30 years of UFC...what has been the best division in MMA?

[Dr. Rose]

WW followed by LW

I agree. LW might be higher, but it did not really develop until year 15. Basically 2008 when Penn won the title after Sherk was stripped.

 

[Ozze]

Talent loaded I would say FW because it has goof fighters with regularity.

But I don't think it ever had the high and thrill of MW when it had Spider, Weidman, Jacare, Romero, Rockhold, TRT Vitor etc., or the early days of Jones reign with Shogun, Rampage, Lyoto, Rashad, etc.

 

[Sweater of AV]

Openweight.

 

[JBJ was here]

LW has had the best combination of great, interesting fights and consistency over time. It's been reliably very good and often absolutely great to watch the LWs fight. WW and LHW have both gone through some rough times and didn't really peak any higher than LW. Other divisions aren't in the running.

 

[Wilmer Digreux]

voted LW

but after thinking more it's LHW. That era when Chuck, Wand, Randy, Shogun, Rampage, Vitor, Hendo, Tito, Lil Nog, Machida were all competing at the same time and eventually all against each other....all in their primes or close to it......that was the best.

Around the same time we even got to see prime Anderson at LHW a few times.

 

[bambammccoy]

I voted Middleweight to go against the grain a little.

Anderson Silva and Israel Adesanya are both super famous and their runs engulfed probably over 10 years of the last 30 years.

Throw in Chael Sonnen going full WWE, Silva vs Weidman 1 KO being one of those viral mma moments, lots of stars at LHW but a handful of them moved down.

Just talking shit really I know I'm wrong

 

[Wormwood]

Yep

LHW was the best all throughout PRIDE/Tapout UFC era

How quickly they forget...

Was absolutely the premier weight class for awhile… so many fighters to get excited about both in Pride and the UFC.. and then when Chuck came over to Pride…

 

[Thepaintbucket]

Easily WW. Later on LW and LHW have produced many great fights too

 

[jons333]

Lightweight. BJ Penn era to Pettis era to Khabib era to Oli/Islam era. Legends. Yes I consider Pettis a legend, he was a prodigal striker in the best division but the money got to him and he became an unmotivated journeyman IMO. It's the only divison where it's hard to find a dark point in it's history. Talent wise I don't think anything comes close besides WW.

I don't know how people can put HW here. Modern HW is a joke, 40 year olds are contending for the belt, most of the top 10 doesn't know what grappling is.

 

[J-Pac]

Id go
155
170
205
265
145
185
135
125

Heavy bias because the lighter divisions have much less history in the UFC. 155 and 170 are more or less interchangeable at the top because they have been amazing forever. In another 20 years 135 and 145 will be top 3, and 125 will be middle of the pack. 125 has been less exciting because MM was just so damn dominant it was boring. Middleweight has been the shittiest of the long established divisions in my opinion. HW has had some great tilts but seems to get shittier every year.

 

[IDGETKTFO]

LHW easy, and its not even close.
You had Chuck, Randy, Tito, Rampage, Machida, Shogun, Vitor, DC, Gus, and Jones.

 

[ryun253]

LHW 2000's, now with drug testing into effect it's now one of the worst divisions.
LW is king now.

 

[Based and White Pilled]

Including PRIDE and Strikeforce makes this a lot more interesting. If it was UFC only, I'd say LW for sure. As it is, for me it's LW and LHW being 1A and 1B with HW very close behind.

 

[YEET]

I would say LHW because you had Tito, Liddell, Couture, Rampage, Shogun, and then is transition to Jones followed by DC. Hard to describe that timeframe, but it made you want to tune in.

 

[Based and White Pilled]

LHW easy, and its not even close.
You had Chuck, Randy, Tito, Rampage, Machida, Shogun, Vitor, DC, Gus, and Jones.

Fedor, CroCop, Barnett, Randy, Arlovski, DC, Cain, Werdum, Overeem, Brock, Stipe, Coleman, Frye, Severn, Vovchanchyn, Mir, Ngannou

It's close. The depth beyond the top names is what puts LHW above HW, and if you bring that into the conversation LW becomes a lot more impressive.

 

[welcometohavoc]

I'm not talking about currently, but over the course of the past 30 years (including PRIDE/Strikeforce), what would you say has been the most talent-loaded/exciting division in MMA?

In my opinion:
1. Light heavyweight
2. Welterweight
3. Heavyweight
4. Lightweight
5. Featherweight
6. Middleweight
7. Bantamweight
8. Flyweight

WW
LW
HW
FW
MW
LHW
BW
FlyW

 

[Rationality]

Hughes
Penn
St Pierre
Lawler
Hendricks
Usman
Diaz
Fitch
Condit
Woodley
MacDonald
Edwards
And that's the short list. I voted WW.

 

[JRY82]

Lw, lhw, ww

 

[RonDante]

I'm not talking about currently, but over the course of the past 30 years (including PRIDE/Strikeforce), what would you say has been the most talent-loaded/exciting division in MMA?

In my opinion:
1. Light heavyweight
2. Welterweight
3. Heavyweight
4. Lightweight
5. Featherweight
6. Middleweight
7. Bantamweight
8. Flyweight

Do you mean skillwise? Can’t be the heavier divisions
Pound for pound skill? Would have to skew towards lightweight
Finishes? Probably the heavier divisions for more knockouts
Story and excitement? Probably lightweight or welterweight with all the belt changing hands and the controversial fights and stuff

 

[Langinbang187]

voted LW

but after thinking more it's LHW. That era when Chuck, Wand, Randy, Shogun, Rampage, Vitor, Hendo, Tito, Lil Nog, Machida were all competing at the same time and eventually all against each other....all in their primes or close to it......that was the best.

Around the same time we even got to see prime Anderson at LHW a few times.

I think LHW has the best peak years, but as a whole WW and LW slightly edge it out based on consistency.

That said, LHW is definitely the best from 2002-2010 or so.