Romero vs Gus for Interim LHW title needs to happen

[Sheepdog]

So I fully recognize that without context, the thread title seems a little strange. Why does a guy who has never fought at 205 and just lost a MW title shot 'need' to fight for an interim LHW title?

Well, firstly, a guy who he just KTFO was initially awarded an interim LHW title fight, and many people think Romero beat Whittaker (I had it a draw, and it was a draw), so it already makes way more sense than that fight.

Secondly, the Rockhold fight was actually bizarrely necessary due to the laughable LHW rankings. And I mean legitimately laughable. Go look up the current rankings and try not to at least shake your head and chuckle. Are we going to give a title shot to fucking Jan Blachowicz or Illir Latifi?

Thirdly, it's likely that it is for the 'real' title anyway. If DC wins the HW title, why would he drop it to fight Gus again and go through another brutal weight cut at his age? And if he gets KOd by Stipe, I think it's the same equation - I think he's done. And the only way to keep LHW moving is to convince Gus to get off his ass and the only way to do that is to give him an interim title shot. Romero is the only intriguing fight out there.

 

[Robbie Hart]

Great idea


Actually

 

[Sheepdog]

Great idea


Actually

 

[1031]

Lhw needs a gauntlet of fights between up and comers and through that process a young set of contenders will be forged.

 

[Sheepdog]

Lhw needs a gauntlet of fights between up and comers and through that process a young set of contenders will be forged.

Young up and comers like Shogun and GloTex? Look at those rankings - this isn't getting sorted out any time soon.

Romero solves an immediate problem, not a long-term one.

 

[1031]

Young up and comers like Shogun and GloTex? Look at those rankings - this isn't getting sorted out any time soon.

Romero solves an immediate problem, not a long-term one.

No. They need to seek out lots of new talent. The fighters at that weight are out there, have the skills needed to compete but are untested.
I never want to see Glover or Rua fight again.

 

[Sheepdog]

No. They need to seek out lots of new talent. The fighters at that weight are out there, have the skills needed to compete but are untested.
I never want to see Glover or Rua fight again.

Yes. But how does this solve the immediate problem?

They need someone to fight Gus for an interim belt, which is what the Rockhold fight was going to be. This is a better version of the Rockhold fight.

 

[1031]

Yes. But how does this solve the immediate problem?

They need someone to fight Gus for an interim belt, which is what the Rockhold fight was going to be. This is a better version of the Rockhold fight.

I never wrote it does solve the immediate problem. AfaIac, the immediate problem is just something to endure until a solution kicks in. Lhw is not a compelling division and won't be until a lot of new talent starts fighting to sort out who's got whose number.

 

[Pitbull9]

I never wrote it does solve the immediate problem. AfaIac, the immediate problem is just something to endure until a solution kicks in. Lhw is not a compelling division and won't be until a lot of new talent starts fighting to sort out who's got whose number.

LHW has been very weak for a long time, even before Jones started to do his thing. It was Shogun and Machida ruling. Even Rashad was pretty much out by than. You have Glover, Alex and maybe 1 or 2 more i could be forgetting but nothing crazy. Every so often a lot of these divisions start to get a bit weaker. Only LW imo is always stacked and always has been. WW had some beasts but GSP made them look less of what they were. MW was very weak for a while even when Rich was dominating. HW always a bit weak.

 

[1031]

LHW has been very weak for a long time, even before Jones started to do his thing. It was Shogun and Machida ruling. Even Rashad was pretty much out by than. You have Glover, Alex and maybe 1 or 2 more i could be forgetting but nothing crazy. Every so often a lot of these divisions start to get a bit weaker. Only LW imo is always stacked and always has been. WW had some beasts but GSP made them look less of what they were. MW was very weak for a while even when Rich was dominating. HW always a bit weak.

In some way, I figure this is a consequence of overemphasis on rankings. K1 in its best era was able to consistently put on compelling fights...or maybe I am wearing rose-tinted glasses.

 

[Muridae83]

I never wrote it does solve the immediate problem. AfaIac, the immediate problem is just something to endure until a solution kicks in. Lhw is not a compelling division and won't be until a lot of new talent starts fighting to sort out who's got whose number.

The problem with new talent is... as soon as they get to UFC they go down a division and start cutting more weight... ppl have fled LHW for a long time. I mean if Jones ever comes back he doesnt have many more fights in him before he starts to decline to such an level until fighters actually can challenge him. So the door is open but i bet if u take in 10 new prospects in LHW we will probably see 1 or 2 in HW and 4 or 5 of them in Middleweight. That leaves about 4 or mabe 5 of them still in LHW and who says all of them are gonna be a big hit? The only way i see solving this is having new weightlimits for LHW... like 200-230 or even 235 perhaps.... if u make HW from 235 and 275.

 

[Rambo John J]

just realized GSP has the Linear MW Belt and may forever have it....that is YUGE

 

[Sheepdog]

just realized GSP has the Linear MW Belt and may forever have it....that is YUGE

I traced the original UFC 185 pound linear champ in terms of victories and it ends up being Stipe (Busta-Rampage-Wanderlei who then gets beaten by Mark Hunt and it becomes a HW thing).

I need to get a job.

 

[1031]

The problem with new talent is... as soon as they get to UFC they go down a division and start cutting more weight... ppl have fled LHW for a long time. I mean if Jones ever comes back he doesnt have many more fights in him before he starts to decline to such an level until fighters actually can challenge him. So the door is open but i bet if u take in 10 new prospects in LHW we will probably see 1 or 2 in HW and 4 or 5 of them in Middleweight. That leaves about 4 or mabe 5 of them still in LHW and who says all of them are gonna be a big hit? The only way i see solving this is having new weightlimits for LHW... like 200-230 or even 235 perhaps.... if u make HW from 235 and 275.

Why only 10?
The division needs at least double that, and they need to be willing and able to fight more than 2/year too.

 

[Rambo John J]

I traced the original UFC 185 pound linear champ in terms of victories and it ends up being Stipe (Busta-Rampage-Wanderlei who then gets beaten by Mark Hunt and it becomes a HW thing).

I need to get a job.

nice

IMO it has to be fought at 185 or the belt can't move on

 

[Sheepdog]

nice

IMO it has to be fought at 185 or the belt can't move on

So what is interesting is the lineage of the Pride WW belt then. This one counts, even though they weren't actually the same weight classes, because the Hendo-Anderson fight was billed as a 'unification' bout and every key person was a legit 185er.

And GSP is therefore the linear Pride WW champ. But the Anderson-Hendo bout wasn't actually a linear 'unification', as Hendo dropped a non-title fight. It actually goes Hendo-Misaki-Filho-Chael-Maia-Marquardt -Chael-Anderson.

I actually think that's an important historical fact, because Filho was once arguably the best MW in the world, and this shows that the WEC belt he and Chael fought over was actually as legit as its contemporary UFC-Pride equivalents and should be seen as such.

 

[ECC170]

Why does a guy who has never fought at 205

He started his career at 205 and was beat down by Feijao In strikeforce. imho feijao calvacante is a bust and I thought would've done better in the UFC.

 

[Freeloading Rusty]

Yoel doesnt deserve a #1 contender shot at LHW.

1-2 in his last 3 fights.

Missed weight for his last 2 fights.

Failed drug tests, stool gate, and on and on.

But then again, this is the new era of the UFC so of course he will get the contender shot against Gus.

 

[kneeblock]

I traced the original UFC 185 pound linear champ in terms of victories and it ends up being Stipe (Busta-Rampage-Wanderlei who then gets beaten by Mark Hunt and it becomes a HW thing).

I need to get a job.

Lineage can't be lost outside the division.

 

[Sheepdog]

Lineage can't be lost outside the division.

I'm doing it this way just for shits and giggles as it takes way less time. It would be interesting to go back and do the lineage properly, not including any losses outside the original division.

 

[kneeblock]

So what is interesting is the lineage of the Pride WW belt then. This one counts, even though they weren't actually the same weight classes, because the Hendo-Anderson fight was billed as a 'unification' bout and every key person was a legit 185er.

And GSP is therefore the linear Pride WW champ. But the Anderson-Hendo bout wasn't actually a linear 'unification', as Hendo dropped a non-title fight. It actually goes Hendo-Misaki-Filho-Chael-Maia-Marquardt -Chael-Anderson.

I actually think that's an important historical fact, because Filho was once arguably the best MW in the world, and this shows that the WEC belt he and Chael fought over was actually as legit as its contemporary UFC-Pride equivalents and should be seen as such.

The Chael/Filho fight wasn't at weight so technically a non-title fight, but it was close enough, especially since Paulao's career got weird after that. Norman Paraisy is Filho's next loss at MW who passes on to Maiqel Falcao then Alex Schlemenko then Brandon Halsey then Rafael Carvalho and on to Mousasi. So if we follow that lineage, technically Mousasi has a claim to the linear title alongside GSP. What could settle things and add some legitimacy to Whittaker's belt is if he was able to fight Mousasi at least since GSP will never be back.

If you count Chael's win vs. Filho, GSP keeps the belt.

 

[kneeblock]

I'm doing it this way just for shits and giggles as it takes way less time. It would be interesting to go back and do the lineage properly, not including any losses outside the original division.

I forget which threads but if you search for the word "lineal" on here I made a couple threads a couple years ago doing this for a few divisions.

 

[Sheepdog]

The Chael/Filho fight wasn't at weight so technically a non-title fight, but it was close enough, especially since Paulao's career got weird after that. Norman Paraisy is Filho's next loss at MW who passes on to Maiqel Falcao then Alex Schlemenko then Brandon Halsey then Rafael Carvalho and on to Mousasi. So if we follow that lineage, technically Mousasi has a claim to the linear title alongside GSP. What could settle things and add some legitimacy to Whittaker's belt is if he was able to fight Mousasi at least since GSP will never be back.

If you count Chael's win vs. Filho, GSP keeps the belt.

I think technicalities should be avoided for a better sense of history. While my method - Jon Jones being the LW lineal champ - is obviously dumb, it would be equally silly to bring in missed weights, especially when the guy who wins is legitimately fighting at that weight and it's a rematch from when they both made weight.

 

[Muridae83]

Why only 10?
The division needs at least double that, and they need to be willing and able to fight more than 2/year too.

just took a round number as an example... i agree it takes alot more fighters in that the division...

 

[1031]

just took a round number as an example... i agree it takes alot more fighters in that the division...

don't get me started on numbers, friend.