Isn't it crazy how the best fighters in numerous divisions aren't the actual champ?

[ComfortablyNumb55]

BW - Merab is the best. (Or Numagomedov?)

WW - Shavkat is the best.

MW - Khamzat is the best. (DDP not even the real champion)

LHW - Hill is the best. (Poatan gifted title shots)

HW - They have two champions, I guess?

Has it always been like this? Opportunities are everything.

And they'll attempt to derail some fighters from becoming champions.

Wonder if we'll ever see every champion actually representing the best fighter in the world.

 

[tritestill]

The DDP take the craziest one.

 

[ComfortablyNumb55]

The DDP take the craziest one.

Khamzat is better.

 

[RonDante]

BW- hard to argue cause yan beat o malley, merab beat yan, but merabs style would be good for sean cause he’s so open

WW- Maybe, but leon beat a better fighter than shav kat did (usman)

MW- No, DDP is definitely the best. Khamzat has 1 round cardio and arguably drew against a short notice welterweight that he probably had a huge weight advantage over

LHW- Hill got the belt by beating a worse version of glover than jiri did, jiri was the real champ and Alex beat him officially (bad stoppage)

HW- who knows until they fight?

 

[Noraaq]

Ankalaev is better than Hill.

OMalley beats Merab.

Agreed on DDP. He isnt even close to the best MW, but Im not so sure that Khamzat is anymore either. MW is an interesting division rn.

Seems to be a popular opinion that Shavkat is the uncrowned champ at WW and I dont get it. Edwards is a very tough stylistic match up for Shavkat.

HW- Tom
LHW- Ankles
MW- Khamzat?? Usman would be a problem if he moves up to MW permanently imo.

 

[KID Yamamoto]

Hill got gifted a title shot too via Jiri yanking his arm out of its socket. This thread is bad and you should feel bad.

 

[moreorless87]

We are definitely in more of a transitional period in MMA were the champs/divisions are not established and plenty of potential for things to shift.

I think MMA does still tend to devolp in phases going back to things like the rise of MMA in Japan and TUF's sucess which caused sudden upkicks in the money on offer, whilst those things happened 20ish years ago(maybe things like the Strikeforce buyout also had an effect somewhat more recently) it meant you had generations of fighters coming though at the same time and that tended to establish a pattern which has lasted until today, albeit maybe not as clear.

 

[EnthusiastCultivator]

Agree on all except LHW, I think Ankalaev is the best

 

[Brigfa2]

I think Sean will KO Merab
Leon is still underrated af
DDP is a bad match up for Khamzat

 

[Luthien]

(DDP not even the real champion)

You'll have to explain this one ?

 

[fortheo]

"The best" is an illusion.

 

[MMA]

Everyone wants stacked divisions until people start playing rock paper scissors with the belt.

Then they complain there aren't any stars anymore.

 

[kneebartotheface]

Op is wrong.

 

[Pablo Escomar]

I think Sean will KO Merab
Leon is still underrated af
DDP is a bad match up for Khamzat

we thought about that too in the aldo and yan fight,
agree
DDP is the worst best fighter

 

[SkinnyClaw]

If you knew who was better than who, you would be the richest man in the world, and lol at Khamzat... I guess Usman on 11 days notice is the second best middleweight then

 

[Oscar Madison]

UFC searching for its Fighting Soul vs the Corporate Greed that is essential to survive and thrive.

Most of us can see the Matchmaking Game as attempting to maximize event stacking and the money-grab (that Dana starts spouting on about in the post-fight presser). This can be especially frustrating in how the UFC chooses who gets what opportunity for rising thru the ranks or getting a Title Shot.

Add to that frustration, the antics of Fighters and their Manager/Teams trying to navigate their own path towards or around opponents and fight locations and timing, etc.

 

[HatKick]

Merab beating Sean is far from a foregone conclusion.

Leon will be a tricky matchup for Shavkat. 50/50 fight imo.

MW is messy atm. Declaring Khamzat the uncrowned champ is a stretch. No idea who's the best.

I agree Hill is the best LHW but his injury could derail him. We shall see very soon.

Aspinall is the best HW.

 

[Siauliai]

Lol at Khamzat being top MW fighter without any single top 5 win.

 

[ryun253]

Poatan beat the actual champ, Hill was the paper champ.

 

[HHJ]

lol @ saying Merab is the best but then arent really sure

Really thought this one through eh?