Who's Who, defining: Contender, Gatekeeper, Journeyman, Prospect

[CoffeeAndBeer]

To get a consensus on what's what and who's who.
Defining the different roles, and categorizing fighters...

CHAMPIONS -- Elite level Title-holders
HW: Fabricio Werdum
LHW: Jon Jones (Lineal), Daniel Cormier (UFC)
MW: Chris Weidman
WW: Robbie Lawler
LW: Rafa dos Anjos
FW: Jose Aldo
BW: Dominick Cruz (Lineal), TJ Dillashaw (UFC)
FLW: Demetrious Johnson

wFW: Cris Cyborg
wBW: Ronda Rousey
wFLY:
wSTW: Joanna J
wATW: Ayaka Hamasaki


CONTENDERS -- Fit to contend for Championship
HW: Junior Cigano, Stipe Miocic, Cain Velasquez, Andrei Arlovski
LHW: Rumble Johnson
MW: Jacare Souza, Yoel Romero
WW: Tyron Woodley
LW: Khabib Nurmagomedov, Donald Cerrone
FW: Conor McGregor, Frankie Edgar
BW: Assuncao, Marlon Moraes (non-elite Title holder)
FLW: Benavidez, Dodson

wFW: Ronda
wBW: Zingano
wFLY:
wSTW: Cadelha


GATEKEEPERS -- Separate the Contenders from pretenders; Serve as the "gate" to Championship contention; Possible former Contenders, possible former Champs serving a new role
HW: Travis Browne
LHW: Ryan Bader (would-be Contender, ytbd)
MW: Michael Bisping
WW: Matt Brown
LW:
FW:
BW:
FLW: Jussier Formiga

wFW:
wBW:
wFLY:
wSTW:


TOP PROSPECTS -- Prospects that standout; Yet to be tested by Gatekeeper
HW: Vitaly Minakov (non-Elite Title holder)
LHW: Liam McGeary (non-Elite Title holder)
MW: n/a <--- winner of Whittaker/Uriah
WW: Kelvin Gastelum
LW: Beneil Dariush, Tony Ferguson
FW: Max Holloway
BW: Aljamain Sterling
FLW: Henry Cejudo

wFW:
wBW: Holly
wFLY:
wSTW: Valerie,


JOURNEYMEN -- Good-to-Decent enough to hang around, not good enough to be a Contender; Possibly failed Contenders/Prospects; Serve as stepping stones for Prospects, filler for fight cards
HW: Brendan Schaub
LHW: Stephan Bonnar
MW: Jeremy Horn
WW: Mike Pyle, Erick Silva (failed prospect)
LW: Gleison Tibau
FW: Des Green
BW:
FLW: Phil Harris

wFW:
wBW:
wFLY:
wSTW: Angela Magana


PROSPECTS/UP-N-COMERS -- Promising fighters on the right trajectory, usually younger
HW: Ruslan Magomedov
LHW:
MW: Robert Whittaker, Brandon Halsey
WW: Stephen Thompson, Lorenz Larkin
LW:
FW:
BW: Cody Garbrandt
FLW: Ray Borg, Louis Smolka, Adriano Moraes^, Yuki Motoya^
^non-elite Title holder

wFW:
wBW:
wFLY:
wSTW: Paige VanZant


TOMATO CANS -- Mediocre-to-Bad fighters who only serve as stepping stones and filler
HW: James McSweeney
LHW:
MW: Matt Horwich
WW:
LW: Junie Browning
FW:
BW:
FLW:

wFW:
wBW:
wFLY:
wSTW: Angela Hill

 

[MrCoffee]

This is a lot of work that will, still, constantly change. Also, Michael Bisping is a MW.

 

[ThePatriot]

Mike Pyle. Gleison tibau for journeymen

 

[yookfarb]

Lineal or not, JoJed is the legit champ, J-Aug just lost to a girl JoJed already beat and her Esparza victory was a gift anyways and it's just obvious she's the best anyways

Also Conor McGregor is the defending Lineal 145 champion

 

[johncola]

Mousasi is better than a journeyman. Gatekeeper fits better. Even that sounds harsh to me but he's no longer a prospect and he's not a contender, so it's what fits best.

 

[JeffertonAlive]

Still trying to figure out what ytbd stands for

 

[UWPguy]

I think Rockhold needs to be a contender! Also Pettis, Cerrone Dodson, Hendricks, Mendes, Edgar. Will think of more later

 

[Randy BoBandy]

Still trying to figure out what ytbd stands for

Well if you look at the context clues, you can pretty safely assume it means is boring and will never earn a title shot.

 

[NoBiasJustMMA]

I like your list but I think Mousasi is still more of a gatekeeper right now. Boestch and Dolloway for Journeymen formerly but briefly gatekeepers.

 

[NoSmilez]

Terrible thing to say but Nog bros might drop to journeyman due to wear and tear. Shogun as well. I am always a fan but they are on the downward side of their career.

 

[CoffeeAndBeer]

Still trying to figure out what ytbd stands for

Yet to be determined.

Ryan Bader is on a 5-fight win streak, arguably "deserved" a title shot before Alex, arguably deserves the next title shot... so that would make him a CONTENDER. However, he hasn't YET to get that that Title shot AND has mostly, to this point of his career has served as a GATEKEEPER.

It sounds like they want to give him Rumble Johnson instead of the Title Shot.

 

[JayPettryMMA]

You do know that calling fighters cans is fighter bashing, right?

 

[CoffeeAndBeer]

I like your list but I think Mousasi is still more of a gatekeeper right now. Boestch and Dolloway for Journeymen formerly but briefly gatekeepers.

Well, lets see...
In effect, I guess Mousasi did serve the role of "Gatekeeper" when he faced and lost to Machida and to Jacare, but I think he was still more of a Top Prospect who just got beat by better guys.

Now the loss to Uriah Hall is was really sets the "Gatekeeper" tag back. Big win for Uriah, but he is not in Contender-status all of a sudden.

It's not so black-n-white, you have a point.

 

[NoBiasJustMMA]

Well, lets see...
In effect, I guess Mousasi did serve the role of "Gatekeeper" when he faced and lost to Machida and to Jacare, but I think he was still more of a Top Prospect who just got beat by better guys.

Now the loss to Uriah Hall is was really sets the "Gatekeeper" tag back. Big win for Uriah, but he is not in Contender-status all of a sudden.

It's not so black-n-white, you have a point.

Gatekeepers can beat other gatekeepers though and I wouldn't even say Hall is a gatekeeper yet, he's only had one really good win, right now I think he's one of the higher level journeymen due to his inconsistency and lack of more than one top win. I feel like with a gatekeeper you have to have a good idea how good someone is and how good they aren't, that's not true for Hall.

 

[Monacomo]

Matt Horwich is no can

 

[CoffeeAndBeer]

GATEKEEPERS -- Separate the Contenders from pretenders; Serve as the "gate" to Championship contention; Possible former Contenders, possible former Champs serving a new role
HW: Travis Browne
LHW: Ryan Bader (would-be Contender, ytbd)
MW: Michael Bisping
WW: Matt Brown
...
BW: Takeya Mizugaki