UFC titles losing prestige

Lets be realistic about the titles, the value is diminishing because there is no real road to the championship.  Of course the Champs are legit but the contendership is BS.  And every chance there is, an interim belt is created for seemingly no other purpose than marketing reasons.  In order to be able to say that the next huge pay per view is a champion vs champion match up.  There's even a women's champion but no women fighters in the UFC.  In spite of the lack of depth at the lightest weight classes, they continue to be added just so the company can say, we have a championship fight headlining the next PPV.



 Chael may very well be my favorite fighter but he's getting a shot at the LHW belt?  Come on.  There is no credibility in that.  Hendricks is one of my favorite college wrestlers and he is now one of my favorite fighters, but what does it matter if his title shot comes in 1 year as opposed to right now?  In the grand scheme, what's the hurry for the fight?  He's still learning, he's still getting better, the longer the shot takes to get to him, the better his chances.  Weidman needs a shot right now at Anderson?  First of all he's injured and 2nd of all, he just barely got his name out there.  We barely know who he is as of this year and he has to have his shot at Anderson now?  Those matchups can't wait for after a Super Fight?  



Nick Diaz, I love that guy.  Met him when he was 20 years old and fighting at the King of the Mountain tournament and made a great impression on me.  Super nice kid and I love his style but we're trying to give him a title shot, coming off a loss against the guy who just  lost against the champion?  Belfort comes up from 185 to challenge Jones at LHW because Machida and Shogun refuse to step up?  And now the next challenger to LHW is another 185 pounder coming up off of a loss???



Here's what the UFC has become.  it's entirely about making money and selling fights first.  If that means the right guys get title shots when they are deserved, so be it but if it doens't that's just fine, as long as the $$$ keep coming in.  The arguing about Anderson and GSP holding up the titles and the contenders at 170 and 185 "deserving" their shots and are being "disrespected" by having to wait, is what inspired me to post this.  Lets stop pretending like if these guys don't ge ttheir title bouts right now, somehow it affects anything in the grand scheme.  

tatooedMillionaire - yea it's been like this for a while home boy


Agreed, but with it becoming obvious that the vast majority of fans on this site at leas,t don't realize it yet, prompted me to make this thread.  



Randy vs Silvia comes to mind.  The California Kid and his multiple title shots.  Matt Hardy vs GSP.  Long list of examples.  

OP is the correct.

so which belt has not been tested by a credible contender?

and which credible contender is being denied a shot?


the fact that contenders are refusing fights and so we have the odd "fun" fight as Dana would say does not diminish the belt.

GSP got his title shot after fewer fights than Hendricks will have. Weidman is 5-0 in the UFC...sure he's still new but he's showing promise.

If UFC had followed your logic JBJ wouldn't have go the shot he did.

It's a sport where anything can happen, occassionally that means nonsense like Chael vs. JBJ...but for the most part i have no complaints.

The Sonnen title shot is absolute bullshit, but are you saying that Diaz is gonna get a title shot before Hendricks? Because if so, that's the first I've heard of it and it fucking blows.

Also, I don't really count GSP/Hardy as a similar case because the division was really threadbare at the time, GSP had cleaned it out and Hardy was the only alternative outside of a Fitch rematch which nobody wanted to see.

sacredhate - so which belt has not been tested by a credible contender?

and which credible contender is being denied a shot?


the fact that contenders are refusing fights and so we have the odd "fun" fight as Dana would say does not diminish the belt.

GSP got his title shot after fewer fights than Hendricks will have. Weidman is 5-0 in the UFC...sure he's still new but he's showing promise.

If UFC had followed your logic JBJ wouldn't have go the shot he did.

It's a sport where anything can happen, occassionally that means nonsense like Chael vs. JBJ...but for the most part i have no complaints.


How about Overeem being next in line, (ahead of cain prior to being suspended) in spite of failing his drug test following his victory over Lesnar?  



How about Belfort and Chael getting shots at Jones when they are not even in his division nor have they won a single fight at that weight class since leaving for 185 years ago?



How about Rousey getting a UFC championship when a division does not even exist in the company?



How about Urijah Faber and his repeated title shots in spite of loss after loss after loss?



How about Kenny Florian and his Urijah treatment?



How about Dan Hardy getting his title shot and GSP actually telling us he was his toughest opponent of his career?

Tomato Can - The Sonnen title shot is absolute bullshit, but are you saying that Diaz is gonna get a title shot before Hendricks? Because if so, that's the first I've heard of it and it fucking blows.

Also, I don't really count GSP/Hardy as a similar case because the division was really threadbare at the time, GSP had cleaned it out and Hardy was the only alternative outside of a Fitch rematch which nobody wanted to see.


GSP was signed to fight Condit and the fight was pulled in order to give it to Diaz.  That's probably the biggest crock of shit that they've done and I'm a Diaz fan.  



I don't know the order of the title defenses I don't think anyone does, but what I'm saying is why would Diaz be in the mix, (other than it's a big money fight) when he just lost to the guy that lost to GSP?  Diaz should have to go out and get some wins before there's any discussion of a title shot if these titles are going to be looked at as legit.  The Penn win was great and I was all for a title shot, after all it would be a unification fight between Strike Force and UFC champions.  It made sense but after Diaz lost, that shot should be gone, unless he gets some more wins.  

SinCityHustler - 
sacredhate - so which belt has not been tested by a credible contender?

and which credible contender is being denied a shot?


the fact that contenders are refusing fights and so we have the odd "fun" fight as Dana would say does not diminish the belt.

GSP got his title shot after fewer fights than Hendricks will have. Weidman is 5-0 in the UFC...sure he's still new but he's showing promise.

If UFC had followed your logic JBJ wouldn't have go the shot he did.

It's a sport where anything can happen, occassionally that means nonsense like Chael vs. JBJ...but for the most part i have no complaints.


How about Overeem being next in line, (ahead of cain prior to being suspended) in spite of failing his drug test following his victory over Lesnar?  



How about Belfort and Chael getting shots at Jones when they are not even in his division nor have they won a single fight at that weight class since leaving for 185 years ago?



How about Rousey getting a UFC championship when a division does not even exist in the company?



How about Urijah Faber and his repeated title shots in spite of loss after loss after loss?



How about Kenny Florian and his Urijah treatment?



How about Dan Hardy getting his title shot and GSP actually telling us he was his toughest opponent of his career?


So you don't like that Urijah kept getting title shots after a single loss and then dominating a top contender...but you'd like Cain to have that chance?

Belfort only got the fight because Henderson got hurt, and other contenders like Machida didn't want the fight on short notice. you would have preferred a cancelled card to an entertaining fight?

Kenflo fought for a vacant belt in 2006, then went 6-0 before getting another shot at it vs BJ Penn. 2 years, and 4 fights later (going 3-1) he got a shot at FW. and a top contender at LW dropping down gave Aldo a ton of credibility in his victory, his 2nd UFC defense.

And Hardy was 23-6-1 going into the GSP fight having gone 4-0 in the UFC.

Sure it's not perfect, but it's hardly anything to cry about or say "UFC belts have no credibility".

sacredhate -
SinCityHustler - 
sacredhate - so which belt has not been tested by a credible contender?

and which credible contender is being denied a shot?


the fact that contenders are refusing fights and so we have the odd "fun" fight as Dana would say does not diminish the belt.

GSP got his title shot after fewer fights than Hendricks will have. Weidman is 5-0 in the UFC...sure he's still new but he's showing promise.

If UFC had followed your logic JBJ wouldn't have go the shot he did.

It's a sport where anything can happen, occassionally that means nonsense like Chael vs. JBJ...but for the most part i have no complaints.


How about Overeem being next in line, (ahead of cain prior to being suspended) in spite of failing his drug test following his victory over Lesnar?  

How about Belfort and Chael getting shots at Jones when they are not even in his division nor have they won a single fight at that weight class since leaving for 185 years ago?

How about Rousey getting a UFC championship when a division does not even exist in the company?

How about Urijah Faber and his repeated title shots in spite of loss after loss after loss?

How about Kenny Florian and his Urijah treatment?

How about Dan Hardy getting his title shot and GSP actually telling us he was his toughest opponent of his career?


So you don't like that Urijah kept getting title shots after a single loss and then dominating a top contender...but you'd like Cain to have that chance?

Belfort only got the fight because Henderson got hurt, and other contenders like Machida didn't want the fight on short notice. you would have preferred a cancelled card to an entertaining fight?

Kenflo fought for a vacant belt in 2006, then went 6-0 before getting another shot at it vs BJ Penn. 2 years, and 4 fights later (going 3-1) he got a shot at FW. and a top contender at LW dropping down gave Aldo a ton of credibility in his victory, his 2nd UFC defense.

And Hardy was 23-6-1 going into the GSP fight having gone 4-0 in the UFC.

Sure it's not perfect, but it's hardly anything to cry about or say "UFC belts have no credibility".

This guy knows, your original 2 lines says it all. Phone Post

Hopefully the Chael/Jones thing is just a TUF ratings scam, and Chael will pull out of the fight with an injury, letting winner of Hendo/Machida or Shogun/Gustafsson step in.

Not that that makes things more legitimate...

Every UFC champion is ranked #1 in their weight class.

Thread over.

Chael is your favorite fighter? Wtf...

unfortunately we dont get prestigous title fights like arlovski/justin eilers anymore.

SinCityHustler - 
Tomato Can - The Sonnen title shot is absolute bullshit, but are you saying that Diaz is gonna get a title shot before Hendricks? Because if so, that's the first I've heard of it and it fucking blows.

Also, I don't really count GSP/Hardy as a similar case because the division was really threadbare at the time, GSP had cleaned it out and Hardy was the only alternative outside of a Fitch rematch which nobody wanted to see.


GSP was signed to fight Condit and the fight was pulled in order to give it to Diaz.  That's probably the biggest crock of shit that they've done and I'm a Diaz fan.  



I don't know the order of the title defenses I don't think anyone does, but what I'm saying is why would Diaz be in the mix, (other than it's a big money fight) when he just lost to the guy that lost to GSP?  Diaz should have to go out and get some wins before there's any discussion of a title shot if these titles are going to be looked at as legit.  The Penn win was great and I was all for a title shot, after all it would be a unification fight between Strike Force and UFC champions.  It made sense but after Diaz lost, that shot should be gone, unless he gets some more wins.  


I agree Diaz should not get a shot at GSP without at least 1 good win, but you're still being pretty damn hyperbolic about all this. Also do we actually know that Diaz is "in the mix" right now? All logic and good sense would point to Hendricks getting the next shot at GSP.

I thought this thread was about Brittney Palmer...damn it

It doesn't help matters much that when most of the title fights get announced, fans cry out in droves about how 'he doesn't deserve it' and the like. It's pretty rare that everyone is in agreement about who gets a shot. The UFC isn't gonna please everyone no matter what they do, so why shouldn't they just do what they want if people are gonna bitch regardless?

If there's one thing I've learned around here, it's that any fighters record can and will be downplayed by at least a select few. If they have a long winning streak, fans will call their opponents 'cans'. If they beat three key fighters in the division, fans will want them to beat two or three or ten more key fighters. In a stacked division, it makes sense. In a shallow division, what else can they do? It never ends...arguments can be made for or against pretty much every fighter.

A LOT of fans want to see GSP vs Diaz and are very vocal about it. It's just fans buzzing...the UFC hasn't said a word about it. Yet, people act like it's a sure thing. I think Hendricks deserves the shot right now, but would still rather see Diaz in there because of the contrast of styles. I'm not alone on this one either. Hendricks beat Koscheck, Fitch, and Kampmann so they're all temporarily out. of contention. GSP just took Condit out of the picture. Title shot opponents are dwindling for him. Do we want to see GSP, or any other champ, sit out for a year or two waiting for the perfect opponent?

And if anyone is pissed about Jones/Sonnen, blame Jones. He's the one who said he wouldn't let Sonnen talk his way into a fight, and then let it happen. He could have refused..he's done it before.

I read the title quickly and I thought it said "UFC titties are losing prestige". Disappointing title is disappointing. Phone Post

Losing prestige compared to what other MMA title. The sport is still growing. But for fighters that championship belt is life changing.

In recent years you had Brock, Vitor stepping in on short notice and Sonnen getting a shot to boast TUF ratings.

Every other div has legit contenders.

you had Carwin, JDS, Cain, Cain again, Mir because of Reem being pulled and now probably Reem. That looks like legit worthy contenders to me.

Shogun, Machida, Rampage, Rashad, Jones, Vitor was injury and Sonnen for TUF but legit guys got shots.

MW, WW, LW, FW, BW even with Faber getting shots he still had to win a few fights or beat a top 5 to get it.

So dont know what people are talking about when they say belts are losing value because unworthy contenders keep fighting for them.

Other than an injury replacement or Sonnen for TUF seems like every other div guys are worth of it.



BW Mighty Mouse, Faber, Barao/Faber interim
FW Hom, Mendes, Edgar
LW Sherk/BJ, Florian, Diego, Edgar, maynard, Bendo, Diaz
WW, Alves, Hardy, Kos, Shields, Condit
MW Maia, Sonnen, Vitor, Okami, Sonnen
LHW, Machida, Shogun, Jones, Rampage, Machida, Rashad
HW Mir, Carwin, Cain, JDS, Mir, Cain

This is going back to around UFC 98/100.

So who on this list wasnt worthy of a title shot?

orcus - 


Hopefully the Chael/Jones thing is just a TUF ratings scam, and Chael will pull out of the fight with an injury, letting winner of Hendo/Machida or Shogun/Gustafsson step in.



Not that that makes things more legitimate...



less legitimate: chael getting lhw title shot, or zuffa scamming TUF viewers for 6 months on a fight they never intended to put on?