Title Defenses is the Most Overrated Stat in UFC History

[ferrisjso]

Outside of analyzing a division based on objective stats such as average age, depth, and turnovers within the top ten ranks (which I've already done here for LW to HW), anything else is purely subjective.


It also discredits title defenses with undeserving challengers; accounting for both of those variables makes divisional GOAT debates a lot more accurate.


That's nothing more than an assumption on your part. As someone who actually went through every champions' resumes it's not an exception, but a frequent occurrence.

For example, 40% of Anderson Silva's title defenses were against opponents not ranked in the top ten (that percent increases to 45.45% if you include Lutter).


Another assumption and opinion on your part.


By that logic, the stat of title defenses doesn't discern the quality of a division either, so the fact that you're using that as a point in your argument is contradictory.

1)Well subjective doesn't mean wrong.

2)No it doesn't because weak contenders are almost always in the top 10.

3)Its a very fair assumption. Title fights in theory are supposed to be matching the top 2 fighters in the divisions. That will almost always result in a fighter being top 10 unless they coming from a different division are coming out of retirement or something. If a division(in a single promotion) has relevant fighters outside the top 10 that division is stacked.

4)Looking it over and I'm going to call BS on the "40% of AS defenses weren't top 10" You've got to be including AS fighting unranked LHWs in non title bouts or counting Hendo as unranked because he was coming from Pride.

I think ASs competition was lacking but pretty much all of his title opponents were top 10 guys. Same goes for Izzy same goes for every champ. The weak links of AS title defenses were Cote and Leites and they were both on 5 fight win streaks. I find it very unlikely they weren't top 10. Your stat is more likely to filter out elite fighters coming off layoffs than it is bad opponents.

Lutter won his title shot on a reality show where the whole point was to give the title shot to a normally undeserving journeyman. It was a intentional gimmick.

5)It doesn't matter if my opinion of a division is right or wrong we're not going to get the correct answer by counting top 10 wins. The distinction between top 10 and top 15 is completley and totally irelevant for title bouts.

 

[DoubleTrouble]

No he wass getting gifted decisions over the great gleison tibau in his 18th fight.. so much better

Dude somehow won after losing all 3 rounds.

1 Fight doesn't define a career... all of them do. GsP's resume shits in Khabib's and GSP didn't have to hospitalize himself and miss numerous fights due to not being able to make weight.

Not but he did have to run away after getting brain damage from Hendricks (and a gift decision)

 

[chinarice]

Not but he did have to run away after getting brain damage from Hendricks (and a gift decision)

Nope

 

[FlyingDeathKick]

For Silva the fact the he fought for the title in his second fight and went on a 16 fight win streak is super impressive because that means he was fighting top guys from the get go. Title defenses is the main criteria for me but it also matter who you beat. For example Oliveira (technically) only had 1 defense that they counted but does that put him equal with Pettis? F no. 11 fight win streak, smashing all the top guys aside from Islam etc..

 

[Takes_Two_To_Tango]

I did an entire thread series on champions with the least-to-most top ten ranked wins, which I think is one of the best metrics to determine divisional GOATs because it counts top ten wins that weren't title defenses (i.e. Jones vs. Bader) and it excludes title defenses with undeserving challengers (i.e. Jones vs. Sonnen); there's still the variable of comparing eras but nothing that can be done about that.

These are the champions with the most wins in their divisions:

(12) Fedor Emelianenko
(11) Jon Jones
(9) Anderson Silva
(16) Georges St-Pierre
(8) Takanori Gomi
(12) Jose Aldo
(10) Dominick Cruz
(12) Demetrious Johnson

UFC/Pride/WEC Champions with the most Top 10 ranked wins in each division.

The Flyweight version is here. The Bantamweight version is here. The Featherweight version is here. The Lightweight version is here. The Welterweight version is here. The Middleweight version is here. The Light Heavyweight version is here. The Heavyweight version is here. The Multi-Division...

forums.sherdog.com

Very impressive stats my friend, thank you for compiling and breaking it down beautifully like that.

 

[BEATDOWNS]

I was looking at the "All Time GOAT" Poll and everyone was highly valuing "Title Defenses" which DOES matter but shouldn't be the MAIN argument against many fighters and their legacies.
We need to stop this BJ Penn vs Khabib Lightweight GOAT and Jose Aldo vs Volk Featherweight GOAT debates

The problem with that metric is that the variance in WHEN they got the title shot:

BJ Penn- 2 Fights before Title shot
Jose Aldo- Got the UFC belt from the jump(Worked his way from WEC but still)
Anderson Silva - Got a title shot after ONE fight in the UFC
Jon Jones- 3 Fights before Title Fight(Short Notice)
GSP - 4 Fights(3 Fights for Long Reign)
Demetrious Johnson- 2 Fights(Flyweight Tournament)
Tim Sylvia - 2 Fights Before Title shot
Anthony Pettis- 2 Fights before Title Shot
and So forth

On the other hand you got other great fighters who had to win FAR more fights before the title but are often LEFT OUT because they got their titles FAR later Legacy Wise
Khabib - 9 Fights Before Title Shot
Max Holloway - 9 Fights Before Title Shot
Charles Oliviera- 7 Fights Before Title Shot

This being the overall title defense stats:

Title Defenses - Fight Matrix

Most consecutive UFC title defenses Last Updated: 03/14/2024 Fighter Streak Timeframe Demetrious Johnson 11 2013-2017 Anderson Silva 10 2007-2012 Georges St. Pierre 9 2008-2013 (relinquished title) Jon Jones 8, 3 2011-2015 (relinquished), 2019-2020 (relinquished) Jose Aldo * 7 2011-2014...

www.fightmatrix.com

Also, the arguement about "You face the best when you're the champion", that is true however how do we know they couldnt beat those contenders if they had gotten the title shot after 2-3 fights? Is anyone really stopping Khabib or Max during their 6+ win streak if they got the title shot after 2 or 3 fights like the rest?

Your are really dumb.