Time to end this When is a Champ a Champ? Poll

[John Wick]

Let's say Dan Henderson beat Michael Bisping. He was the 12the ranked guy in the division. That's not the undisputed middleweight champion.

In my opinion, in order for a champion to be undisputed they must defend against the #1 contender in the division after winning the belt.

Therefore,

Undisputed Champs:
Mighty Mouse is UNDISPUTED CHAMP (beat Benevidez)
Joanna is UNDISPUTED CHAMP (beat Claudia x2)

Champs who must win these fights to become Undisputed:

Dominik Cruz must defend against TJ
Jose Aldo needs to beat Conor x2
Conor McGregor must defend against Khabib
Tyron Woodley must beat Wonderboy
Bisping must defend against Romero
Cormier must beat Jon Jones x2
Stipe must defend against winner of Werdum/Cain
Nunes must defend against Rousey

 

[Lorenzo F.]

Conor has 0 title defenses. He is a fraud of champions.

Aldo has 8 defences and he's the biggest fraud in the game except for Cyborg.

 

[Paynebringer]

Let's say Dan Henderson beat Michael Bisping. He was the 12the ranked guy in the division. That's not the undisputed middleweight champion.

In my opinion, in order for a champion to be undisputed they must defend against the #1 contender in the division after winning the belt.

Therefore,

Undisputed Champs:
Mighty Mouse is UNDISPUTED CHAMP (beat Benevidez)
Joanna is UNDISPUTED CHAMP (beat Claudia x2)

Champs who must win these fights to become Undisputed:

Dominik Cruz must defend against TJ
Jose Aldo needs to beat Conor x2
Conor McGregor must defend against Khabib
Tyron Woodley must beat Wonderboy
Bisping must defend against Romero
Cormier must beat Jon Jones x2
Stipe must defend against winner of Werdum/Cain
Nunes must defend against Rousey

THIS ^^^^ has merit...

 

[Jonesingforafight]

You're a champion when you win the title, but defending it definitely helps to legitimize that claim. Also just attempting to defend the title is better than not even trying at all (Ala McGillicutty).

 

[Paynebringer]

I completely agree.

What they do with British boxing championship belts is cool though you only get to keep the belt if you defend it 3 times. It doesn't change your status as champion, obviously as soon as you win a title fight you're the British champion but you have to defend it 3 times to keep the Lonsdale Belt.

I actually like this ^^^^ it shows me how much they value the status of owning a belt....

 

[Paynebringer]

Champion when you win the belt by definition but you aren't on your way to being a truly dominant champion, the true #1 if you have no defenses. Many fighters win belts, many spectacularly but only a few keep them for a long time while actively defending. That is what proves they are above the rest. History in sport is finalized at the end of peoples careers, not during them.

Agreed!

 

[crlkllr]

Once you become the champion, you're the champ.

 

[phatron]

The example I use is two people run for the presidency one winz the election they now call that person President elect until he's confirmed.

The problem with this analogy is that the President Elect doesn't have to win another election.....he just has to wait out the current presidents term.

 

[phatron]

Two fighters go at it one wins he's declared New or Still Champion, if new he's holding that belt & title but in my eyez he's a title holder until he confirms that he can not only win a belt but also defend it to be truly called "Undisputed" without question. Winning belts is a two part process you win and then defend

Conor defended the interim belt when he fought Jose....and unified the belts to become the undisputed champ. Conor won 2 title fights in a row at FW.

People always forget that.

 

[Davemeddlehed]

In 2014, the Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl.

In 2015, the New England Patriots won the Super Bowl.

Were the Seahawks title holders, or champions?

Comparing team sports to combat sports now?

 

[Davemeddlehed]

Conor defended the interim belt when he fought Jose....and unified the belts to become the undisputed champ. Conor won 2 title fights in a row at FW.

People always forget that.

He didn't defend the interim belt against the featherweight champion...

 

[TouchofDeath]

When you beat the champ you also possess all his defences, so technically Conor has had 7 title defences.

 

[phatron]

People like Matt Serra getting gifted a shot for winning TUF

I like how people call winning 3 fights in 6 weeks being "gifted"

 

[phatron]

He didn't defend the interim belt against the featherweight champion...

defended...unified. same difference.

Moral of the story is that Conor won 2 title fights in a row at FW.

People are arguing you're not a champ until you win 2 title fights in a row.

Conor did that.

 

[WinZip]

At one point Cain had 20 months in between title defenses. What did that make him?

you shut the fuck up with your other examples and facts and logic and stuff. This is a Conor bashing thread so there is NO TOLERANCE FOR THAT SHIT HERE.

 

[Jin Akutsu]

Comparing team sports to combat sports now?

Sure.

Tennis:

In 2015 Stanislas Wawrinka won the French Open.

In 2016, Novak Djokovic won the French Open.

Golf:

In 2015 Jordan Spieth won the US Open.

In 2016 Dustin Johnson won the US Open.

In Boxing:

Andre Ward just beat Sergey Kovalev by decision to become the Light Heavyweight Champion. He hasn't defended as of yet.

Are none of these athletes or fighters champions?

 

[Davemeddlehed]

defended...unified. same difference.

Moral of the story is that Conor won 2 title fights in a row at FW.

People are arguing you're not a champ until you win 2 title fights in a row.

Conor did that.

Defending and unifying aren't the same thing at all. That's why Conor was still referred to as "the challenger" in the pre-fight announcement by Buffer. He can't be defending anything if he's the challenger.

 

[phatron]

Defending and unifying aren't the same thing at all. That's why Conor was still referred to as "the challenger" in the pre-fight announcement by Buffer. He can't be defending anything if he's the challenger.

he still won 2 title fights in a row.....which is what people are saying is so hard.

conor did it.

 

[Paynebringer]

The problem with this analogy is that the President Elect doesn't have to win another election.....he just has to wait out the current presidents term.

No, but he needs to be confirmed through ceremony as I believe a recent title holder needs to confirmed through a defense that it wasn't just luck and this guy can win & defend. All I'm saying for my version of a Champion it's a 2 part process win it/ defend it "Undisputed" because you did both...

 

[Davemeddlehed]

he still won 2 title fights in a row.....which is what people are saying is so hard.

conor did it.

Neither as champion, though. That's what people are saying is so hard. There's more pressure on the champion to defeat the challenger. To prove he deserves to be champion, and having a target on his back.

Conor hasn't defended a single title yet.