quoting the 2nd Filho fight is obviously not a good idea, Im sure you will acknowledge it...Sonnen couldnt even outjab a completely Rohypnol-ed Filho...

The win over Suloev is legit, but... Suloev, as great as he was, was not a legit MW or LHW, so...was quite undersized unfortunately...

Stann was not that great, tbh...

Marquardt is someone who fought @ WW too...

Sonnen´s 1st fight vs Spider...You can feel free to be impressed, but tbh I wasnt...
 
1.Dan Henderson
2.Luke Rockhold
3.Chris Weidman
4.Chael Sonnen
5.Nate Marquardt
6.Jake Shields (for actually beating Hendo)
7.Tim Kennedy
8.Dave Branch
9.Kelvin Gastelum
10.Rich Franklin/Frank Shamrock/Matt Lindland/Jason Miller/Robbie Lawler//Derek Brunson?
Who else?
Hendo #1 is a no-brainer.

If u dont put Frank higher, can only means that you primarily consider him a LHW...
 
You have to dig deeper, realistically...

Sonnen arguably lost vs BS-Ping, and he would be the 1st to admit it... And it´s not a good sign when you lose to a journeyman like BS-Ping...

Quoting the 2nd Filho fight is obviously not a good idea, Im sure you will acknowledge it...Sonnen couldnt even outjab a completely Rohypnol-ed Filho...

The win over Suloev is legit, but... Suloev, as great as he was, was not a legit MW or LHW, so...was quite undersized unfortunately...

Stann was not that great, tbh...

Marquardt is someone who fought @ WW too...

Sonnen´s 1st fight vs Spider...You can feel free to be impressed, but tbh I wasnt...

If you consider Bisping a journeyman enough said.
Then no way you can consider Franklin beat anything but journeymen
 
Hendo #1 is a no-brainer.

If u dont put Frank higher, can only means that you primarily consider him a LHW...

I primarily consider Franklin a MW. Henderson is about the same size, while comparing the caliber of fighters they beat is indeed a no-brainer. I can get someone ranks Weidman or Rockhold to be the best but Dan has much of an argument as anyone
 
1.Dan Henderson
2.Luke Rockhold
3.Chris Weidman
4.Chael Sonnen
5.Nate Marquardt
6.Jake Shields (for actually beating Hendo)
7.Tim Kennedy
8.Dave Branch
9.Kelvin Gastelum
10.Rich Franklin/Frank Shamrock/Matt Lindland/Jason Miller/Robbie Lawler//Derek Brunson?
Who else?
Gigantic Hendo fan here but u have him way high

Hendo was from the old era, he’s best known for scrapping regardless of weight class. His best MW accomplishment was the Pride 185 lb Grand Prix which simultaneously crowned him weight div champ but he fell short of Strikeforce 185 and UFC 185 (twice)

Franklin needs to be higher out of respect even if his wins were lesser quality than eras after him, he was and fought the best “at the time” in the UFC
 
Gigantic Hendo fan here but u have him way high

Hendo was from the old era, he’s best known for scrapping regardless of weight class. His best MW accomplishment was the Pride 185 lb Grand Prix which simultaneously crowned him weight div champ but he fell short of Strikeforce 185 and UFC 185 (twice)

Franklin needs to be higher out of respect even if his wins were lesser quality than eras after him, he was and fought the best “at the time” in the UFC

I dont get that praise for ufc accomplishments. If ufc choose to get rid of challengers in win streaks as Matt Lindland, cool its their business but dont get fooled.
The best from America at his time, let alone from Brazil or Russia, guys as Lawler, Lindland, Shields, Hendo, Vitale, Miller, Marquardt....Franklin wasnt fighting them.
He still has legit wins though, regardless if they were for the ufc belt, so he is in the discussion, I just dont think much higher, definitely not top5
 
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Gigantic Hendo fan here but u have him way high

Henderson is similar size as everyone else listed, has beat so many fighters who have been succesful at MW at any point, in and out ufc, in different eras. H
Forget about weihtclasses and promotions, Dan Henderson certainly deserves to be considered the best American fighter among guys of similar size
 
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