Do you consider Dustin a former champion?

[chefa]

What about Nogueira and Mir?

Nogueira was higher ranked and, clearly, a better fighter, even in their then aging and diminished states, than Couture and tried to defend against Mir.

Mir was higher ranked and had just beat, then UFC Champion, Lesnar just 8 months earlier. Now, he lost in their rematch, but at that moment when he won the interim title, shouldn't he have been considered the real champion?

Someone earlier pointed out Nog I had forgotten about him he should have been on that list also since he was keeping the division going while the UFC and Randy fought about contracts.

Mir would be a grey area since he only got that interim belt during that mini tournament once randy came back I guess you could count him also since it was not him holding out or anything or a gimmick to get him the belt just to add prestige to the tournament. But his very next fight was against the real champion so its a little grey for him I guess but still way more credible than the interim titles they give out now.

Lesnar was not the champion though when Mir beat him, Randy was still the champ at the time he was fighting with the UFC trying to pursue the Fedor fight so they made the interim title with Nog and Sylvia.

Nog won and kept the division going than Randy came back and they setup that 4 man tournament had Randy and Lesnar fight and Nog and Mir fight than they unified the title.

 

[Odoylerules4lyf]

All that really matters is the lineal champ. Interim is a #1 contender holding spot

 

[Lawrence]

- beat a FW with no prior LW fights to win a meaningless interim LW belt
- only fought for the interim title because of Khabib's suspension (provoked by an expert at mind games, Danis)
- dominated by Khabib and failed to unify the belt

I think Dustin needs to go on a diet and go for the FW belt.. he was never the LW champ and unfortunately won't ever be.. his only shot at true gold is going down and beating Max a third time..otherwise he'll never have been a true champion.. plus it's not enough for your legacy to be known as a former interim champion, especially since the UFC is handing them out like participation trophies these days!

Dustin and Condit are in the same spot... I don't mind when Bruce Buffer announces them that way.

But Condit fucking beat Lawler !!!! He should have been the real champ.

 

[today123]

No, it was a BS interim title. Khabib was the champion and it was known he was about to return. Tony was already the interim champ in my eyes.