We've got a bunch of noob champs. UPDATE: Ankalaev shook up the world

[don't ask]

I just realized every UFC champion is a noob champion. Mackhachev is the most senior champion, with 3 defences... but 2 of them are against a featherweight and he's already talking about moving up a weightclass.


Aspinall - 1 defence

Jones - 1 defence

Ankalaev- 0 defences

Du Plessis - 2 defences

Muhammad - 0 defences

Mackhachev - 4 defences

Topuria - 1 defences

Merab - 1 defence

Pantoja - 3 defences

Pena - 0 defences first run, 0 defenses this run

Shevchenko - 7 defences first run, 0 defenses this run

Zhang - 1 defence first run, 3 defences this run

Can any of these champions go on a title reign? Is it even possible with how infrequently champions fight in 2024? Perreira is the only person who actually seems to be fighting frequently enough to go on a run, but he will always have a question mark until we see him overcome grappling.

EDIT: removed Leon Edwards and his 2 title defenses, added a defence for Aspinall

EDIT 2: added DDP's defence.

EDIT 3: as of 08/25/2024 courtesy of @WoozyFailGuy (the image doesn't count Grasso's title defence that ended in a draw)

EDIT 4: Valentina breaks the skid! Added her and Merab.

EDIT 5: Pena takes back the belt.

EDIT 6: Topuria drops Max for his first defence.

This is out of date, but thought it was interesting. Finishing rates of champions:


EDIT 7: Haven't updated this in a long time. Topuria, Islam, Merab, Pantoja, Zhang, DDP and Jones have all had title defenses. Am I forgetting anyone?

EDIT 8: Ankalaev defeats Perreira. On the feet.

 

[Ludwig von Mises]

I think Izzy had 5 and Valentina had 6?

 

[oski]

Jones could clean out HW if they would just pay the man his money. Yes, now he's recovering from an injury and faces jail time, lol, but that fact remains.

He is THE most lowballed fighter ever... it's like they're just waiting for him to fuck up so bad it won't matter.

 

[don't ask]

I think Izzy had 5 and Valentina had 6?

Yeah, and Usman had 5. Is it possible for any of these champs to beat those numbers, which are far shy of GSP's 9 and Anderson's 10 title defences?

 

[don't ask]

Jones could clean out HW if they would just pay the man his money. Yes, now he's recovering from an injury and faces jail time, lol, but that fact remains.

He is THE most lowballed fighter ever... it's like they're just waiting for him to fuck up so bad it won't matter.

 

[Ludwig von Mises]

Yeah, and Usman had 5. Is it possible for any of these champs to beat those numbers, which are far shy of GSP's 9 and Anderson's 10 title defences?

Damn props to Usman for 5 thats impressive. I don't see anyone touching GSPs streak anytime soon.

I don't see anyone touching Silvas streak either.

Too many variables. It would take an element of luck and excellent performance.

 

[don't ask]

Damn props to Usman for 5 thats impressive. I don't see anyone touching GSPs streak anytime soon.

I don't see anyone touching Silvas streak either.

Too many variables. It would take an element of luck and excellent performance.

No one will ever touch Silva and GSP's streaks -- modern champions don't fight often enough to rack up those numbers before they age into a loss.

Even Usman's, Valentina's or Adesanya's streaks might be out of reach.

I've always kind of bought into the narrative that the champions resist fighting these days, but I wonder if the UFC sometimes deliberately slows down their schedule. On the surface, it doesn't seem likely that they'd withhold top bouts, but they're doing something that has their cards falling apart at a record pace. I think it's fair to conclude their scheduling is responsible for Aljo losing the belt -- they wanted O'Malley to win and they made Aljo fight, with an injury, when O'Malley was scheduled to finish his training camp.

 

[filthybliss]

I just realized every UFC champion is a noob champion. Mackhachev is the most senior champion, with 3 defences... but 2 of them are against a featherweight and he's already talking about moving up a weightclass.


Aspinal - 0 defences

Jones - 0 defences

Perreira - 2 defences

Du Plessis - 0 defences

Edwards - 2 defences

Mackhachev - 3 defences

Topuria - 0 defences

O'Malley - 1 defence

Pantoja - 2 defences

Pennington - 0 defences

Grasso - 1 defence

Zhang - 2 defences

Can any of these champions go on a title reign? Is it even possible with how infrequently champions fight in 2024? Perreira is the only person who actually seems to be fighting frequently enough to go on a run, but he will always have a question mark until we see him overcome grappling.

I mean someone can correct me if I am wrong. But having 3+ title defenses is not the norm for champs. Stipe is considered the goat HW in the ufc for 4 defenses.

 

[Ludwig von Mises]

When a fighter does what Fedor, Silva and GSP did they become bigger than the brand. UFC would prefer that doesn't happen and ride the momentum of a new dog who breaks their streak.

 

[don't ask]

I mean someone can correct me if I am wrong. But having 3+ title defenses is not the norm for champs. Stipe is considered the goat HW in the ufc for 4 defenses.

The HW division can't be compared to other divisions because no one has had a long undefeated run against top guys since Fedor. In comparison, the other divisions have had champions that have racked up lengthy runs. What we're seeing is not normal, historically. What usually happens is a bit of hot potato until another dominant champ emerges, but I don't think that's possible any more.

 

[Bork Neslar]

They just want money fights once they get their hands on those belts.

 

[Substance Abuse]

There's multiple factors at play here. First off, MMA is hard. Probably the hardest singular athletic sport in the world, therefore, being a dominant champion is incredibly cumbersome, evidenced by there being so few all time reigns. Secondly, elite fighters fight less often than ever, with some defending their belts once a year. Additionally, the talent levels aren't chasm wide, with skill sets being closer, so contenders have a better chance of taking a title and defenses becoming more difficult. You mix that with a significantly larger roster where fighters have to win more fights than they used to in order to get a title shot due to rankings, along with the sport being less of a meritocracy than ever the last few years, and you end up where we are.

Still, Volkanovski, Adesanya and Usman lost their belts recently and were coming off of good, dominant runs which fall short of all time numbers. Heavyweight has always had a hot potato belt. Lightweight's all time record is three which Islam just tied with Penn, Khabib and Benson. It's unlikely in recent history anyone will come close to the reigns that Jones, Silva, Aldo and Georges had for a multitude of reasons, but we aren't that far removed from three top tier reigns that ended.

 

[laleggenda27]

Aspinall has a good chance to go on a title run.

If he beats Blaydes and Jones retires (as expected), Aspinall will have beaten most of the top guys in the division. The only real threat left would be Gane, and I suspect Aspinall would walk through Gane pretty quickly.

 

[MisfitsBR]

there's 8 weight divisions, should be a clausure to not surpass more than 8 months without a title defense...

 

[don't ask]

Lightweight's all time record is three which Islam just tied with Penn, Khabib and Benson.

This made me shit my pants. How did I not know this?

 

[Substance Abuse]

This made me shit my pants. How did I not know this?

Well, I mean, look at your join date...

Spoiler

Just kidding...

Spoiler

 

[kingghidrah]

pretty generous to give Islam 3 defenses, instead of 1 defense against a fighter actually from his weight class.

 

[Substance Abuse]

pretty generous to give Islam 3 defenses, instead of 1 defense against a fighter actually from his weight class.

Jones got one for beating up Sonnen, and got one for defeating Gustaffson the second time despite failing a test for PEDs to the extent that the UFC moved the event to an entirely different state. Georges got one for beating up Penn. Shit happens. They're defenses.

 

[KungFuFoo]

indeed. agreed. proceed to smoke weed.

 

[nonoob]

Jones could clean out HW if they would just pay the man his money. Yes, now he's recovering from an injury and faces jail time, lol, but that fact remains.

He is THE most lowballed fighter ever... it's like they're just waiting for him to fuck up so bad it won't matter.

He'd made a phuck-ton more if he contracted to get paid by the eyepoke.