Will the UFC heavyweight division ever have a long term champion?

[LLD2008]

Most of the other divisions have had long term champs, like:
Jones, Silva, GSP, Aldo, MM

People normally complain about this division, but do you see any people holding the belt for a while in the division?
I think Werdum is too old but you never know, people underrate him, heavyweights age weird too. I think Stipe has a chance to defend it multiple times. Cain is always injured unfortunately but he had potential.

 

[Arm Barbarian]

At this moment, it doesn't appear so, but there may be some young up and comer out there who will bring the total package, like Jon Jones.

We can hope.

 

[Brock Tober]

Cain regains the title, gets injured, and doesn't defend it for five years. There is your long-term HW champ.

 

[VulcanNervPinch]

Not likely

1a) Vicious knockout power everywhere. Way too easy to be a split second slow once and it's all over.
1b) The cumulative damage from times you aren't dropped with 1 shot is also a lot worse.
2) It's harder and more unnatural to maintain 250 pounds in good athletic condition. The impact on your knees, the stress on your joints from lifting more, all of it.

 

[The lord of bones]

The heavyweight division is terrible, 1 title fight in the last 28 months.

 

[Vegeta12]

It seems the slowest to evolve, which is most likely due to the stagnation of the weight class. Heavyweight would need an influx of new, diverse fighters; there should also be a mixture of prospects and veterans coming in.
Ben Rothwell is an example of a fighter adapting new tactics in the heavyweight division and having success. Heavyweight has the oldest average fighters, and I feel like many of them are stuck in the same styles that got them to where they are. They lack innovation due to a lack of new blood in the division.
Hopefully this will change over time with the sport's popularity growing. Heavyweight will see a long term champion, if we define that as a champion who holds the belt for over 2 title fights, when the division has a champion that is willing to innovate. Werdum, Big Ben, and potentially Stipe are examples of fighters that have a chance of doing this.

 

[cade187]

Cain regains the title, gets injured, and defends it 3 times in five years, against big foot, JDS, and big foot. There is your long-term HW champ.

Fixed, but you weren't far off lol

 

[johnyboy]

Cain was going to be that guy but his body sucks

 

[HHJ]

Healthy Khabib would suplex the 155 lb division till the end of time.

 

[Final Say]

Yep, beginning in May. Stipe will break the defense record

 

[Dart Feld]

I'm not even sure we'll even have a UFC HW champ defend more than twice.

 

[lifelessheap]

Cain was going to be that guy but his body sucks

His body is fine. His caveman strength and condition program has simply destroyed it. I've never seen more dangerous weight lifting.

 

[JunkieMan]

Highly unlikely if history is any indication. It is annoying at times with how stagnant the division gets but at least when the title fights come to fruition there is always the possibility of an upset it seems. Back in the day with GSP or Andy or Jones it was almost a given they'd defend it. At least with HW, just when you think one guy is gonna rule, his body gives out or he gets caught and we have a new champ. I don't mind it so much.

 

[SH10151]

they need some new blood at HW. However Im glad Werdum is the champ and I hope he keeps racking up wins

 

[Liquid Smoke]

Yep, beginning in May. Stipe will break the defense record

With two.

 

[Final Say]

With two.

Two is the record, isn't it?

Ahh well, I was being a bit facetious anyways.

 

[MCMXCIX]

Isn't JDS still the champion? I heard they're going to set up JDS vs Cain II.

 

[Darkart]

Timmy was long term.