Nobody was the champion when they became champion!

[13Seconds]

In the LW division. Found this interesting:


Khabib Nurmagomedov defeated Al Iaquinta at UFC 223 to win the vacant UFC lightweight title.

After defending for a short while, Khabib vacates the belt.

Charles Oliveira finishes Michael Chandler at UFC 262 to win the vacant lightweight title. The same title Khabib dropped. The title was vacant.


Then comes Islam Makachev. He beat Oliveira at UFC 280 to win the vacant belt. The title was vacant as Oliviera failed to make weight at UFC 274

So damn. Interesting recent history in the UFC lightweight division imo

 

[swimba]

 

[Kwic]

In Charles' case, however, we knew the champion's name.

 

[El Che]

Thought this was another Tito thread.

 

[Get To Da Choppa]

In the LW division. Found this interesting:


Khabib Nurmagomedov defeated Al Iaquinta at UFC 223 to win the vacant UFC lightweight title.

After defending for a short while, Khabib vacates the belt.

Charles Oliveira finishes Michael Chandler at UFC 262 to win the vacant lightweight title. The same title Khabib dropped. The title was vacant.


Then comes Islam Makachev. He beat Oliveira at UFC 280 to win the vacant belt. The title was vacant as Oliviera failed to make weight at UFC 274

So damn. Interesting recent history in the UFC lightweight division imo

Interesting find indeed.

This opens the door for the UFC to set up a vacant lightweight title fight for Conor vs a returning Diego Brandao after Islam either mysteriously vacates or move up to 170

 

[Dyno-fists]

 

[swimba]

 

[13Seconds]

The last dethroning in the lightweight division was when Conor murked Eddie. This is crazy

 

[C-UNiT]

So Conor is the last real champion?

 

[Arm Barbarian]

 

[Relentless chase]

In the LW division. Found this interesting:


Khabib Nurmagomedov defeated Al Iaquinta at UFC 223 to win the vacant UFC lightweight title.

After defending for a short while, Khabib vacates the belt.

Charles Oliveira finishes Michael Chandler at UFC 262 to win the vacant lightweight title. The same title Khabib dropped. The title was vacant.


Then comes Islam Makachev. He beat Oliveira at UFC 280 to win the vacant belt. The title was vacant as Oliviera failed to make weight at UFC 274

So damn. Interesting recent history in the UFC lightweight division imo

Couldn't you say the same in MW after GSP Vacated?

WW too, especially after GSP vacated, Big Rigg beats Lawler, wins the Vacant Belt, then loses to Lawler in the Rematch. It's crazy how stirred up WW & MW both got after GSP vacated!!

LHW as well! I I feel like no one except Jones has been the "Real" LHW Champion. I always have felt like Beating "The Guy" is bigger than winning The Belt. That's how I felt when Nunes beat Cyborg too.. I felt like beating Cyborg is bigger than any other Belt Nunes could've won.

It would matter much more beating "the one," rather than just trying to rack up Title Defenses.

 

[Conan the K-9]

Interesting find indeed.

This opens the door for the UFC to set up a vacant lightweight title fight for Conor vs a returning Diego Brandao after Islam either mysteriously vacates or move up to 170

My thoughts exactly. What are the odds? Vacate or miss weight and/or get stripped?

 

[13Seconds]

Couldn't you say the same in MW after GSP Vacated?

WW too, especially after GSP vacated, Big Rigg beats Lawler, wins the Vacant Belt, then loses to Lawler in the Rematch. It's crazy how stirred up WW & MW both got after GSP vacated!!

LHW as well! I I feel like no one except Jones has been the "Real" LHW Champion. I always have felt like Beating "The Guy" is bigger than winning The Belt. That's how I felt when Nunes beat Cyborg too.. I felt like beating Cyborg is bigger than any other Belt Nunes could've won.

It would matter much more beating "the one," rather than just trying to rack up Title Defenses.

In WW, Hendricks was the champion when Lawler beat him.

Same in your others.

This shit in LW is interesting. No champion dethroned since forever.

 

[pick999]

Couldn't you say the same in MW after GSP Vacated?

WW too, especially after GSP vacated, Big Rigg beats Lawler, wins the Vacant Belt, then loses to Lawler in the Rematch. It's crazy how stirred up WW & MW both got after GSP vacated!!

LHW as well! I I feel like no one except Jones has been the "Real" LHW Champion. I always have felt like Beating "The Guy" is bigger than winning The Belt. That's how I felt when Nunes beat Cyborg too.. I felt like beating Cyborg is bigger than any other Belt Nunes could've won.

It would matter much more beating "the one," rather than just trying to rack up Title Defenses.

We all know Hendricks beat gsp tho

 

[blaseblase]

At least Islam beat the previous champ. The light heavyweight title is meaningless with Dana making a title fight between Ankalaev and Blachowicz and then discarding both of them for Glover v Hill. Hill got a title shot with zero top 5 wins off beating a 1-4 fighter.

 

[Sweater of AV]

Division's been a mess ever since the judges took BJ's belt and motivation away from him.

 

[Relentless chase]

In WW, Hendricks was the champion when Lawler beat him.

Idk, guess I just read the thread wrong. I was taking it as you were saying in terms of The Champion who comes in and wins the Belt, Vacantly or maybe the UFC Crowns them "The Champion," didn't really beat The Real Champion at the time they won. Like when Whittaker was pretty well crowned the MW Champion or Aldo, as much as I love him, was crowned The Featherweight Champion after Conor vacated and went to LW.. I guess I'm just looking at it in terms of "who beat who" to win The Belt.

But you gotta point!

 

[13Seconds]

Division's been a mess ever since the judges took BJ's belt and motivation away from him.

BJ penn is the greatest thing that ever happened to the UFC's lightweight division.

It's actually true that it's been in shambles since he lost the title but that's for another thread. A thread that would most likely be sent to hell by the pussified mods.

 

[Mohawk Banditó]

I never didn't see Charles as the champ, but fully get that ya had to strip the guy when he didn't show up on target.

Lots of belts get vacancies, what matters is how they establish themselves with each new fight, and I'm more than fine with how the LW belt has been challenged for as of late. It is a neat fun fact though

 

[this is my new account]

Im going to predict that Islam doesn't lose this belt and the trend continues. Islam will either vacate and go to WW or retire as champ