Since 2007, except for Jon Jones in 2011, if you include the fight he got the title.
The last ones before Jones to do that were Tim Sylvia and Chuck Liddell in 2006.
Liddell, Tito Ortiz, Matt Hughes and Frank Shamrock are the only champions in the promotion entire history that had to defend their title 3 times a year.
Except for Liddell, all that happened a decade ago or more.
That's a pretty sad statistic.
Weren't most Champs injured?
Cain and JDS
Frankie
GSP(he never fights more than twice a year anyway)
Ando 
Jones is such a douchebag, fighting more than others, extreme disrespect.
Jones on TRT could fight every 5 weeks
..and Ufc er Dana always complained how Fedor only fought 2 times a year. 
The champs probably all get PPV percentages. HUGE amounts of money to be earned for them, granted they are able to hang on to the belt, so they are less motivated to risk losing or exacerbating their injuries than the hungry up-and-comers, who will do whatever it takes to get to the top.
Jon Jones takes just about no damage at all in his fights, so he can just keep fighting as much as they will let him.
MMA is brutal on knees. Wonder what exactly is the reason for that. The constant twisting motions, or knees slamming on the ground during wrestling etc?
Jones is also younger than all the other guys. His body doesn't need as much time to recover
What a bunch of pansies - in the old school days, champions had to fight three times in one night, injured or not.....I wonder how many of today's fighters would agree to try that?
pickula - What a bunch of pansies - in the old school days, champions had to fight three times in one night, injured or not.....I wonder how many of today's fighters would agree to try that?
Took the words right outta my mouth.
"Look, you wanna see the best fighters in the world, champions putting there ass on the line 3 times a year, then you're in the UFC" - DFW
It's been primarily about $ and protecting legacies for some time.
Ain't no Travis Fulton's or Jeremy Horn's in the "Ultimate Fighting Championship" lol
I truly have to concentrate and try to remember the last time, AND WHO, the top tier guys fought.
And of course, it's all about injuries ; )
Didn't Cain get injured, then KO'd in one minute anyway ?
ttt
Yeah it's really sad. The chsmpins should. Be defend every 3-4 months
But Dana told me the best fight each other 3 times a year in UFC.
i've mentioned this time and time again. Dana claims UFC fighters fight 3 times a year, but the reality is very few of them fight 3 times. most at 2. including non-champs.
you had to go back 6 years?
Sofa King Cool - Hughes fought 4 times from November of 05 to November of 06. <br><br>Given, one of them was the Gracie fight but he was the champion at the time.
I mentioned Hughes in my opening post
GSP won the belt back from serra in april 08, beat john in august 08 then pen in january 09. Did you mean a calander year or 365 day span.
UGCTT_Suess - <p>"yeah, fuck these pussy fighters who won't fight 3 times a night!"
haha. there is this pesky little thing called an athletic commission.
but don't let me stop your mma hipster thread.</p>
How did you get from "UFC champs fight twice a year or less" to "UFC champs should fight 3 times a night" is beyond me.
I don't advocate UFC champs fighting multiple times a night, it's fantasy & dumb. But I do think that champs can and should fight 3-4 times a year, and other fighters 3-5 times a year.
Firecrap - GSP won the belt back from serra in april 08, beat john in august 08 then pen in january 09. Did you mean a calander year or 365 day span.
lets not try to use logic here
Read it all, but you said "your mma hipster thread". Well, it's my thread so
It's not really a bad thing that they fight less often. Look what jones did in his last 4 fights, the division is nearly cleared out already.
Contenders need time to build up and the champs should be fighting in top shape, not injured to see the best performances.
I enjoy a good contenders fight just as much as a title fight as long as it's a good fight.
And as someone else mentioned with the pay structure how it is the champs get by just fine fighting less and get to enjoy longer careers as well.
Champs fighting twice a year while the contenders work their way up isn't so bad.