what would sherdoggers consider the golden age of the ufc?

[esum80]

if there is already something similar in place, please point me in the right direction...

i am interested to know if there is a consensus on the timeline/eras of UFC/MMA...kind of like how (nerd mode: activated) there is the golden age or silver age of comic books...this is my guess:

• early years - the 90s (UFC 1 to UFC 23)
  • liddell/couture/ortiz/hughes/shamrock/young vitor/miletich,etc
• pre-pride acquisition - 2000-2007 (UFC 24 to UFC 66/67)
  • anderson silva became MW champ on 10/14/2006
• post-pride (incl. WEC merger) - 2007-2010
  • gsp unified WW title on 4/19/2008
  • brock lesnar's 1st foray 2008-2011
  • jose aldo WEC/UFC champ on 11/18/2009
• strikeforce acquisition, reebok deal (begun at UFC 189 - 7/11/2015), mcgregor, USADA & WMMA - 2011 - 2016
  • jon jones became LHW champ on 3/19/2011
• current: WME era - 2016 - present

list of events per year:

1993 - 1 event (obvs....UFC 1)
1994 - 3
1995 - 4
1996 - 5
1997 - 5
1998 - 3
1999 - 6
2000 - 6
2001 - 5
2002 - 7
2003 - 5
2004 - 5
2005 - 10 (2 FN, 2 TUF finales)
2006 - 18 (6 FN, 2 TUF)
2007 - 19 (4 FN, 2 TUF)
2008 - 20 (5 FN, 2 TUF)
2009 - 20 (3 FN, 2 TUF)
2010 - 24 (5 FN/Live/Versus, 2 TUF)
2011 - 27 (8 FN/Fox/Versus, 2 TUF)
2012 - 32* (16 FN/Fox/Versus, 2 TUF) * - 1 cancelled, Jones refused to fight Sonnen at UFC 151
2013 - 33 (18 FN/Fox/Fuel/Versus, 2 TUF)
2014 - 46* (32 FN/Fox, 2 TUF) * - 1 cancelled, Aldo pulled out because of injury at UFC 176
2015 - 41 (26 FN/Fox, 2 TUF)
2016 - 41* (26 FN/Fox, 2 TUF) * - 1 cancelled, BJ pulled out because of injury for FN Lamas vs. Penn
2017 - 30 took place so far (20 FN/Fox, 1 TUF); 9 more events (5 FN/Fox, 1 TUF) scheduled from November to December

1. what would most people consider the "GOLDEN" era of the UFC? what was your favourite?
2. when did you start watching?
3. if you feel the UFC started to lose steam, when?

feel free to correct the timeline

 

[mjmj]

Been done before. Most consider it around 2008 give or take..

 

[Headkicktoleg]

Brocktober

 

[Medical Marijuana Man]

2007-2010

 

[SeattleFightFan]

MMA: 2000-2006. Pride was awesome, UFC was awesome.

UFC: 2007-2013 (i was going to say 2007-2011 but then i remembered that WEC fighters made it exciting for a few years, if for no other reason that a reminder that not necessarily all the best fighters are in the UFC.)

 

[The Witcher]

The fights are as good now as they have ever been

 

[The Best JG]

• pre-pride - 2000-2007 (UFC 24 to UFC 66/67)
  • anderson silva became MW champ on 10/14/2006

feel free to correct the timeline

Pre pride 2000-2007 is an extremely misleading era name lol

 

[esum80]

MMA: 2000-2006. Pride was awesome, UFC was awesome.

UFC: 2007-2013 (i was going to say 2007-2011 but then i remembered that WEC fighters made it exciting for a few years, if for no other reason that a reminder that not necessarily all the best fighters are in the UFC.)

agreed. i was also trying to pinpoint the exact time when they the increased frequency of events but each event was so watered down or fighters started to pull out due to injuries that it was no longer as exciting to have a huge card come up that people were counting down for.

Pre pride 2000-2007 is an extremely misleading era name lol

pre-pride acquistion maybe?

 

[skylolow]

Based on the very limited time in the UFC has been around in the spotlight or even in existence I'd probably say that 2007 to 2010ish area.

This sport is so young on the big stage and a lot will change over the next few decades.

 

[NotSoSure]

Started dying in 2012.

When it merged with Pride, it was good for a few years. Then it started decaying. Now it's just awful.

 

[Deleted member 220895]

Whenever GSP, Anderson and Brock reigned. At least that's when I had the most fun.

 

[Inverse]

2007-2010

 

[Deleted member 448575]

1. what would most people consider the "GOLDEN" era of the UFC? what was your favourite?
2. when did you start watching?
3. if you feel the UFC started to lose steam, when?

1. WME Era 2016 - present
2. 2011
3. Never

 

[esum80]

should set up a poll to TABULATE THE RESULTS! mod?

 

[MCS]

2010-2012 had stretches of stacked cards. they still did a lot of PPV's back then while expanding the roster, but not having 500 fighters on it. those years had less injuries than usual.

 

[Koro]

Machida's ascension to LHW Championship was beautiful to witness. JDS' too.
I started to like UFC less after both Sonnen became more important and Jones made more news outside than inside de octagon. So I guess UFC peaked at around 2009-2011.

 

[Dirge]

Honestly the golden era was when strikeforce and the WEC were still around. It was nice to have viable alternatives and both orgs had some guys that are still top guys in the UFC

 

[Frode Falch]

2005 - 2012

Or something like that.

 

[TripTictonic]

It depends. For me 2007-2012 was pretty nostalgic. Post Pride, but all of the top guys were migrating to the UFC from Pride/WEC. Strikeforce was beginning to take off as well. However, there's been more talent on the UFC roster recently than there has ever been. So really this should feel the Golden Era so far in this young sport. It doesn't feel that way though for whatever reasons .

 

[websurfer]

Pre Weidman knocking out Anderson Silva. So the GSP era UFC.