I like how you exclude that GSP retired for 4 years instead of sitting around talking shit while ducking top contenders in his division.
While he was actually active he fought 2x per year after initially winning the belt. He averaged 2.5 fights a year excluding the outlier MW fight with Bisping. GSP is considered a GOAT w/o his MW belt win
He fought nearly 2x as much when he was actively defending and it was the most stacked division the whole time. Constant serious contenders except maybe twice
Also, the fighters especially at his level have a ton of say on the schedule. He literally vacated and sat out, he literally got suspended for cheating. Those are all on Jon not UFC
Retired? Really?
Whatever different argument.
Since fighting for a title
Jon fought
3 times in 2011
2 times in 2012, 2013, and 2019
1 time in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2023 and 2024
GSP fought
3 times in 2007
2 times in 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2013
1 time in 2006, 2011, 2012 and 2017
Both have only fought 3 times in a year once.
GSP fought 2 times a year 4 times.
Jon fought 2 times a year 3 times.
GSP has fought 1 championship fight in a year 4 times.
Jon has fought 1 championship fight in a year 8 times.
And Jon has been through 3 LHW generations including when the LHW was the UFC's golden division and by far the most competitive division. That's why the division played hot potato with the belt until Jon finally took it. The WW division was the great division too but there's never been a period where the title was a hot potato. Hughes and GSP dominated the division but other included Carlos Newton and Pat militech all defended their title at least once. Serra didn't defend (I think he wouldn't beaten Hughes and defended his title if Hughes didn't pull out their title fight. And I think Serra got robbed when he actually fight Hughes. I thought it was a clear 29-28 Serra). I don't think bj did either.
The LHW division carried the UFC.
The only reason Jon's fight per year average keeps going down is that his career is still going. He started fighting at a younger age than GSP and he's continuing to fight at an older age than GSP.
But don't try and revise history. Early in Jon's title run he was extremely active. Besides suspensions and injuries Jon ran into the problem of clearing out his division multiple times and having to fight any Tom, dick and Harry just to have an opponent.
