This right here is the point that Mousasi fans don't understand. They refuse to acknowledge they were at least 3-4 people in front of Mouse in line. They think because Hedno and GSP got title shots they didn't deserve Mouse is the victim cause he could beat Bisping and they just ignore the rest of the division and cry about Mouse getting mistreated.
Nah Mouse quit UFC and went to bellators or so. Back then in his prime when he came to the UFC it was an apsolutely stacked division. He didn't earn a title shot. He was like 1 out of 5-7 guys who could become champ. He was not ahead of the others.
Bisping was a lucky grit champ. Lucky he got away with the Anderson win, cause Anderson had him knocked out and started celebrating instead of throwing a few gnp shots to get the stoppage. A split decision win vs Thales Leites. Both fights took damage and never quit. Bisping one of the toughest mfers but never was the best guy. Think was on a 2 fight win streak, two close calls, this was also Anderson post leg break and on a skid, and then someone I think Weidman pulled out the Rockhold rematch. Ping got the call short notice and won with one of the divisions biggest upsets. I even remeber reading Luke had a leg injury and came to box. Now according to me Luke is a pretty trash boxers, he can punch and got a check hook, but his overall boxing skill and technique is trash. In their first fight, Luke dispatched Michael easily in one of the more beautiful performance at MW and finished him easy in a short fight. This time full of confidence, Luke charged in against Left hook Larry and Mike got the knock out. Big upset nobody expected it must've been +600 or something. Then the truth unfolded. Michael chose a rematch vs Hendo who was 46 and ranked #14. Everyone in the division was begging to fight Michael, cause while he had the belt he was easily not top 5 MWs, there were Jacare Withaker Vitor Weidman Luke Mouse Yoel Kennedy and others better then him, but remeber he got the short notice replacement fight and landed his best punch to date on a dumb fighting Luke. Even Brad Tavares was backstage begging Michael for a shot. So Michael plays it safe and gets 1x free title fight money by rematching Hendo, Hendo had that humongous KO win over Mike from ufc 100 and prime for Prime Michael couldn't land 3 jabs at Hendo before getting obliterated.
Now Michael barely wins vs 46 year old Hendo, gets his face rearranged but Hendo being a old man gassed and Michael without really hurting him outpointed him for the majority of the rounds.
Then GSP senses easy money and legacy and makes everyone wait 8 months or so to bulk up. Gsp being a huge Canadian draw the UFC grants it in hopes of GSP doing more fights. Gsp toys with Michael and finishes him in the second.
Then Michael takes a fight vs Kelvin 2 weeks later and gets knocked out in the first half brutally. Having 1 eye left and seeing flashes of light after his last match in his remaining eye, Michael stepped away from the sport and became a epic commentator and Podcaster.
Most deserved championship cause he literary fought with 1 eye and later had a knee replacement surgery. Like he never quit in fights ever. One of the toughest. He gave an eye and a leg to become champion.
But also the only fighter who wasn't top 5 best fighters in the division while being champion.
OK this was about Moos. Damn MW was a shark tank back then.