Who had the most difficult run to a title shot?

JDS and Hendricks come to mind first. The ridiculous list of contenders they had to go through, who can really compare?

JDS:
Werdum
Struve
Cro Cop
Gilbert Yvel
Gonzaga
Roy Nelson
Shane Carwin

Hendricks:
Jon Fitch
Josh Koscheck
Martin Kampmann
Carlos Condit
 
Tonycpa said:
Jon Fitch was on a 16 fight win streak, Jake Shields was on a 15 fight win streak and had been champion in numerous organizations, and Sean Sherk was one 12 fight win streak with a 31-1-1 record when they received their opportunity to lose to GSP for the undisputed WW championship of the world.
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Sherk didn't challenge GSP for the title. It was a non-title fight.
 
MajJ said:
Werdum (tko)
Struve (tko)
Yvel (tko)
ManBearPig (tko)
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I was unaware that knocking someone the FUCK OUT qualifies as a "TKO" around here, but then I realized: it says that on wikipedia.
 
Ustasha said:
Werdum. He earned it in 2008 and he's still waiting in 2014. Also Fedor ducked Mirko for a long time with injuries and postponing the fight, etc..

The easiest path to a title shot was Lesnar, will never take UFC seriously for that one lol.
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He lost to AA in 2007 so I wouldn't say werdum was a clear cut choice for a title fight. He was also given a gimmie fight to keep him getting a check till his title fight and he got knocked out in the 1st.
 
why is Fitch even in discussion??

all he did was lay on people.
 
Mirko Cro Cop (... in 2003-2004):

Kevin Randleman (awful style match-up, previously beat Cro Cop, was destroyed by him in rematch)
Mark Coleman (awful style match-up, destroyed by Cro Cop)
Josh Barnett (top-5 ranked)
Igor (top-10 ranked)
Heath (top-5 ranked)

Would've gotten the shot against Fedor off Igor, Heath and Nogueira without dat armbar.
 
TheRassler said:
why is Fitch even in discussion??

all he did was lay on people.
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I don't know. Fitch really wasn't particularly good at anything beyond being big and hard to submit lol.
 
Steve08 said:
I don't know. Fitch really wasn't particularly good at anything beyond being big and hard to submit lol.
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it's almost like he only trained wrestling and BJJ defense for that entire title run lol.
 
Rashad had a nice streak going before his first title shot if you can get past his Tito draw in 2007.

Liddell
Bisping
Tito (draw)
Salmon
Lambert
Bonnar
Hoger
Imes

dsdoubled said:
Between you and the TS im convinced the answer to this thread is JDS. But damn, fighting/finishing the #1 contender in your debut is amazing. Especially since JDS wasnt really on many peoples radar. I cant think of another situation where a debutant has beeten the number 1 contender. It woulda been like Cote KOing Tito when they fought. Which reminds me, did Cote drop him?
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Cote dropped him with one punch, but the fight was all Tito. Two judges even gave him a 10-8 round enroute to a clear decision.
 
the ambush said:
Rashad had a nice streak going before his first title shot if you can get past his Tito draw in 2007.

Liddell
Bisping
Tito (draw)
Salmon
Lambert
Bonnar
Hoger
Imes



Cote dropped him with one punch, but the fight was all Tito. Two judges even gave him a 10-8 round enroute to a clear decision.
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Yep that sounds right. And good call on Rashad. His Lambert fight got a lot of people paying attention. Lambert had peoples respect and Rashad ran right through him
 
Rashad. Hendricks had a tough run but since he was challenged to do VADA testing and he refused, he could well have been GHing his ass off and that would make any run a lot easier.
 
How about Chuck Liddell?

By the time Chuck got a real title shot (1st Randy fight was interim) he had beaten former UFC champs Tito, Bustamante, Randleman and future champ Vitor Belfort.

Did anyone else have to beat 4 UFC champs to get a shitle tot?
 
Keakecasacooway said:
No he didn't.
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Yes he did.

After losing to Cormier then Cain, it only took two wins for Big Foot to get a UFC title shot.

Meanwhile Cormier beat Big Foot, and then remained undefeated through another 6 fights, and still hasn't got a shot.
 
Danespina said:
Yes he did.

After losing to Cormier then Cain, it only took two wins for Big Foot to get a UFC title shot.

Meanwhile Cormier beat Big Foot, and then remained undefeated through another 6 fights, and still hasn't got a shot.
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Only because he refuses to fight Cain.
 
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