How strong is the current set of champions in comparison to the past?

[EGarrett]

Currently we have... Stipe, Cormier, Bisping, Lawler, RDA, and Conor.

For some comparisons...

In January 2013 we had Cain, Jones, Anderson, GSP, Benson, and Aldo.
In January 2010 we had Brock, Machida, Anderson, GSP, BJ Penn, and Jose Aldo (in WEC).
In January 2007 we had Tim Sylvia, Chuck Liddell, Anderson, GSP, Sean Sherk, and Urijah Faber

If you want to check a time, you can use the wikipedia history page...

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_UFC_champions&action=history

 

[LouisBolanos]

Currently we have... Stipe, Cormier, Bisping, Lawler, RDA, and Conor.

HW: 50/50 losing next fight champ, LHW: paper champ. MW: paper champ, WW: 50/50 losing next fight champ, LW: paper champ, FW: champ who can't make weight.

Terrible line up, in other words.

 

[BLACKWOLF]

Time will tell, other than RDA I don't think many other guys will hold their belts for too long.

Stipe being a HW will only have a few defenses, Cormier is getting taken to town by Jones, Bisping will beat Hendo if they make that fight but he'll lose to Jacare, I have no idea with Robbie if he gets past Wonderboy he might get a few more defenses, RDA will hold it for a while and who knows with Conor he might never fight at FW again for all we know.

 

[LHWBelt]

We've had alot stronger in the past.

Stipes good but i see overeem beating him.

DC is good but a paper champ.

Bisping is average.

Lawler is awesome to watch but not much higher level than his peers.

RDA is a beast.

McGregors good but i think Frankie would give him a great fight.

Doms great.

Johnsons great.

 

[wilKO]

We used to have
HW: Cain
LHW: Jones
MW: Anderson
WW: GSP
LW: Edgar
FW: Aldo
BW: Cruz

I'd say it's currently very weak in comparison. Like a massive step down in dominance and talent. MMA evolution folks...

 

[thobra]

Sylvia, Jones, Anderson, GSP, RDA And Aldo were the best of the listed names IMO.

 

[basementdweller]

RDA and Conor are steps forward. The most dominant champions are in BW and flyweight... Cormier beats everyone not named Jon Jones. Stipe can actually be a dominant champion since the division is a bunch of very old unathletic guys walking in and out of KOs...
Bisping is probably the worst champion in quite a while, definitely in MW.

 

[Pitier of Fools]

We've had alot stronger in the past.

Stipes good but i see overeem beating him.

DC is good but a paper champ.

Bisping is average.

Lawler is awesome to watch but not much higher level than his peers.

RDA is a beast.

McGregors good but i think Frankie would give him a great fight.

Doms great.

Johnsons great.

I agree with this. RDA may lose his next fight (since LW is a shark tank), but he's the only one of the current champs I see even having a chance at an extended title reign.

Dom's days are numbered.
Lawler's days are numbered.
Bisping holds his title until his next fight.
Stipe loses a rematch to Werdum.
DC is incredible, but past his prime. Also paper champ.
MM may be the atomweight champ forever....but nobody cares.

 

[muaythaibeast]

HW: 50/50 losing next fight champ, LHW: paper champ. MW: paper champ, WW: 50/50 losing next fight champ, LW: paper champ, FW: champ who can't make weight.

Terrible line up, in other words.

In what world is Bisping a paper champ? He knocked out the last champ in round 1.
If anything these guys potentially losing their next fight makes it much more interesting. GSP was a much better fighter than Lawler, but 90% of guys would much rather watch Robbie Lawler. RDA is a much better champ than Bendo too.

 

[LukeSkyRutten]

Proves that MMA fighters today aren't necessarily better than those pre 2010. In fact Bisping isn't as good as he was pre-2010. He has one f**cking eye lol… He's almost 40… The calls of a newer better MW were just premature sherjaculation.

 

[RockyLockridge]

Stipe will be champ for another 2 or 3 years
Cormier doesn't even count
Bisping is a placeholder for a better fighter
Lawler is one of the most savage fighters of all time
RDA is a Solid fighter, I don't count on him being champ after 2016
Conor Has pretty much absolutely Demolished his division without defending his belt yet.(bar frankie edgar)
Dom is a top 10 goat candidate
Mightymouse is a top 10 goat candidate

 

[Blayt7hh]

HW: 50/50 losing next fight champ, LHW: paper champ. MW: paper champ, WW: 50/50 losing next fight champ, LW: paper champ, FW: champ who can't make weight.

Terrible line up, in other words.

How is Bisping and RDA a paper champ?

.... You sure you know that term?

 

[LouisBolanos]

In what world is Bisping a paper champ? He knocked out the last champ in round 1.
If anything these guys potentially losing their next fight makes it much more interesting. GSP was a much better fighter than Lawler, but 90% of guys would much rather watch Robbie Lawler. RDA is a much better champ than Bendo too.

Paper champ as in he wasn't supposed to win. Good for him that he pulled off an upset, but the reality is he was a massive betting underdog, had already lost the first fight and quite a number of the MW in the top 10 would be betting favorites against him. In GSP and Silva's reign, nobody in their divisions were betting favorites. That means they're both functionally the best in their weight classes, and perceived to be exactly that. Bisping isn't.

Same deal with RDA. He's going to be the betting underdog against Khabib, and already lost badly to him once. Paper champ.

Also, we're not talking excitement levels here, we're talking about strength of the champions, and GSP and Silva were undoubtedly much stronger champions than the current WW and MW champs.

How is Bisping and RDA a paper champ?

.... You sure you know that term?

Yes. Paper champ = the guy who holds the title but most likely can't beat the real champ.

DC holds the title. He most likely can't beat Jon Jones. In fact he already lost. Therefore paper champ. RDA holds the title, he most likely can't beat Khabib, in fact he already lost. Therefore also paper champ.

 

[EGarrett]

Stipe will be champ for another 2 or 3 years

But will he actually defend the belt?

 

[stav]

HW: 50/50 losing next fight champ, LHW: paper champ. MW: paper champ, WW: 50/50 losing next fight champ, LW: paper champ, FW: champ who can't make weight.

Terrible line up, in other words.

Bisping is not a paper champ. He KTFO Cockyhold. He might not be the strongest champ to grace any division (ala serra) but he is legit. No fluke, no controversy.

 

[muaythaibeast]

Stipe vs Reem in an awesome fight thats impossible to pick. Its much better than the days of Cain getting injured over and over again.
DC/Jones 2 is easily the most anticipated 205 fight of all time.
Bisping probably isn't going on an extended run, but you know we're all gonna watch his first defense.
Lawler is by far and away the most exciting champ the UFC ever had. Watching this guy go to war beat watching GSP/Hendricks lay on someone ten times over.
RDA is an absolute monster. Sure, he lost to a guy a few years back, but hes been on a tear since, and Khabibs just been tearing ligaments.
Not having these dominant guys makes it 10x more interesting. Sure it was good to see how Silva was going to finish someone, but its more interesting when you aren't 99% sure who's gonna win.

 

[RockyLockridge]

But will he actually defend the belt?

Yes, He will defend it somewhere between 3 and 5 times.

 

[muaythaibeast]

Paper champ as in he wasn't supposed to win. Good for him that he pulled off an upset, but the reality is he was a massive betting underdog, had already lost the first fight and quite a number of the MW in the top 10 would be betting favorites against him. In GSP and Silva's reign, nobody in their divisions were betting favorites. That means they're both functionally the best in their weight classes, and perceived to be exactly that. Bisping isn't.

Same deal with RDA. He's going to be the betting underdog against Khabib, and already lost badly to him once. Paper champ.

Also, we're not talking excitement levels here, we're talking about strength of the champions, and GSP and Silva were undoubtedly much stronger champions than the current WW and MW champs.



Yes. Paper champ = the guy who holds the title but most likely can't beat the real champ.

DC holds the title. He most likely can't beat Jon Jones. In fact he already lost. Therefore paper champ. RDA holds the title, he most likely can't beat Khabib, in fact he already lost. Therefore also paper champ.

Bisping did beat the last champ, by knockout in round 1. GSP got smashed by Hughes first time round and came back to beat him, hence not a paper champ. Same with Bisping.
I know what you're saying about he was an underdog, but he won, and it wasn't controversial

 

[LouisBolanos]

Bisping did beat the last champ, by knockout in round 1. GSP got smashed by Hughes first time round and came back to beat him, hence not a paper champ. Same with Bisping.
I know what you're saying about he was an underdog, but he won, and it wasn't controversial

GSP also got smashed by Serra the first time around, and Serra was a paper champ even though he beat GSP 100% legit. That's the position Bisping is in right now.

 

[A_bomb47]

HW: 50/50 losing next fight champ, LHW: paper champ. MW: paper champ, WW: 50/50 losing next fight champ, LW: paper champ, FW: champ who can't make weight.

Terrible line up, in other words.

Current champions are very meh compared to January 2013. With the exception of Bendo, they all seemed unbeatable.