Any fighter can have one good title fight and win gold. Then a proportion of those champs had what it took to string together two good title fights and mount a successful defense of their crown. A smaller proportion than that managed to defend twice. Still fewer compiled 3. Etc. This isn't news to most of you. Any non-casual knows why 8+ defenses is considered the toughest ask in the game. The challenge of winning a title in a second division is nothing to sniff at (even if you do outweigh your "bigger" opponent) but compared to the
EPIC SAGA that must be written to encompass 8+ defenses of a World Title, winning a mere 2 title fights in separate divisions is relatively small fry.
Only five masters of the game have achieved this monumental task.
- 11 DJ
- 10 Spider (robbed of 11th by Lutter's lack of professionalism missing weight)
- 9 GSP
- 9 Jose Scarface
- 8 Jonny Bones
Ronda fell at 7. Joanna, Hughes and Tito all fell at 5.
So which of the current champs, if any, has what it takes to join that small, elite band of LEGENDS who have cracked 8+, and expand THE FABULOUS FIVE to THE SPLENDID SIX?
- 1 Thug Rose
- 0 Nicco
- 3 Amanda Leao
- 2 Cyborg
- 0 Henry
- 1 Max Blessed
- 0 The Eagle
- 3 T-Wood
- 0 Robert Knuckles (robbed of 1 by Romero's lack of professionalism missing weight)
- 2 DC
- 0 DC