Are we witnessing the end of one of the best eras for a division since the UFC started?

[JustBreed]

Just dawned at me reading another thread that there are so many old veterans right on the cusp of falling and going into a skid and got me thinking about how good the LW division has been for such a long time.

Guys like Poirier, Gaethje, Hooker, Chandler, Oliveira, have all been around for years, and are still competitive. They all fought at the same time as legends like Khabib, Conor, Ferguson, and even Dos Anjos when he was unstoppable at LW. Thinking about it makes you realise there's been this continuity of future hall of famers in that division for the past 15 years and the division has been deep af with talent for like, 15 years now.

Can anyone think of a better period in a division that's lasted as long as this?

 

[rear naked ankle pick]

U can fight fighters like poirier and gaethje in every pub on saturdays

 

[HHJ]

U can fight fighters like poirier and gaethje in every pub on saturdays

honestly that would be a fuckin nightmare to pick one of those guys to street fight with.

 

[HHJ]

Anyway I dont think too much about "end of eras"

Ive been watching since late 90s. Many eras have come and gone. They always do.

 

[Only Here for Attachments]

I thought LW was barren and cleaned out, which is why Islam has to move up

 

[Black9]

It happens in every sport.
Old legends fade, new ones step up.

 

[JustBreed]

Anyway I dont think too much about "end of eras"

Ive been watching since late 90s. Many eras have come and gone. They always do.

Not sad about it, just found it remarkable that a division was so good for so long. I can't think of another period like it.

I thought LW was barren and cleaned out, which is why Islam has to move up

Yeah, it's just about there. As someone mentioned in another thread though, some of these old guys that are on their last years are still considered good wins.

 

[jsbx45]

Just dawned at me reading another thread that there are so many old veterans right on the cusp of falling and going into a skid and got me thinking about how good the LW division has been for such a long time.

Guys like Poirier, Gaethje, Hooker, Chandler, Oliveira, have all been around for years, and are still competitive. They all fought at the same time as legends like Khabib, Conor, Ferguson, and even Dos Anjos when he was unstoppable at LW. Thinking about it makes you realise there's been this continuity of future hall of famers in that division for the past 15 years and the division has been deep af with talent for like, 15 years now.

Can anyone think of a better period in a division that's lasted as long as this?

WW In the late 2000's was stacked, but maybe not this stacked.

 

[TheMadHatter]

LHW used to be the premier division in the sport. most of the top fighters in the world were fighting at LHW. Crazy how much times change because it is one of the worst divisions in the sport currently as far as talent goes.

 

[theincognito]

LHW used to be the premier division in the sport. most of the top fighters in the world were fighting at LHW. Crazy how much times change because it is one of the worst divisions in the sport currently as far as talent goes.

MW is the new LHW (adjusted for the extreme weight cutting of today).

Plus UFC let a lot of LHWs go to Bellator over the years.

 

[balkanbomber85]

LWs peak with Kabib, Conor and Puree was way worse that the HW trinity at that time which consistet of Stipe, Ngannou and DC!

LW was never that good as praised… mostly a Division full of bulked up FW kickboxers with very few WW grapplers who killed themselves to make weight and therefore plowed through the FW kickboxers. LW only now starts to be interesting again.

 

[jeff7b9]

We are witnessing a brand first promotion that SUCKS at building new stars and doesn't give a fuck or even try to recruit elite talent from rival orgs.

About 8-10 years of that shit coming home to roost

 

[TITS]

LW has gotten stale.

 

[BowserJr]

Just dawned at me reading another thread that there are so many old veterans right on the cusp of falling and going into a skid and got me thinking about how good the LW division has been for such a long time.

Guys like Poirier, Gaethje, Hooker, Chandler, Oliveira, have all been around for years, and are still competitive. They all fought at the same time as legends like Khabib, Conor, Ferguson, and even Dos Anjos when he was unstoppable at LW. Thinking about it makes you realise there's been this continuity of future hall of famers in that division for the past 15 years and the division has been deep af with talent for like, 15 years now.

Can anyone think of a better period in a division that's lasted as long as this?

Overall MMA most stacked periods

HW 2002-2016
LHW 2002-2012
MW 2005-2019
WW 2004-2008, 2010-2016
LW 2002-2007,2009-2022

UFC stacked divisions

HW 2007-2016
LHW 2002-2005, 2007-2016
MW 2013-2016
WW same as above
LW 2009-2022

 

[Lycandroid]

you guys need to stop obsessing over names and overlooking good fighters because they aren't name. Divisions seem weaker these days because the obsession over who is a name is higher than ever.

 

[Hymen Crusher]

Lw will bounce back. It always does. Boxing same thing 147 and 160 are always top notch. Well 160 sucks now but it won't forever

 

[Qays Stetkevich]

honestly that would be a fuckin nightmare to pick one of those guys to street fight with.

Picking a street fight against a belligerent Gaethje would, yes, be an absolute nightmare. He wouldn't stop coming, and hitting him would have no discernable effect.

 

[HHJ]

Picking a street fight against a belligerent Gaethje would, yes, be an absolute nightmare. He wouldn't stop coming, and hitting him would have no discernable effect.

Hooker and BSD tried their damned best to out brawl Porier and they could NOT DO IT. He ate it and came right back at em.

 

[Feaser]

It’s not that stacked, and hasn’t been for some time. The Justin / Dustin / Chandler / Oliveira era of challengers was better than years prior, but it dropped off pretty fast beyond them.

 

[Tweak896]

LW is about over, new guys will come out and pop up eventually, old guard is just hogging the rankings. Honestly most divisions are in the middle of a transition, I'm kind of excited for the new guys on top.