UFC Champions by age - LW

[Pault1989]

Yep. I've been saying that for a while, but his true believers still think he can win a belt.

He will forever be the peoples lightweight champ!
Tony Bless

 

[Fioretti]

That Postiviely Arsenal guy is a real idiot.

No, he's not. He's saying the same thing I just explained to you in a previous post. To which you replied "that's fair". It's more crucial when averaging, of course, but still. I suppose in that case "almost 29" would be the most accurate way, the other guy is just being intentionally difficult.

 

[sampuncher]

Could you guys not tell I was trolling from my first post "Conor, youngest champ, better resume than Khabib confirmed"
<{cruzshake}>

I'll be honest mate, I couldn't tell.

Conor fanboys have said the exact same thing in the past you were trolling over. I assumed it was just another Conor fan haha.

Inset Homer Simpson hedge GIF, I'm seeing myself out.

 

[sampuncher]

No, he's not. He's saying the same thing I just explained to you in a previous post. To which you replied "that's fair". It's more crucial when averaging, of course, but still. I suppose in that case "almost 29" would be the most accurate way, the other guy is just being intentionally difficult.

Not to start the exact conversation that happened in that picture I posted.

"almost 29" wouldn't be the most accurate. 28 is the most accurate if that's his age.

 

[bl0b]

No, he's not. He's saying the same thing I just explained to you in a previous post. To which you replied "that's fair". It's more crucial when averaging, of course, but still. I suppose in that case "almost 29" would be the most accurate way, the other guy is just being intentionally difficult.

No, what you said explains why you rounded up for the purpose of your post.

When you are required to write your age somewhere, you don't tell them the age you're going to be in 6 months, 4 months, or 1 month, you tell them what age you are.

It's closer to the year 2021 but it isn't 2021 is it? It's closer to 10:00AM but it isn't 10:00AM is it?

That idiot you're defending is using broken logic to explain that someone who is closer to 29 years old is actually 29 years old and not 28 years old.

TL;DR

You are what you are, and it is what it is. It's not what it will be down the line.

 

[Pault1989]

I'll be honest mate, I couldn't tell.

Conor fanboys have said the exact same thing in the past you were trolling over. I assumed it was just another Conor fan haha.

Inset Homer Simpson hedge GIF, I'm seeing myself out.

Haha I'm glad I put on a solid performance!
To be honest mate I'm actually a Conor fan, I like his style and somewhat of the entertainment he brings to the table , but make no mistake im not deluded, I know he's beatable and don't enter him into GOAT discussions, simply because of his inactivity since he won the belts. But he's still an amazing athlete one of the best to do it at FW.

 

[MCS]

Jens Pulver
Pulver was ready at that age. Already a complete fighter and had the mentality to be champion.

Sean Sherk
A workhorse, and also had some PED usage, which both extend his prime. Florian with his lack of TDD was a fairly straightforward fight for him. did his job and got the strap. The real guy at LW was Penn though, at that time. And they met soon.

BJ Penn
Was the first belt chaser. Fearlessly wanted all the divisional belts. Even left the UFC as champ. This is why it took him so long to eventually and officially get the LW belt. As I think he beat Pulver as a young guy. But he was fully ready to be champ near 30.

Frankie Edgar
Upset Penn and from there Frankie's career went upwards while Penn's went downwards. A crossroads type of fight. I think BJ won the first and Frankie clearly won the 2nd. By the time they fought a 3rd time it was at FW and Penn was shot, while Frankie was still elite.

Benson Henderson.
Good list of wins. Boring, close decision wins. Not a strong champion, but always in shape, always a difficult fight as he had so many tools.

Anthony Pettis.
26 is often the time when athletes start peaking. Pettis' run was short, but highly impressive and the most exciting in LW history, both WEC and UFC runs at the top combined. Then I believe his game got figured out. Fighters know how to beat him, how to positionally avoid Pettis' go-to subs and win on points or late stoppage.

Rafael dos Anjos
The most professional in this group. The hardest worker and mentally tough. Took him a long career of ups and downs to finally become champ, but Cerrone wasn't a strong opponent at that point. So in hindsight, and with Alvarez's aggression, the quick TKO loss makes sense.

Eddie Alvarez.
I remember first seeing him in the Dream LW Tourney, which had a ton of talent. And he's been all over since. Came to the UFC late and had some tough fights. But Eddie is a guy who trains for a 2-round fight. All about the finish, be it by sub or KO. With his reckless style he can beat anyone, but also lose a lot. So him losing the belt right away after getting it and then going to another promotion suits his character.

Conor McGregor.
Quick ascend to the top. 2 flawless performances to win 2-div belts. This was his goal. Replicate Cage Warriors 2-div belts. When the athlete lifetime goal is completed things tend to go downward.

Tony Ferguson.
Is the greatest LW to never win a belt. He should be undisputed champ at some point, but there is Khabib. So this is a bit like Fedor and Nog (new fans can then appreciate what Nog did).

Khabib Nurmagomedov.
In a division that's so competitive that everyone has losses, Khabib is the most flawless fighter. He has holes, but his style is the most effective. Rarely takes damage and it was only due to injuries that he wasn't champ 2-3 years earlier. What he did to RDA years ago showed he was the uncrowned champ. His father prepared him well.

Dustin Poirier.
Started at FW with some ups and downs. Move to LW made him fulfill his potential. Never changed his style, but made the style better. Still the same holes in defense, but pacing and composure, overall maturity has evolved. Won the Interim against Max, who moved up to LW for the first time for that fight. So not a proven LW to get it from, but a smaller p4p guy. Poirier's overall record is great. I hope he realizes he's a legend already. Not many LW's have beat so many good-to-great fighters he has.

Justin Gaethje
Undefeated champion in a smaller promotion, up and down brawling run in the UFC until he dismantled the longtime top contender Ferguson to win yet another LW Interim belt. Gaethje's pure violence, similar to Tony, and more than the more thinking Poirier. But for once he gameplanned and it paid off. The planning did not against Khabib.

 

[MCS]

Sorry guys, I got going

 

[sampuncher]

BJ Penn
Was the first belt chaser. Fearlessly wanted all the divisional belts. Even left the UFC as champ. This is why it took him so long to eventually and officially get the LW belt. As I think he beat Pulver as a young guy. But he was fully ready to be champ near 30.

.

Pulver beat Penn in the first fight. It was a super close fight though, I had BJ winning it but I've only watched that first fight once. It was BJ's first loss though and in hindsight probably one of the best things that ever happened to him.

 

[mkt]

He will forever be the peoples lightweight champ!
Tony Bless

I think Tony could definitely have been champ in the pre-Khabib era (2012-2017). He beat two of the belt holders during that time (Pettis and RDA) and would have a good chance against Bendo, Alvarez and Conor. I actually think Conor would be the toughest fight for him as he struggles against good boxers. In fact, if it weren't for Tony's loss to MJ (another good boxer), he almost certainly would've gotten a title shot much earlier.

 

[mkt]

Sean Sherk
A workhorse, and also had some PED usage, which both extend his prime. Florian with his lack of TDD was a fairly straightforward fight for him. did his job and got the strap. The real guy at LW was Penn though, at that time. And they met soon.

It's worth noting that Sherk, the oldest LW champ at 33, only held the belt for a few months before he lost it to BJ. If there's a champ who can keep the LW belt at 34 or older, I think it would be Khabib or another wrestler. Their style tends to age better (Couture, Cormier, etc.). But I don't think we'll see any LW champs over 40 like Couture/Cormier in much heavier weight classes. Antonio McKee (another wrestler) was still a pretty good LW into his 40s, though.

 

[Fioretti]

It's worth noting that Sherk, the oldest LW champ at 33, only held the belt for a few months before he lost it to BJ. If there's a champ who can keep the LW belt at 34 or older, I think it would be Khabib or another wrestler. Their style tends to age better (Couture, Cormier, etc.). But I don't think we'll see any LW champs over 40 like Couture/Cormier in much heavier weight classes. Antonio McKee (another wrestler) was still a pretty good LW into his 40s, though.

People tend to gain mass as they age, and cutting weight becomes more difficult, so you'll typically see guys in the lighter weight classes that are 34+ move up.

 

[Fioretti]

Not to start the exact conversation that happened in that picture I posted.

"almost 29" wouldn't be the most accurate. 28 is the most accurate if that's his age.

If he was much closer to 29 than 28, "almost 29" would be more accurate, but yes, 28 is the correct answer. It puts context to it, showing he didn't just turn 28, and is about to be 29 by using "almost". Which is what I meant about being more accurate instead of just calling him 29, because he wasn't yet.

No, what you said explains why you rounded up for the purpose of your post.

When you are required to write your age somewhere, you don't tell them the age you're going to be in 6 months, 4 months, or 1 month, you tell them what age you are.

It's closer to the year 2021 but it isn't 2021 is it? It's closer to 10:00AM but it isn't 10:00AM is it?

That idiot you're defending is using broken logic to explain that someone who is closer to 29 years old is actually 29 years old and not 28 years old.

TL;DR

You are what you are, and it is what it is. It's not what it will be down the line.

I agree, but I also understand the point that guy was trying to make. That's why I said "almost 29" would've been the more accurate way to describe that situation. He wouldn't be wrong by saying so, and it would more accurately describe the guy's age instead of implying he just turned 28.

 

[mkt]

Jens Pulver
Pulver was ready at that age. Already a complete fighter and had the mentality to be champion.

Sean Sherk
A workhorse, and also had some PED usage, which both extend his prime. Florian with his lack of TDD was a fairly straightforward fight for him. did his job and got the strap. The real guy at LW was Penn though, at that time. And they met soon.

BJ Penn
Was the first belt chaser. Fearlessly wanted all the divisional belts. Even left the UFC as champ. This is why it took him so long to eventually and officially get the LW belt. As I think he beat Pulver as a young guy. But he was fully ready to be champ near 30.

Frankie Edgar
Upset Penn and from there Frankie's career went upwards while Penn's went downwards. A crossroads type of fight. I think BJ won the first and Frankie clearly won the 2nd. By the time they fought a 3rd time it was at FW and Penn was shot, while Frankie was still elite.

Benson Henderson.
Good list of wins. Boring, close decision wins. Not a strong champion, but always in shape, always a difficult fight as he had so many tools.

Anthony Pettis.
26 is often the time when athletes start peaking. Pettis' run was short, but highly impressive and the most exciting in LW history, both WEC and UFC runs at the top combined. Then I believe his game got figured out. Fighters know how to beat him, how to positionally avoid Pettis' go-to subs and win on points or late stoppage.

Rafael dos Anjos
The most professional in this group. The hardest worker and mentally tough. Took him a long career of ups and downs to finally become champ, but Cerrone wasn't a strong opponent at that point. So in hindsight, and with Alvarez's aggression, the quick TKO loss makes sense.

Eddie Alvarez.
I remember first seeing him in the Dream LW Tourney, which had a ton of talent. And he's been all over since. Came to the UFC late and had some tough fights. But Eddie is a guy who trains for a 2-round fight. All about the finish, be it by sub or KO. With his reckless style he can beat anyone, but also lose a lot. So him losing the belt right away after getting it and then going to another promotion suits his character.

Conor McGregor.
Quick ascend to the top. 2 flawless performances to win 2-div belts. This was his goal. Replicate Cage Warriors 2-div belts. When the athlete lifetime goal is completed things tend to go downward.

Tony Ferguson.
Is the greatest LW to never win a belt. He should be undisputed champ at some point, but there is Khabib. So this is a bit like Fedor and Nog (new fans can then appreciate what Nog did).

Khabib Nurmagomedov.
In a division that's so competitive that everyone has losses, Khabib is the most flawless fighter. He has holes, but his style is the most effective. Rarely takes damage and it was only due to injuries that he wasn't champ 2-3 years earlier. What he did to RDA years ago showed he was the uncrowned champ. His father prepared him well.

Dustin Poirier.
Started at FW with some ups and downs. Move to LW made him fulfill his potential. Never changed his style, but made the style better. Still the same holes in defense, but pacing and composure, overall maturity has evolved. Won the Interim against Max, who moved up to LW for the first time for that fight. So not a proven LW to get it from, but a smaller p4p guy. Poirier's overall record is great. I hope he realizes he's a legend already. Not many LW's have beat so many good-to-great fighters he has.

Justin Gaethje
Undefeated champion in a smaller promotion, up and down brawling run in the UFC until he dismantled the longtime top contender Ferguson to win yet another LW Interim belt. Gaethje's pure violence, similar to Tony, and more than the more thinking Poirier. But for once he gameplanned and it paid off. The planning did not against Khabib.

It's nice (and very rare) to see a Sherdogger be so objective about the strengths/flaws of each fighter. Most people have strong biases (about fighters and even eras of fighting) that are very clear on posts like this.

 

[Ackmed]

Islam recently turned 29 so will be 30 maybe 31 by the time he becomes champ. Pretty close to the average

 

[mkt]

So many fighters at LW and below started declining around age 30-32: BJ, Aldo, Bendo, Gilbert Melendez, etc. Frankie Edgar is the biggest exception but even he was never champ after that age.

 

[mkt]

Islam recently turned 29 so will be 30 maybe 31 by the time he becomes champ. Pretty close to the average

Chandler (currently 34) is going to wait around and cherry pick perfect opponents and end up getting the belt at age 38....LOL.

 

[MCS]

It's nice (and very rare) to see a Sherdogger be so objective about the strengths/flaws of each fighter. Most people have strong biases (about fighters and even eras of fighting) that are very clear on posts like this.

Thank you. I'm not that young anymore, so the bias and favoritism are kinda pointless to me. Dead weight.

 

[AnotherOldGuy]

UFC CHAMPIONS BY AGE: (*= interim champion)

LW

Jens Pulver - 26
Sean Sherk - 33
BJ Penn - 29
Frankie Edgar - 28
Benson Henderson - 28
Anthony Pettis - 26
Rafael dos Anjos - 30
Eddie Alvarez - 32
Conor McGregor - 28
Tony Ferguson - 33*
Khabib Nurmagomedov - 29
Dustin Poirier - 30*
Justin Gaethje - 32*

Average age = 29.54



UFC Champions by age - HW
UFC Champions by age - LHW
UFC Champions by age - MW
UFC Champions by age - WW
UFC Champions by age - FW
UFC Champions by age - BW
UFC Champions by age - FLW


This is their age when they became champions. It's not taking into account how long they held their title or what age they were when they lost it. If they were within a few months (2-3) of their next birthday, I rounded up.

Nice work. Its interesting that though the average is close to that of HW (you found that to be 31), the spread of individual champs (26-33) is much smaller than the HW spread (25-43).

 

[bl0b]

If he was much closer to 29 than 28, "almost 29" would be more accurate, but yes, 28 is the correct answer. It puts context to it, showing he didn't just turn 28, and is about to be 29 by using "almost". Which is what I meant about being more accurate instead of just calling him 29, because he wasn't yet.



I agree, but I also understand the point that guy was trying to make. That's why I said "almost 29" would've been the more accurate way to describe that situation. He wouldn't be wrong by saying so, and it would more accurately describe the guy's age instead of implying he just turned 28.

I'll let this one go, but that guys an idiot.

You seem alright though.