Hot Take: 185 is a better division talent/skill wise than 170

[SalvadorAllende]

Both divisions are pretty stacked I’m excited to see WW finally starting to move forward as of Q4 2024… with that said MW has a ton of super talented guys I’m trying to see scrap. How is Izzy going to look in his next fight? How about Whittaker? I want to see the next couple guys up to bat in Chimmy and Borralho (who seem like the new guard). What about Fluffy I can see him doing huge things in 2025 as well (I’d love to see him vs Costa next would be a banger). Then we have guys like Imavov who is poised for some big fights. Add in the (albeit unnecessary) DDP vs Strickland fight and it will be interesting to see how MW shakes out here in 2025.

Still sticking with my dark horse in Borralho to shock the world this year though

Both divisions are pretty competitive at the top.

DDP is a more exciting champion than Belal... and MW overall is more fan friendly. Bunch of strikers... Imavov vs Adesanya is a fucking awesome fight.

 

[BowserJr]

Both are historically weak right now

MW is weaker. DDP is not elite anywhere.

He is very good but most of what helps him win is his great chin.

Strickland as #2 who did so so at WW and hasn't shown any momentus improvements is a big indicator.

Caio is good and on the rise. Birz looks legit. Everyone else looks mediocre compared to previous eras. Paulo, Marvin, Jared and Rob all seemingly are declining.

At WW colby and Usman are on the decline. Leon is OK, Belal is OK. Shovecock, McGary and Buckley all seem solid but out of all these guys I'd only give Shovecock a solid chance against the top 3 of previous era

 

[Ibm]

170 has always sucked. not saying the fighters are bad just that they barely put on any good cards.

 

[snugglecakes]

hotter take... 155 was always a trash overrated division. Always was and still is. If 155 is so deep like people say, then how come all these 145s were able to just have a slice of cake and then come win the 155 belt in their sleep? Hell even 135 lbs frankie edgar won it the 155 belt. The first 155 title fight was between 2 featherweights and that set the tone. Historically the 155 champ has either been a 145er.. or even less like frankie.. or a weight bully with name ending in the letter V

 

[jeskola]

Let's see what Colby Covington's objectively hot take is:

"...guys that leave welterweight and they go to middleweight have so much success. Those guys like Whittaker, who became champion, a guy like Sean Strickland, who became a champion. They leave this welterweight where these guys are fast, they have good cardio. These are the best athletes on the planet in this weight class. So they go up and they have so much success at middleweight because the middleweights are unathletic. They’re slow."

 

[Doctor Grudge]

hotter take... 155 was always a trash overrated division. Always was and still is. If 155 is so deep like people say, then how come all these 145s were able to just have a slice of cake and then come win the 155 belt in their sleep? Hell even 135 lbs frankie edgar won it the 155 belt. The first 155 title fight was between 2 featherweights and that set the tone. Historically the 155 champ has either been a 145er.. or even less like frankie.. or a weight bully with name ending in the letter V

Most champions weren't really 145ers at 155. BJ Penn and Charles Oliveira have had fights at 145, but were not natural 145ers, especially Charles who would miss weight. BJ Penn was not undersized for his era and had more success at 170 than 145, so it doesn't really make sense to group him as a 145er.

Benson, Pettis, RDA, Sherk, and Alvarez definitely not 145ers.

Also, 145 to 155 and vice versa is the easiest leap in the UFC.

 

[AmonTobin]

MW is talent rich regardless of Dricus. Dricus is a cardio king at MW but I still don’t think he’s more talented than any other MW at any particular thing. And imo, Belal is more talented than Dricus. 2025 is going to be a big year for MW and I think Dricus will be dethroned in the next fight or 2.

 

[gentel]

I could see this take being true a couple years ago but now this is the Belal-Shavkat-Usman-JDM-Garry-Buckley-Brady WW division and that's way better than MW

 

[RockyLockridge]

I'd have to disagree ww landscape is changing rapidly

 

[RockyLockridge]

I could see this take being true a couple years ago but now this is the Belal-Shavkat-Usman-JDM-Garry-Buckley-Brady WW division and that's way better than MW

Yeah this with Colby Usman Leon masvidal burns out of the way people who made thier names off Maia and rda are finally out of the way