Remember when lightweight was supposedly the deepest division?

[Dr Fong]

Now it is as deep as a puddle of penguin piss.

4 consecutive title fights of complete nonsense involving featherweights, 2 of which featured a completely unranked LW, one involved a guy outside the top 10, and one involved a shot fighter who had no business getting a title shot either.

The top 10 still contains Gaethje, Poirier, Chandler, Hooker, Dariush, Charlie Olives all of whom are varying degrees of washed up. It also includes Holloway who is 1-1 at LW in the UFC. Hell, even Gamrot is 34. And Tsarukyan can't make it to a title fight.

When did the LW become the home of rank squatting geriatrics and failed featherweights?

 

[MarioLemieux]

Because all the stars of the division are old and have been rank squatting the new guys failed to live up to hype.

 

[VinceArch]

Rising contenders are on the horizon, and we'll be seeing these guys out of the top 10 fairly soon I imagine. All of them are battleworn.

 

[Conan the K-9]

TS you are not wrong here.
LW has a lot of big names but in terms of being deep it’s not that what some people think it is.
BW, FW and FLW are all better divisions.

 

[rollthedice]

LW is still really deep, it's had some amazing eras, unfortunately we are now in the rank squatting era where everyone avoids match ups that make sense, makes tik tok videos and triangles pornstars.

 

[Doctor Grudge]

Looks like a lot of really good fighters to me. Most of the guys you listed aren't washed up at all. Saying Do-Bronx is washed up because he lost to Arman by split decision is just odd.


If someone isn't 15-0 in their last 15 they are washed up lol. Gaethje isn't washed up because he got destroyed by a top 3 FW of all time, he just isn't as good as the guys he lost to.

The only ranked fighter who is washed up is Chandler.

 

[sabretitan]

Ts, you should know how it goes.. have a dominant champ or Champs for years and parity goes away in a division, making an illusion its not deep. Just look at be and ww right now. They seem really deep right now . Divisions going through the motions lol

 

[Blanqa Blanqua]

 

[Juicy Jon]

It's been overrated for a very long time

 

[13Seconds]

Every division will have their ups and downs. LW is in transitional phase right now.

 

[Lycandroid]

It's still as deep as it was back then, the other divisions filled out as the UFC signed more fighters and those other divisions became deeper than lightweight division.

 

[GreatSaintGuillotine]

LW is still deep. The old guard is just phasing out.

 

[Hymen Crusher]

This and 145 should always be the cream of the crop because it's where most humans especially worldwide fall into too. Islam has been champ for to long and hasn't fought all the guys. I guess we at least get a new fight Saturday now but it's definitely a downgrade.

 

[Doctor Grudge]

Looks like a lot of really good fighters to me. Most of the guys you listed aren't washed up at all.

This and 145 should always be the cream of the crop because it's where most humans especially worldwide fall into too. Islam has been champ for to long and hasn't fought all the guys. I guess we at least get a new fight Saturday now but it's definitely a downgrade.

Most humans are not the size of LWs or FWs worldwide. The average male's weight is around that of a Bantamweight, if not a Flyweight. Bantamweight is the deepest division worldwide.

LWs in the UFC are fit 180-190 pound people. Most people are not 180-190 pounds, and in countries where the average weight is higher than that (like USA) it's because their populace is potbellied.

 

[HeffDoesWant]

It's just random luck that have made Islam's defences pretty poor.

The talent is there.


Olivera and Volk 1 were 100% legit.

Volk 2 and Poirier were pretty shitty defenses but not due to a lack of depth at LW.

 

[gentel]

Any division with a top-notch Team Khabib fighter in it is inherently top-heavy, maybe there's one fighter in a given division who's a worthy rival for a Khabib/Islam/Umar but even one rival is not a guarantee

Having someone like that on top makes the rest of the division look shallow

 

[DrRodentia]

Every division ebbs and flows

 

[TR1]

Sherdoggers have been coping at divisions getting older by pretending like mid 30s is "muh true atheltic peak".

In reality divisions getting years older is typically a sign the org has done a poor job of cultivating new talent and the old guard is sticking around longer as a result.

 

[Pierce 34]

it's probably the 3rd best division behind FW and BW. Maybe WW?

 

[Left Hook Lacy]

Looks like a lot of really good fighters to me. Most of the guys you listed aren't washed up at all.

Most humans are not the size of LWs or FWs worldwide. The average male's weight is around that of a Bantamweight, if not a Flyweight. Bantamweight is the deepest division worldwide.

LWs in the UFC are fit 180-190 pound people. Most people are not 180-190 pounds, and in countries where the average weight is higher than that (like USA) it's because their populace is potbellied.

Average height and body frames. Obviously when you become a professional fighter, you get in better shape and more jacked than an average non-athletic person. You don't jump right off the couch.