What was the best top 5 at any point of each weight class?

[sampuncher]

Just a random thought, I was thinking about the top 5 of the MW back in 2016 and that top 5 was stacked to the brim with talent, obviously I know Bisping wasn't the best champ but I'm talking about the top 5 as a collective and looking at the top 5 of the division at that point, for me, as a collective in terms of talent that the best top 5 there's been in the division.

Bisping (C)
1) Romero
2) Rockhold
3) Weidman
4) Jacare
5) Mousasi

I know Anderson is the MW GOAT but without looking I doubt the top 5 was as stacked with the talent above.

Another example is FW when Conor won the belt.

FW (C) - Conor McGregor
1 - Aldo
2 - Edgar
3 - Mendes
4 - Holloway
5- Lamas

4 champs just within that top 5 alone aswell.

It got me thinking though, for all the other weight classes, at what point do you think the top 5 of the division was the most stacked it's been? (It's early in the UK so hope this thread makes sense, apologies if not)

Also, I used MMA-Stats for these rankings so know they may be unreliable, if people think fight matrix is more accurate I can go by them.

 

[hbombfromhell]

Khabib (C)
Poirier
Gaethje
Olivera
Ferguson
McGregor

 

[sampuncher]

Khabib (C)
Poirier
Gaethje
Olivera
Ferguson
McGregor

Solid shout, for me credit to the 2014 rankings when Pettis was champ, equally as strong for me

Pettis (C)
1 - RDA
2 - Khabib
3 - Gilbert
4 - Cerrone
5 - Bendo

Sucks Khabib didn't get a shot sooner even when he was ranked 2nd, I've no doubt he'd have handled Pettis pretty easily if they'd have fought back then.

 

[HatKick]

Not sure I'm getting the exact order right but...

Cejudo (c)
Yan
Sterling
Sandhagen
Moraes

Sometime late 2019/early 2020

 

[sampuncher]

GSP was champ for like a week and wouldn't fight any of the WW's after he poached the title off of Bisping citing health reasons.

That was not exactly a good snapshot of the division.

It's not no, I was going to put Bisping because when he was champ the top 5 was

Bisping
Rockhold
Romero
Weidman
Jacare
Mousasi

Only reason I didn't was purely because I didn't want it to descend into a conversation about Bisping's MW reign.

 

[r-harper-1]

Just a random thought, I was thinking about the top 5 when GSP won the MW and that top 5 was stacked to the brim with talent, obviously it's shit we didn't get to see GSP defend but looking at the top 5 of the division at that point, for me, as a collective in terms of talent that the best top 5 there's been in the division.

GSP (C)
1) Whittaker (IC)
2) Romero
3) Rockhold
4) Jacare
5) Weidman

I know Anderson is the MW GOAT but without looking I doubt the top 5 was as stacked with the talent above.

Another example is FW when Conor won the belt.

FW (C) - Conor McGregor
1 - Aldo
2 - Edgar
3 - Mendes
4 - Holloway
5- Lamas

4 champs just within that top 5 alone aswell.

It got me thinking though, for all the other weight classes, at what point do you think the top 5 of the division was the most stacked it's been? (It's early in the UK so hope this thread makes sense, apologies if not)

Also, I used MMA-Stats for these rankings so know they may be unreliable, if people think fight matrix is more accurate I can go by them.

My only issue with your Mws are Gsp is a unproven Mw .... Rockhold and Weidman were in a massive decline and name value /ranking outweighs their fighting ability

 

[hbombfromhell]

GSP's 1 win at MW against a blind guy sure has me convinced.

 

[sampuncher]

My only issue with your Mws are Gsp is a unproven Mw .... Rockhold and Weidman were in a massive decline and name value /ranking outweighs their fighting ability

I agree tbh, I did explain above that I thought the Bisping top 5 was better but thought itd descend into an argument about Bisping ducking

I wouldnt say either were in a decline though, Rockhold was one fight removed from memory.

 

[sampuncher]

GSP's 1 win at MW against a blind guy sure has me convinced.

Ive changed my OP back to Bisping as personally I think its better as a top 5 anyway, I pandered to the Sherbros.

 

[sampuncher]

How about HW in 2017?

Heavyweight

1. Stipe Miocic (C)
2. Fabricio Werdum
3. Cain Velasquez
4. Alistair Overeem
5. Junior Dos Santos
6. Francis Ngannou

If we're talking UFC only, has HW ever looked better than that?

 

[Bogeyman]

Have to agree about the lightweight division for a while after WEC was folded in. Around 2012-2014.

Pettis, Henderson, Edgar, Cerrone, Dos Anjos, Melendez, probably missing a few and Khabib was on the rise. In terms of talent, experience and athleticism It's the strongest I've ever seen a UFC division.

 

[Johnnny]

Only reason I didn't was purely because I didn't want it to descend into a conversation about Bisping's MW reign.

Good call considering he was brutally knocked down in each of the first two rounds of his first title defence against the 13th-ranked middleweight, who happened to be 46 years old at the time.

 

[sampuncher]

Good call considering he was brutally knocked down in each of the first two rounds of his first title defence against the 13th-ranked middleweight, who happened to be 46 years old at the time.

14th ranked actually I think*

That wasn't anything we didn't already know though.

 

[Eric Silva 2.0]

Just a random thought, I was thinking about the top 5 of the MW back in 2016 and that top 5 was stacked to the brim with talent, obviously I know Bisping wasn't the best champ but I'm talking about the top 5 as a collective and looking at the top 5 of the division at that point, for me, as a collective in terms of talent that the best top 5 there's been in the division.

Bisping (C)
1) Romero
2) Rockhold
3) Weidman
4) Jacare
5) Mousasi

I know Anderson is the MW GOAT but without looking I doubt the top 5 was as stacked with the talent above.

Another example is FW when Conor won the belt.

FW (C) - Conor McGregor
1 - Aldo
2 - Edgar
3 - Mendes
4 - Holloway
5- Lamas

4 champs just within that top 5 alone aswell.

It got me thinking though, for all the other weight classes, at what point do you think the top 5 of the division was the most stacked it's been? (It's early in the UK so hope this thread makes sense, apologies if not)

Also, I used MMA-Stats for these rankings so know they may be unreliable, if people think fight matrix is more accurate I can go by them.

 

[HHJ]

Good call considering he was brutally knocked down in each of the first two rounds of his first title defence against the 13th-ranked middleweight, who happened to be 46 years old at the time.

Bisping won. It was glorious. I stood up and cheered just like i did when he beat Anderson and Rockhold.

 

[sampuncher]

Why would it be?

 

[Johnnny]

Bisping won. It was glorious. I stood up and cheered just like i did when he beat Anderson and Rockhold.

His fight against Anderson and the rematch with Henderson both went to decision. So you should up and cheered after the decision was read. I didn't realise it was possible to like point fighting that much. Is fencing your favorite sport to watch?

 

[Hellowhosthat]

LHW August 2014

C. Jon Jones
1. Gus
2. DC
3. Rashad
4. Glover
5. Rumble


Scary shit.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

FLW May 2016

C. MM
1. Benavidez
2. Cejudo
3. Formiga
4. Horiguchi
5. McCall

 

[Hellowhosthat]

WBW October 2016

C. Nunes
1. Miesha
2. Rousey
3. Valentina
4. Holly
5. Pena