Why should a dominant fighter move up?

lakersfan45

lakersfan45

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Every time we see someone dominate a division we always get the same thing here on sherdog. X fighter should move up. We saw it with gsp, silva, and now jon jones.
My question is why the desire to see a fighter change divisions when he is dominating the division he is in?
If there is any evidence that someone is in the correct division it should be complete domination of that division. Unless a fighter is constantly struggling to make weight or missing weight but that's not the case with Jon jones or these other champions

So what is the logic here? Wouldn't you rather watch someone who is the absolute best at that weight class fight in that weight class?
 
because they should want to show they are the best? it's not like jones loses his LHW belt if he loses to cain.
 
I think the most sincere answer is "curiosity": people enjoy watching the fighters, and once they look unbeatable, they are curious to see how they'll handle a different set of adversities.

Also, the fact that they can cut weight, some do it better than others, etc, blurs the weight-class definition a bit.

I think most fight-fans are simply curious, others I have no idea: but a fighter should fight in whichever class he wishes.
 
Its because there is nothing left. Think about it as a MMA fan or as a Jon Jones fan
 
Just out of curiosity, did GSP ever fight in the heavier weight class after attaining the title?
 
Jones is under zero obligation to bend to the will of people that dislike him. ZERO. I hope he continues to frustrate and enrage them.
 
Jones will fight at HW but probably not for the belt and he probably will fight 1 fight there.

But first he must smash all records at LHW.
 
To see them pushed to a limit they have never been pushed to before.
 
I don't know about the others, but I want Jon Jones to move up mostly out of curiousty and because he's a fking gigantic LHW and would still be bigger than most if he joined HW.
 
because it is a challenge that has defeated lots of men and which sometimes helps separate the truly elite from the truly great.
 
lakersfan45 said:
Every time we see someone dominate a division we always get the same thing here on sherdog. X fighter should move up. We saw it with gsp, silva, and now jon jones.
My question is why the desire to see a fighter change divisions when he is dominating the division he is in?
If there is any evidence that someone is in the correct division it should be complete domination of that division. Unless a fighter is constantly struggling to make weight or missing weight but that's not the case with Jon jones or these other champions

So what is the logic here? Wouldn't you rather watch someone who is the absolute best at that weight class fight in that weight class?
Click to expand...

There are three reasons to move up (or down).

Weight issues, better chance to be champion, legacy of being champ in multiple divisions.

As far as Bones is concerned, he should only move up if he is having weight cut issues. I think it would be smarter for him to create a superfight at some point rather than change weight classes.
 
NotSoSure said:
I think the most sincere answer is "curiosity": people enjoy watching the fighters, and once they look unbeatable, they are curious to see how they'll handle a different set of adversities.

Also, the fact that they can cut weight, some do it better than others, etc, blurs the weight-class definition a bit.

I think most fight-fans are simply curious, others I have no idea: but a fighter should fight in whichever class he wishes.
Click to expand...

I've always felt the same as TS, I think this response basically nails it without someone acting biased and just wanting to see a champ lose.
 
To me, at this time he has more than just a belt to defend. He has GOAT legacy to defend. If he moves up then it should only be for fun low risk match ups. Fights where he would dominate kind of like Silva moving up to fight the Griffins and Bonnars and Irvins. Jones can move up and fight easy wins where he can showcase like Mark Hunt, Ben Rothwell, Roy Nelson types where he just makes them look silly.
 
SugarShock said:
Just out of curiosity, did GSP ever fight in the heavier weight class after attaining the title?
Click to expand...

No, but a lot of people wanted him to. That's where all the GSP-Silva talk came from (which is still going today, at least from Nick Diaz.)

It's really just about a champion testing himself. Think of it like this, what is a more exciting fight? A guy beating up a bunch of people he already beat up, or a guy moving up to take on the toughest guy in the next division?

Nobody would have made Vision Quest if it was about a guy who just beat guys he'd already beaten. (Yes, I know the main character of Vision Quest went down in weight, but still, he went down to fight the best of the best.)
 
SugarShock said:
Just out of curiosity, did GSP ever fight in the heavier weight class after attaining the title?
Click to expand...

No.

I look at going up in weight as a bonus. Anderson went up to kill Irvin and Bonnar as favors to the UFC, and up against Forrest just to have a fun fight. BJ went back up for a superfight. I give them both a lot of bonus points for that, but I don't think it takes anything away from dominant champions that don't do it. Your job as champion is to defend your title, and that's what GSP did and what Jones is doing. Would I love Jones/Cain? Of course. But I don't think Jones is obligated to do it.

One exception would be if you start talking about a fight with a guy in a higher division.
 
SocraticMethod said:
No.

I look at going up in weight as a bonus. Anderson went up to kill Irvin and Bonnar as favors to the UFC, and up against Forrest just to have a fun fight. BJ went back up for a superfight. I give them both a lot of bonus points for that, but I don't think it takes anything away from dominant champions that don't do it. Your job as champion is to defend your title, and that's what GSP did and what Jones is doing. Would I love Jones/Cain? Of course. But I don't think Jones is obligated to do it.

One exception would be if you start talking about a fight with a guy in a higher division.
Click to expand...

It's also good for PPV buys. At the time, the champion vs. champion fight between GSP and BJ did almost double the buyrate of GSP's previous two title defenses.
 
209since1978 said:
I've always felt the same as TS, I think this response basically nails it without someone acting biased and just wanting to see a champ lose.
Click to expand...

Some people (maybe a lot), simply may dislike a fighter and want to see him lose. But real fans have a sadistic desire to see the fighter beating increasingly challenging opponents, which is why I think curiosity (a sadistic one) is the most plausible answer.

I never thought JJ should fight in the HWs until his performance against DC. I thought he didn't quite have the power, etc etc, but now I am curious: I think he might handle the JSD/Cain duo quite well. And I am curious.

Other cases were not as obvious: I think GSP belonged in his class, same for AS. Another guy who should move up soon, if he passes Conor, is Aldo. Aldo and JJ "look big" in their fights, which makes people....curious.
 
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