The greatest era of fighters EVER

[blaseblase]

The 2 and a half years of GSP, Silva, Jones, and Aldo all being champions at once was the greatest. March 19, 2011 - November 16, 2013, starting with Jones becoming champion and ending with GSP announcing his hiatus. Cruz was champion for the beginning of this but had to relinquish his belt due to injury. This time period saw the rise of Mighty Mouse, Ronda Rousey, and Renan Barao. Conor McGregor making his debut. We witnessed the JDS and Cain trilogy. The WEC and Strikeforce invasion. The bad guy Chael Sonnen at his best. The deal with Fox and the highest quality television cards we've ever witnessed. A lot happened in that time period.

 

[Clark Rogers]

The 2 and a half years of GSP, Silva, Jones, and Aldo all being champions at once was the greatest. March 19, 2011 - November 16, 2013, starting with Jones becoming champion and ending with GSP announcing his hiatus. Cruz was champion for the beginning of this but had to relinquish his belt due to injury. This time period saw the rise of Mighty Mouse, Ronda Rousey, and Renan Barao. Conor McGregor making his debut. We witnessed the JDS and Cain trilogy. The WEC and Strikeforce invasion. The bad guy Chael Sonnen at his best. The deal with Fox and the highest quality television cards we've ever witnessed. A lot happened in that time period.

Early 00s thru this era are my favorite, by far. Good times.

 

[BabyBlue_Bomber]

Idk skill but the LHWs of the 2000s was for sure packed with some legendary shit. Shogun, Rampage, Tito, Machida, Chuck, Forrest, Bonnar, Rashad, Wanderlei, Couture, with some fun fighters thrown in like T. Silva, Jardine, some special guest appearances of Final Form Silva...

This is my answer as well.

Henderson, Arona, Overeem, Minotoro were also in the mix…

Even some fun WEC Talent like Stann, Cantwell, and a young-ish Glover Texiera.

 

[Chillez]

I miss older generation of MMA late 2000’s early 2010’s was prolly my favorite era.

 

[BearGrounds]

You forgot Benson Henderson

Part of his criteria was exciting fights.

 

[Captain_Dammitt]

While this picture is amazing and seven of the greatest to ever do it, I think now is technically better because everyone is so good that it is difficult for a single fighter to pull so far ahead of the rest of the pack. Most likely, these guys would still be champions today but their respective divisions would be much more competitive with them and their reigns would be nowhere near as long.

 

[Thawing Mammoth]

Today's skill + WWE testing

There's gonna be some fireworks

 

[Dana's Moonface]

Is the lightweight division from 2014-2018

Edson barboza, the crafty 37 year old vet, and his win over sodiq yusuff, made me think about this

Barboza, RDA, McGregor, Khabib, Poirier, Gaethje, Pettis, Alvarez, Cerrone, Ferguson, Johnson and Diaz

I truly believe this is the greatest era of the most skilled fighters we have ever seen, EVER

You must think Khabib is skilled, as he dominated half that list

 

[RockyLockridge]

Is the lightweight division from 2014-2018

Edson barboza, the crafty 37 year old vet, and his win over sodiq yusuff, made me think about this

Barboza, RDA, McGregor, Khabib, Poirier, Gaethje, Pettis, Alvarez, Cerrone, Ferguson, Johnson and Diaz

I truly believe this is the greatest era of the most skilled fighters we have ever seen, EVER

I'd dial both ends 1 year back 2013-17

Guys like benson, pettis, thompson were still fighting, looking good and winning aswell.

 

[Neck&Neck]

The UFC Magazine ERA -2009ish to 2015

 

[RonDante]

You must think Khabib is skilled, as he dominated half that list

Khabib is a top 5 all time fighter

 

[Chomsky Honk]

bump wanna hear more opinions

 

[aross]

My ranking of this generation of LW - Khabib discounted for shorter career.

1. Rafael dos Anjos
2. Khabib Nurmagomedov
3. Ben Henderson
4. Dustin Poirier
5. Charles Oliveira
6. Anthony Pettis
7. Eddie Alvarez
8. Tony Ferguson
9. Conor McGregor
10. Justin Gaethje
11. Donald Cerrone
12. Michael Chandler
13. Nate Diaz
14. Clay Guida
15. Jeremy Stephens
16. Edson Barboza
17. Jim Miller
18. Michael Chiesa
19. Michael Johnson
20. Will Brooks

The top 20 of golden era of LHW is probably a bit deeper

1. Tito Ortiz
2. Wanderlei Silva
3. Dan Henderson
4. Chuck Liddell
5. Mauricio Rua
6. Quinton Jackson
7. Lyoto Machida
8. Vitor Belfort
9. Paulo Filho
10. Rashad Evans
11. Rich Franklin
12. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
13. Renato Sobral
14. Kazushi Sakuraba
15. Vladimir Matyushenko
16. Ricardo Arona
17. Forrest Griffin
18. Kevin Randleman
19. Jeremy Horn
20. Keith Jardine

 

[chimpoehurricane]

Is the lightweight division from 2014-2018

Edson barboza, the crafty 37 year old vet, and his win over sodiq yusuff, made me think about this

Barboza, RDA, McGregor, Khabib, Poirier, Gaethje, Pettis, Alvarez, Cerrone, Ferguson, Johnson and Diaz

I truly believe this is the greatest era of the most skilled fighters we have ever seen, EVER

Jones ducked that Era of HWs from 2012 till 2013 fighting a guy who has 0 TDD.

 

[daniel san]

Most underserved title shot in MMA history .

Never defended any of his titles ..


1-3 in the division lol. .

Broke his own leg


Ya okay indeed buster

Still butt hurt I see.

 

[bambammccoy]

8 out of the top 10 of UFCs Light Heavyweights in 2009 were former current or future UFC champions with 1 long reigning Pride champion as 1 of the 2 that never got a UFC belt. Thiago Silva being the other.

 

[Paolo Delutis]

Still butt hurt I see.

Lol. More like im not blinded by the hype..

 

[TerrorTimmy]

Double champ, clinic on alvarez. Okay buddy

I'm not a Penn fan but you realize Penn was also a double champ, and he won his second belt at 170 when he should have been fighting at 145 his whole career, right? You do realize that?

Conor fans are so fucking desperate to make him relevant and put him with the greats. The guy fought like 4 times at LW in the UFC and lost most of them. He's literally 1-3 at LW in the UFC.

But you think he deserves a higher spot than BJ Penn?

 

[Westbrick]

Pride HW

 

[RonDante]

I'm not a Penn fan but you realize Penn was also a double champ, and he won his second belt at 170 when he should have been fighting at 145 his whole career, right? You do realize that?

Conor fans are so fucking desperate to make him relevant and put him with the greats. The guy fought like 4 times at LW in the UFC and lost most of them. He's literally 1-3 at LW in the UFC.

But you think he deserves a higher spot than BJ Penn?

Hey, I think you need to go get checked for autism, cause I said the era of 2014-2018, retard