I always feel like The division is a farce when the champion leaves

[Garnet_StrongerThanYou]

That’s how I felt when GSP vacated,

When Jones Vacated, when Cejudo Vacated,

And especially at LW now that Khabib left.

It’s just not the same when other guys are fighting when the champion retired.

 

[Eric Silva 2.0]

That’s how I felt when GSP vacated,

When Jones Vacated, when Cejudo Vacated,

And especially at LW now that Khabib left.

It’s just not the same when other guys are fighting when the champion retired.

I couldn't disagree more. It's just an adjustment period. If Cejudo and/or Khabib retire it's time to move on. That doesn't mean I wouldn't like to see Cejudo fight Figgy or Mighty Mouse vs Cejudo 3 or Khabib vs. Da Bronx etc... just as long as we get great fights it's ok.

 

[Sam's UFC title reign]

Honestly it depends for me based on the legitimacy of the division as a whole. For example, you probably forgot that Whittaker was promoted to champion without beating GSP. Why? Because no one saw Bisping as the legitimate middleweight champion. He didn't fight Yoel or Jacare. Whittaker in beating both showed he was definitely the best man in the division. The Champ is supposed to be the best man in the division.

 

[RedFoxNdisBihhh]

its normal .. time to watch a new rise to the top ... its what the sports all about

enjoy the fighters and fights ... all the hate is rediculous

 

[WHITEBELT JESUS]

Can't get your skull smashed in forever so Dana can go blow 70k on samurai swords to hang over the bed where he plows braziian strippers.

Just stating facts.

 

[dildos]

Nah. I don’t think like that.

 

[Reign009]

The show goes on TS.

You can't defend forever. You either get beat for it or forfeit.

Either way, you lose it.

 

[TheBrownRanger]

If you think in terms of lineal titles, then yeah. The championship will feel like a paper belt, but the stink washes off eventually. Welterweight and Featherweight did come back to prestige shortly after their champs vacated (conor and GSP). Middleweight took awhile to recover from the Bisping shitshow, however.

 

[Matt Conley]

If you think in terms of lineal titles, then yeah. The championship will feel like a paper belt, but the stink washes off eventually. Welterweight and Featherweight did come back to prestige shortly after their champs vacated (conor and GSP). Middleweight took awhile to recover from the Bisping shitshow, however.

Did they really though? I mean when I saw Holloway vs Poirier I just kept thinking about how Conor had beat them both and they were both somewhat illegitimate. Not saying they weren't deserving of fighting for the interim title. Just that there was still the cloud hanging over their heads

 

[Dreyga Hates You Sherbums]

Be patient. In time you’ll forget they were vacated

 

[g*r*b]

It's not the ideal transfer of power for us animalistic fans. But what is the alternative, forcing champs to fight until they lose?

 

[Deleted member 491149]

well, when GSP left it was a farce cause he clearly lost the fight...

 

[BADBOYKILLA]

Beating the lineal champion is more important than a title fights between 2 contenders. Of course its not always possible with fighters retiring or moving weight divisions but I agree with ts all 3 of those divisons don't hold the same weight because we know who the best in the world is already

 

[pick999]

I feel like the decision at 167 was a farce

 

[Jackonfire]

Be patient. In time you’ll forget they were vacated

Well thats kind of the point. If either Dustin, Connor, or Justin are the next champ, you can't change the fact they all lost to Khabib. It's going to take a defense or two for the next champ to feel legit.

 

[MyFavSport]

I'm happy about it cuz now we may get more than 1 LW title fight per year.

 

[Project2501]

I have always felt a bit of this. Always does seem like unfinished business every time its happened BUT one thing UFC has done time and time again is shown us some amazing and insane moments each and every year since I have started watching MMA (around 2000) and thats something that keeps me following MMA as a sport.

 

[daltonames]

Honestly it depends for me based on the legitimacy of the division as a whole. For example, you probably forgot that Whittaker was promoted to champion without beating GSP. Why? Because no one saw Bisping as the legitimate middleweight champion. He didn't fight Yoel or Jacare. Whittaker in beating both showed he was definitely the best man in the division. The Champ is supposed to be the best man in the division.

I don't remember anyone questioning Bisping's legitimacy as the champ, he KO'd the previous champ. People complained when Henderson got the title shot but the truth of that is that was the UFC's idea, not Bisping. Did anyone expect him to turn down the biggest money fight of his life in GSP, and fight Jacare instead? of course not. Plus Bisping fought everyone at MW for years.
Sometimes the champ is just the best guy in the division on that night. No way Alvarez was better than RDA, he caught him with a hook and finished the fight.
at WW when GSP retired with the belt, it was a pretty smooth transition given that a lot of people thought he won the GSP fight. After that I don't remember anyone saying Robbie wasn't the legit champion.
LW is a bit different because 3 out of the top 4 guys recently fought Khabib and they all got finished. Gonna take a while for Khabib's shadow to be off that division.

 

[FlyingDeathKick]

Even Cejudo felt like a farce because he never really beat the champ at 135. He beat a drained TJ at 125.

 

[VinceArch]

Even Cejudo felt like a farce because he never really beat the champ at 135. He beat a drained TJ at 125.

How is that his fault? TJ entered HENRY'S division.