Dual-organisation champion recognition.

[Funkoar]

When PRIDE merged with the UFC, those who won a title in both organisations were highly regarded and seen as the best-of-the-best.

SO why aren't WEC/Strikeforce champions getting the same recognition?

I remember when Nog and Shogun both won their UFC titles, it was huge, only a select few have done it.

Bendo and Condit have both managed to reach this feat, yet don't receive the same treatment.

P.s. I realise no Strikeforce champions are UFC champions, but surely one of them will. Huge names are coming across.

 

[Funkoar]

ttt

 

[Blindead]

Because the WEC was seen as a second tier organization, not on the same level as the UFC. It's pretty clear that only the lower weight classes were elite - obviously BW and FW WERE the UFC classes, and the 155er's were elite, but above that...not so much.

Of fighters who were brought over from the WEC to the UFC above 155 the only legit ones I can think of are Condit and Brian Stann. Not like any of their title challengers have made a splash in the UFC, lol. Some other former champs were good, but that was just winning a regional belt back when the WEC was nothing.

 

[SPL1FF]

cant really say condit did it.

GSP kinda proved he was the champ and condit was just shining it up for him.

 

[nstig8]

Because the WEC was seen as a second tier organization, not on the same level as the UFC. It's pretty clear that only the lower weight classes were elite - obviously BW and FW WERE the UFC classes, and the 155er's were elite, but above that...not so much.

Of fighters who were brought over from the WEC to the UFC above 155 the only legit ones I can think of are Condit and Brian Stann. Not like any of their title challengers have made a splash in the UFC, lol. Some other former champs were good, but that was just winning a regional belt back when the WEC was nothing.

I agree, Chael Sonnen isn't legit.


Neither is consensus top 10 MW Mark Munoz.

 

[Chernabog]

When PRIDE merged with the UFC, those who won a title in both organisations were highly regarded and seen as the best-of-the-best.

SO why aren't WEC/Strikeforce champions getting the same recognition?

Because back then in UFC and PRIDE both organizations had the best in the world. Or PRIDE may have actually had better LHW and HW divisions.

 

[Funkoar]

But doesn't Condit and Bendo winning UFC titles prove they are elite?

 

[FreeFocus]

Because the WEC was seen as a second tier organization, not on the same level as the UFC. It's pretty clear that only the lower weight classes were elite - obviously BW and FW WERE the UFC classes, and the 155er's were elite, but above that...not so much.

Unfortunately, there were people being ridiculous and saying WEC lightweights were not as skilled as UFC lightweights. People said Pettis, Bendo, Cerrone, and others would just get run over in the UFC. I was dumbfounded when people were saying this in 2009 and 2010 after they put on some AMAZING fights, including Bendo/Pettis.

 

[xelad1]

But doesn't Condit and Bendo winning UFC titles prove they are elite?

There are indeed plenty of top tier/elite imports from WEC. However, when Bendo was on his way up in the WEC the general consensus (especially among people who didn't REALLY watch WEC) was that neither he nor the other lightweights could hang with the top LWs in the UFC.

Either way there wasn't much debate at the time over who would win at the top of each division.

When Pride fighters were brought to the UFC there was much debate over who the better fighters would be. This was relevant considering Rampage had beaten Chuck in Pride and yet he wasn't even considered the best LHW. Same goes for HW, Pride was largely thought of to have the best HW fighters (and it did during that era).

By the time the WEC merger came around the UFC was generally considered the org with the highest concentration of top tier talent (not saying other great fighters didn't exist outside), and had the largest reach/budget by far. There was no direct competition from another org after Pride went under.

 

[5Rounder]

Because PRIDE was much more highly regarded, rightly or wrongly so, than either the WEC or Strikeforce.

 

[ARONAbeetFEDOR]

Because Pride was a big deal, and WEC and Strikeforce aren't.

 

[Fruits]

There was going to be a title unification bout between Anthony Pettis and the winner of Maynard/Edgar (because the UFC knew the LW division in the WEC was stacked), but then that fight ended in a draw.

Then Anthony Pettis wanted a fight, so he faced Clay "Lay & Pray" Guida. Pettis lost via a LnP decision to Guida, in which, Clay being Clay, used his advance point fighting tactics via sitting on Pettis while Pettis hit him with good shots from the bottom to win.

So because Pettis got robbed, that title unification never happened.

As for WW and MW, I don't think Condit or Sonnen were quite ready for a title fight yet; after all, both of them lost their UFC debut (Condit by SD, Sonnen by a triangle choke submission ironically).

 

[Hatredcopter]

I think it also had to do with Pride being the premier Asian and UFC being the premier US organisations. Also Pride and UFC managed to sign their fighters to fight regularily and almost exclusively for them. WEC and Strikeforce had journeymen, the best of whom often vacated their titles to fight elsewhere or held titles in both orgs at one time (also with other orgs like EliteX).

The WEC and Strikeforce guys did get some love, but people have always loved the bigger weight classes and Pride and UFC seemed like they had the best in those divisions.


However look at the pedigree of their champs:

Strikeforce:
HW: Overeem
LHW: Babalu, King Mo and Mousasi (and was Hendo) - they'll be proven soon
MW: Frank Shamrock, Cung Le, Jake Shields
WW: Diaz (now it's Nate, who's no chump)
LW: Guida, Melendez and Thompson

WEC (slightly worse pedigree at LHW and HW and even more movement of fighters):
LHW: Brian Stann
MW: Leben, Filho, Riggs
WW: Diaz, Karo, Condit, Pyle, Shonie
LW: Melendez, Bendo, Varner, Pettit
FW: Brown, Faber, Aldo, Cole
BW: Wineland, Bowles, Cruz

I think there has been a shortage of good heavyweights regardless, and the majority of the best ones were really in Pride and K1 promotions in Japan. This probably reflects on why the other US orgs other than the original US (UFC) never managed to get good bigger fighters as people tend to get more excited about HW and LHW over the smaller divisions, despite LW and WW probably being the deepest divisions worldwide.

 

[hoorah]

Because PRIDE was much more highly regarded, rightly or wrongly so, than either the WEC or Strikeforce.

Absolutely, right here.