Why defending your title, even against seemingly lesser opponents, is the most valuable thing in combat sports

[Iroh]

1) Defending your title is hard because you always fight the #1 contender who trained his ass off in a grueling 4 months fight camp in order to take your head off and get your belt.

No, you don't always get the #1 contender.

2) It's 5 rounds so it's always the hardest fight of your life

It CAN be 5 rounds. Fights don't always go the distance.

3) Anything can happen (ask GSP against Serra or Rockhold against Bisping) so every opponent has to be taken seriously because a flash KO happens easily

That goes for every fight, not just title defenses.

4) You have to deal with the pressure of being the title holder, sometimes in your hometown. You have everything to lose while the other guy have everything to win. You are the hunted, and it's not an easy status in every competitive sport in general

This is true.

5) You face different styles, not only different fighters. Styles make fights, and what make Anderson Silva or GSP consecutive titles impressive is that they had to eventually deal with unfavorable match ups.

How come Poatan still only has fought strikers though? But for long streaks as a champI guess that's true and a valid point

6) You have to be durable. Defending your belt for many years is impressive because as the sport is evolving, so are your opponents. As a champion, you're most likely around +30 and you keep getting older/injured while young wolves are after you

Yeah, but that goes for any long winning streak, or just fighting for a long time, not just when you're a champ.

This is what defending your title will always be more impressive than a quick change of division in order to get another belt. Take notes, Islam, Pereira, Khabib, Conor etc...

it just really depends on who you are fighting when you go to a different weight class, and how many title defenses (and against whom) you compare it with.

It also depends on what you do afterwards when you change divisions and get a belt.


So at the end of the day, you shouldn't make such broad generalisations, but just look at it on a case-by-case basis.

 

[RockyLockridge]

Defending the title over a long period of time matters because you can't continuously duck harder competition. For example Jones wants to fight Stipe, Pereira, and then dip. But were he actually to go on a run at heavyweight it would be impossible to avoid Aspinall.

Look at Jones light heavyweight run, it's 10x more impressive than the bullshit he's pulling at heavyweight. Same for DC, he managed to beat Stipe and then defended against the easiest style in the top 10 for him. If you listened to DC talk when he was champion he specifically said he did not want to fight the Blaydes and Ngannous of the division, which would have been tougher fights for him.

He didn't want to rematch Gus at lhw he literally would have rather just vacate the belt. Even though he beat Gus, Gus gave him hell and the ppv didn't do well, it was the most damage he'd ever taken In a fight to that point. Gus was high risk low reward. Lewis the opposite.

 

[theincognito]

Correct.

Look at DJ. He often gets GOAT consideration simply based on his title defenses.

(Despite half or more of his defenses coming against garbage opponents)

 

[richardjohnson]

I agree completely, it's unfortunate that most champions these days are more interested in getting two belts than racking up continuous title defences.

 

[Paolo Delutis]

1) Defending your title is hard because you always fight the #1 contender who trained his ass off in a grueling 4 months fight camp in order to take your head off and get your belt.
2) It's 5 rounds so it's always the hardest fight of your life
3) Anything can happen (ask GSP against Serra or Rockhold against Bisping) so every opponent has to be taken seriously because a flash KO happens easily
4) You have to deal with the pressure of being the title holder, sometimes in your hometown. You have everything to lose while the other guy have everything to win. You are the hunted, and it's not an easy status in every competitive sport in general
5) You face different styles, not only different fighters. Styles make fights, and what make Anderson Silva or GSP consecutive titles impressive is that they had to eventually deal with unfavorable match ups.
6) You have to be durable. Defending your belt for many years is impressive because as the sport is evolving, so are your opponents. As a champion, you're most likely around +30 and you keep getting older/injured while young wolves are after you


This is what defending your title will always be more impressive than a quick change of division in order to get another belt. Take notes, Islam, Pereira, Khabib, Conor etc...

Not to mention , YOUR THE GUY AT THE TOP which means everyone wants your spot and is watching you and figuring you out, you have to keep growing and you have to understand your less likely to surprise your opponents, unlike the contenders coming up who can surprise you

I agree 1000% ,

 

[markg171]

Okay Islam stan.

 

[Portland8242]

the ability to stay on top for a very long time is no doubt a hallmark trait of a GOAT.

 

[CPH]

To expand of point no6: you have to be durable not just in physical terms, but also in mental terms. Winning a belt is one thing. To keep yourself mentally sharp and motivated, as you battle through injuries and personal issues is quite extraordinary. Fighters who can string together defenses are so superior to the rest of the field, that they can keep winning through thick and thin.

I 100% agree with OP: defenses are a mark of true greatness. They are E V E R Y T H I N G.

 

[aerius]

In round numbers, there's been 100 or so UFC champions so far.
Out of those, only ~10% of them have held a belt for 5 or more title defences.

Out of the fighters who got a shot at a 2nd belt, almost half of them succeeded.

Defending a belt for years against all challengers is way harder than scoring a 2nd belt.

 

[blaseblase]

He didn't want to rematch Gus at lhw he literally would have rather just vacate the belt. Even though he beat Gus, Gus gave him hell and the ppv didn't do well, it was the most damage he'd ever taken In a fight to that point. Gus was high risk low reward. Lewis the opposite.

He beat Gus twice dude. He fought a prime Glover and an undefeated DC after the first fight with Gus so I don't get why you're trying to push the narrative he was avoiding Gus. Gus didn't get a rematch because there were more deserving contenders and he got knocked the fuck out by one of them. Jones never ducked anyone at LHW. He absolutely is at HW though.

 

[Bob Sagat]

It's actually pretty rare to fight the number 1 contender.

it does happen eventually though if the champ is around for a few defenses. And if they weren't around by then they don't deserve to be champ.

 

[Pancake Sprawl]

He beat Gus twice dude. He fought a prime Glover and an undefeated DC after the first fight with Gus so I don't get why you're trying to push the narrative he was avoiding Gus. Gus didn't get a rematch because there were more deserving contenders and he got knocked the fuck out by one of them. Jones never ducked anyone at LHW. He absolutely is at HW though.

i think he means DC not Jones

 

[blaseblase]

i think he means DC not Jones

I don't see an an argument for DC ducking Gus either. Gus was on a 2 fight losing streak following that fight and needed to build back momentum. Problem is he only fought once a year after that. No one ducked Gus, he just took 2 years to get back to title contention and then fell off a cliff after that.

 

[Pancake Sprawl]

I don't see an an argument for DC ducking Gus either. Gus was on a 2 fight losing streak following that fight and needed to build back momentum. Problem is he only fought once a year after that. No one ducked Gus, he just took 2 years to get back to title contention and then fell off a cliff after that.

i don't know, i'm just saying i think he's talking about DC because he mentioned Lewis. Jon never fought anyone at HW besides Gane.

 

[RockyLockridge]

He beat Gus twice dude. He fought a prime Glover and an undefeated DC after the first fight with Gus so I don't get why you're trying to push the narrative he was avoiding Gus. Gus didn't get a rematch because there were more deserving contenders and he got knocked the fuck out by one of them. Jones never ducked anyone at LHW. He absolutely is at HW though.

uhh you know we're talking about DC right?

I don't see an an argument for DC ducking Gus either.

But Gus Next fight was for the LHW title and he did not fight anyone else between, I'll see if i can find DC's Tweet about gus for you hold on

"Dear Alex, I don’t know what happened to you going back to the Rockhold situation. You have always been a stand up guy but your behavior changed. From calling a guy out the day after he got knocked out, to now offering to fight me knowing I have a broken hand, after Volkan couldn’t go. Now you’ve turned down Jan, turned down Khalil all while calling for a heavyweight title fight. Now, moments after Anthony Smith does his work like an animal you decide you’re hurt. Man, I respect you as a fighter. I will always be grateful for October 2015, but you and I won’t share the octagon again. I am disappointed in who you’ve become. You are so entitled, man, I can’t deal with delusional people. Good luck recovering. Our time has passed. See you from the commentary table. DC @alexthemauler#wegoourseparateways"

Gus was next in line for a title fight. His next fight was for the title against jones.

 

[ernestventures]

We can check if a fighter is the champion at the very beginning of the fight. They normally say: "And his opponent is the reigning defending champion etc etc. " you can also check his record on the web or magazine .

They can call everyone anything. You can buy a black belt and call yourself it. You can fight for the title and win by DQ. They will call you 'champion', but me or anyone with a brain, won't.

For me, you become the real champion when you prove yourself against the bests. And sometimes belt holders don't want to do that.

 

[sdpdude9]

In round numbers, there's been 100 or so UFC champions so far.
Out of those, only ~10% of them have held a belt for 5 or more title defences.

Out of the fighters who got a shot at a 2nd belt, almost half of them succeeded.

Defending a belt for years against all challengers is way harder than scoring a 2nd belt.

Good example and I agree. It’s longevity against numerous fighters that have been preparing for the champion often years before they were on the champ’s radar vs. a single fight against somebody that honestly is relatively similar size. It’s way harder and why I’m getting tired of jumping weight classes after 2-3 defenses. Wish we’d hear champs say how they’re going to break the title defenses records more.

 

[tramendous]

1) Defending your title is hard because you always fight the #1 contender who trained his ass off in a grueling 4 months fight camp in order to take your head off and get your belt.
2) It's 5 rounds so it's always the hardest fight of your life
3) Anything can happen (ask GSP against Serra or Rockhold against Bisping) so every opponent has to be taken seriously because a flash KO happens easily
4) You have to deal with the pressure of being the title holder, sometimes in your hometown. You have everything to lose while the other guy have everything to win. You are the hunted, and it's not an easy status in every competitive sport in general
5) You face different styles, not only different fighters. Styles make fights, and what make Anderson Silva or GSP consecutive titles impressive is that they had to eventually deal with unfavorable match ups.
6) You have to be durable. Defending your belt for many years is impressive because as the sport is evolving, so are your opponents. As a champion, you're most likely around +30 and you keep getting older/injured while young wolves are after you


This is what defending your title will always be more impressive than a quick change of division in order to get another belt. Take notes, Islam, Pereira, Khabib, Conor etc...

2) this is BS because the fights dont always last 5 rounds and if youre champ moving up chances are your going to main event anyways which likely means 5 round fight
3) this is true for all fights regardless