Worst fighter to become champion?

[J Danger]

Kind of a mean spirited thread, but I’d say Eddie Alvarez or Ricco Rodriguez

Jesus Christ man

 

[TheMessiah]

Bisping, Serra & GSP

 

[Moscardino]

Hendriks has to be up there, but Montano literally got the title due to being on The Ultimate Fighter, beating sub-par competition, Got stripped, then lost her first fight after it, and hasn't fought since.

 

[justalurker]

Esparza???

Nah she a legit wrestler for a wmmma.

 

[Dog Gynecologist]

There were plenty in the older school of the UFC though like Dave Menne, Tim Sylvia, Jens Pulver, Matt Serra, Carlos Newton, etc.

I agree whith 90% of your post but Jens Pulver ? At the time he was champion he was a great fighter, he beat Caol Uno and BJ Penn. He was one of the best lightweight in the world then, not someone who overachieved or lacked competition IMO. The second part of his career is sad tho

 

[Dog Gynecologist]

Alvarez
Hendricks
Rockhold
McGregor

These guys are less skilled than Griffin? Because this is the topic, their fighting skills, not their reign

 

[pick999]

Matt Serra. Dude came out of NOWHERE and miraculously won the belt, from GSP no less. It was simultaneously a disgrace and the ultimate Rocky story of MMA.

Hes not the worst to win title

 

[LetThemBleed]

Montano or GDR, skillset Montano, gutless including the bs way she won the title then tried to claim some moral high ground bs GDR. They are the only two acceptable answers.

 

[100action]

liked his run but you cant go past bisping

 

[EVIL WAR GOD]

in the day though he was starching HW's. I was never a big fan as he looked awkward, but you cant deny his success.

He did good but the UFC HW division was terrible at the time.

 

[Cylence]

Ricco was an excellent fighter for his size and era. I wouldn't call him the worst by any stretch of the imagination. He has a solid resume.

Especially when you have fighters like Nina that wore gold.

 

[Allosaurus Fragillis]

I don't see how anyone can say that anyone else besides Nicco Montano is the worst fighter to ever win a belt in the UFC. She beat a bunch of cans and journeywomen in TUF to win the belt, she was 4-2 when she became champion, and she basically gave up her belt because she was too scared to defend it against Valentina. The fact that someone like her even sniffed a shot at a belt in the UFC is an embarrassment.
Carla Esparza is an honorable (or dishonorable) mention, but at least she beat a legit good fighter in Rose Namajunas to win her belt, and at least she defended her belt like a true fighter. Which is more than what I can say about Nicco.

 

[ColombianFist]

Montano.

 

[diffuzn]

Rockhold

 

[MustangCobraSVT]

Royce Gracie

 

[Diante Wilder]

Conor Mcgregor

not due to skill set. Why would we want a champ that NEVER tries to defend a belt, it’s counter intuitive.

Use your brain,he was double champ when the ufc called him what he was supposed to said ? NO A GOT BELT TO DEFEND HERE LOL. He beat aldo and then goes for the Dos sanjos belt the guy get injured and remplaced with nate,loss that fight run it back again and then koed Alvarez....And the Floyd figth take place,what he should said ?No i want to keep that ufc paid for now ?

 

[Dog Gynecologist]

Rockhold

I'm not a Rockhold fan, but i don't get it, how is he the less skilled champion ? To me he is the opposite, superskilled who underachieved because of his chin

 

[mxer31]

Kind of a mean spirited thread, but I’d say Eddie Alvarez or Ricco Rodriguez

eddie? really? FFS lol the casuals are getting worse

 

[AnotherOldGuy]

Matt Serra. Dude came out of NOWHERE and miraculously won the belt, from GSP no less. It was simultaneously a disgrace and the ultimate Rocky story of MMA.

On that day he was good enough to beat GSP, something a lot of fighters never managed. He was never that good again, just like Buster Douglas was never as good as he was the say he beat Tyson, but he was very good the day he became champ.

 

[AnotherOldGuy]

Any WMMA titleholder.

Anybody that argues with this isn’t being honest.

That implies any non-HW title holder, since the same argument against WMMA (they need special divisions so they can win) apply to all the non-HW weight divisions as well.

Of course I've been saying they should get back to the original MMA (no weight divisions) for a long time, so I might be a bit biased.