Before he was UFC interim champ. That's a Pride champion he beat, not UFC. Also, you know, interim.
As was the point though, Nog WAS the interim champ because Mir went and dribbled his head like a basketball. People are former champs because, generally, someone beat them and became the current (or next) champion. He's not beating guys who were reigning, or who never lost their title. In some cases he's beating them 14 years afterwards.
Again, the point is all these guys are the former champion for a reason. Someone beat them and proved to be the better fighter.
It's just dumb as shit to say Fedor beat "UFC champion" Tim Sylvia when Randy Couture is the man who beat Tim Sylvia when he was the UFC champion, and Randy was even still reigning at the time Fedor beat Sylvia. The champ was Randy, not Tim.
Brag about former champions all you want if it makes you happy, but acknowledge why they became former champions. Especially when we're talking years away from that.