Who would have been WW champ from 2006-2013 if GSP never was?

Jim Rome said:
I'm thinking a mix of champions including Koscheck, Fitch, Alves and Condit over the 7 year period. I don't think Serra would got lucky against any of the above mentioned fighters.

Who would have had the gold strap if GSP never was?
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I think it would have changed hands quite a bit.

I could see Fitch, Kos, Alves and Condit all holding it at some point in that time span.
 
Hughes was more than competent through '08.... I think he could have held on to it for a little bit.
 
Towelie by TKO said:
Marinovich era Penn, the one that finished Florian in the 4th Round and Sanchez in the 5th, would not gas as easily as when he fought Fitch to a draw. In that fight he tried to take Fitch down right away and made the first two rounds an intense grappling match. If he tried to keep it on the feet instead I think he would have won that fight rather handily.
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Both of those fights were at LW where he had to be in shape or he couldn't fight. I don't think he would have pushed himself quite as hard because of this. There's also the huge difference in how those fights went - both Florian and Sanchez tried - and failed miserably - to take BJ down. This allowed him to implement his striking and ultimately finish Diego, not expend a ton of energy fighting off the kind of stifling TD attempts Jon is known for.

His next fights were against Frankie, a much smaller man than Fitch who was still able to get TDs in the middle of this mystical motivated run. BJ wanting to strike would have played into Jon's hands as he came forward, something Fitch has done very well his whole career. Given that Frankie was able to take him down leaves no doubt in my mind that Fitch would have been able to do the same and forced BJ to fight his kind of battle.

It would have been a late fight TKO (as their actual fight probably should have been) or a fairly lopsided decision for Jon. I don't think BJ would have had the opportunity to get his hands going nor possess the monster left hand that Hendricks has to floor Fitch early.
 
riitzni said:
Both of those fights were at LW where he had to be in shape or he couldn't fight. I don't think he would have pushed himself quite as hard because of this. There's also the huge difference in how those fights went - both Florian and Sanchez tried - and failed miserably - to take BJ down. This allowed him to implement his striking and ultimately finish Diego, not expend a ton of energy fighting off the kind of stifling TD attempts Jon is known for.

His next fights were against Frankie, a much smaller man than Fitch who was still able to get TDs in the middle of this mystical motivated run. BJ wanting to strike would have played into Jon's hands as he came forward, something Fitch has done very well his whole career. Given that Frankie was able to take him down leaves no doubt in my mind that Fitch would have been able to do the same and forced BJ to fight his kind of battle.

It would have been a late fight TKO (as their actual fight probably should have been) or a fairly lopsided decision for Jon. I don't think BJ would have had the opportunity to get his hands going nor possess the monster left hand that Hendricks has to floor Fitch early.
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Jon_Fitch__vs._B.J._Penn_2_medium.gif
 
Hughes would have held on to it for a little longer. Then Fitch then probably Condit or Shields.

BJ would have grabbed it sometime in there.
 
Fitch couldn't take BJ down when they fought until BJ had already gassed. It was a draw because BJ out-grappled Jon for the first round and a half. When Jon finally did get top position, it wasn't from a takedown. I don't see what Frankie taking BJ down has to do with Fitch. We've seen Fitch try to take BJ down and he couldn't until the 3rd round. If BJ didn't initiate the clinches and fought more like he did against Sanchez he could have taken that fight.

This is all hypothetical bullshit but I really don't see Fitch beating BJ during his best run when Jon couldn't even beat him years later when BJ played right into Jon's game.
 
On an alternate timeline that I'm completely making up I feel like Hughes would have defended against Serra, Diego, and Fitch before losing to Alves in late 2008/early 2009. The superfight with BJ never happens and Alves defends against Hardy and Kos (minus the TUF coaching stint, as hilarious as that was). Alves vs. Fitch II occurs in early 2011 and Fitch wins a decision. Fitch loses the belt to Shields that summer, but Shields vacates the belt after the death of his father and the emergence of Nick Diaz as a top contender. Fitch and Diaz fight for the vacant belt, and Diaz wins by submission. Diaz loses to Condit in the summer of 2012, loses the belt to Hendricks that winter, and Hendricks has the belt after defending against Rory, Shields, and Lawler.
 
After putting some thought into it here's how I see things going:

Hughes defeats Diego Sanchez at UFC 65 (Diego was actually ranked just behind GSP at the time)

Hughes defeats Serra at UFC 69

Alves defeats Hughes

Fitch defeats Alves

Fitch retains over BJ

Fitch retains over Kampmann (who would have been the highest ranked UFC fighter other than Fitch and Alves)

Fitch defeats Hardy

Fitch defeats Daley (who never fights Kos and gets kicked out of the UFC)

Shields defeats Fitch

Shields defeats Kos

Condit defeats Shields

Condit defeats Diaz in a highly controversial decision

Condit defeats Diaz again

Condit defeats Hendricks (I honestly believe Condit wins that fight if its 5 rounds)

Lawler defeats Condit
 
Probably Jon Fitch or passed around like the lhw belt
 
EJRMAN513 said:
Hughes would've kept if for awhile more until Koscheck began his rise up the ranks. Fitch wouldn't have beaten Koscheck IMO but Alves can beat Koscheck as we all have seen and we all know Fitch beats Alves.

From 2006-2010 I think that it would've been a weird cycling between Fitch, Koscheck and Alves. After 2010 though, those 3 would start to plummet due to the rise of guys like Condit, Shields, Kampmann, Hendricks, Rory and Story
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Koscheck fought Alves on about 10 days notice. He filled in for Sanchez. Minus that loss, and the Thiago KO, he only lost to GSP 2006-2012, and won like a dozen fights.
 
Towelie by TKO said:
Fitch couldn't take BJ down when they fought until BJ had already gassed. It was a draw because BJ out-grappled Jon for the first round and a half. When Jon finally did get top position, it wasn't from a takedown. I don't see what Frankie taking BJ down has to do with Fitch. We've seen Fitch try to take BJ down and he couldn't until the 3rd round. If BJ didn't initiate the clinches and fought more like he did against Sanchez he could have taken that fight.

This is all hypothetical bullshit but I really don't see Fitch beating BJ during his best run when Jon couldn't even beat him years later when BJ played right into Jon's game.
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Of course it's hypothetical bullshit, the entire thread is. But you're acting like BJ 2009 and BJ 2011 were so far apart in terms of 'motivation' and skill that Jon would have no chance is ridiculous. 2009 BJ @ WW could have just as easily gassed. His plan to take Fitch's back worked wondrously, he just didn't account for Jon's insane RNC defense. 2009 Fitch had also just been on a 16 fight win streak broken only by Georges, who hypothetically didn't exist here.

bat_country said:
After putting some thought into it here's how I see things going:

Hughes defeats Diego Sanchez at UFC 65 (Diego was actually ranked just behind GSP at the time)

Hughes defeats Serra at UFC 69

Alves defeats Hughes

Fitch defeats Alves

Fitch retains over BJ

Fitch retains over Kampmann (who would have been the highest ranked UFC fighter other than Fitch and Alves)

Fitch defeats Hardy

Fitch defeats Daley (who never fights Kos and gets kicked out of the UFC)

Shields defeats Fitch

Shields defeats Kos

Condit defeats Shields

Condit defeats Diaz in a highly controversial decision

Condit defeats Diaz again

Condit defeats Hendricks (I honestly believe Condit wins that fight if its 5 rounds)

Lawler defeats Condit
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This is probably the best time line here. The only ones I'd be shaky on are Condit/Shields and Lawler/Condit. Jake might be able to beat Carlos again and I think the NBK could eek out a decision over an extremely game Lawler. That would be a fight for the ages if it ever happens.
 
bat_country said:
After putting some thought into it here's how I see things going:

Hughes defeats Diego Sanchez at UFC 65 (Diego was actually ranked just behind GSP at the time)

Hughes defeats Serra at UFC 69

Alves defeats Hughes

Fitch defeats Alves

Fitch retains over BJ

Fitch retains over Kampmann (who would have been the highest ranked UFC fighter other than Fitch and Alves)

Fitch defeats Hardy

Fitch defeats Daley (who never fights Kos and gets kicked out of the UFC)

Shields defeats Fitch

Shields defeats Kos

Condit defeats Shields

Condit defeats Diaz in a highly controversial decision

Condit defeats Diaz again

Condit defeats Hendricks (I honestly believe Condit wins that fight if its 5 rounds)

Lawler defeats Condit
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I can actually see this happening.
 
riitzni said:
Of course it's hypothetical bullshit, the entire thread is. But you're acting like BJ 2009 and BJ 2011 were so far apart in terms of 'motivation' and skill that Jon would have no chance is ridiculous. 2009 BJ @ WW could have just as easily gassed. His plan to take Fitch's back worked wondrously, he just didn't account for Jon's insane RNC defense. 2009 Fitch had also just been on a 16 fight win streak broken only by Georges, who hypothetically didn't exist here.



This is probably the best time line here. The only ones I'd be shaky on are Condit/Shields and Lawler/Condit. Jake might be able to beat Carlos again and I think the NBK could eek out a decision over an extremely game Lawler. That would be a fight for the ages if it ever happens.
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Who is NBK?

Edit: Natural born Killer! LOL, Sorry I am having an off day
 
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