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| CHAMPIONSHIP CHAOS |
David West |
The UFC only has five weight classes, so how come there are seven champions? Interim Titles, baby!
At the end of February there were seven men holding UFC titles, which is particularly interesting when you consider that the UFC only has five weight classes. The two extra titles are “Interim” belts, awarded to a fighter while the reigning champion is unavailable to defend his crown. It’s the fighting equivalent of having someone save your place while you pop to the loo, but what impact does it have on the validity and prestige of the titles themselves?
One of the most common criticisms levelled at boxing is that the proliferation of governing bodies handing out belts has devalued the status of being a champion – that no one believes a “World Title” actually means somebody is the best fighter any more. Many of boxing’s most lucrative fights in recent years, like the trio of classic confrontations between Arturo Gatti and Mickey Ward, were non-title fights. The contests captured the public’s interest because they knew they would see a great fight – no one cared whether or not a meaningless title was at stake.
The UFC has always been keen to avoid making the same mistake as boxing, with paper champions crowned on a whim. But, in the sport’s short history, titles have changed hands with alarming rapidity – and not always in the cage.
THE DINOSAURS
Giants that trample over all in their path. Huge, hulking creatures that strike fear into the hearts of lesser beings. They may not be the fastest, but they’re the biggest and strongest. The heavyweight strap is the most desirable prize in the business, because if you’re the best of the big men, you’re the best of the best. And, right now, the best of the best is Randy Couture… and so is Antonio “Minotauro” Nogueira. Time for that Interim business to rear its confusing head again.
Couture – UFC Hall Of Famer, legend in his own lunchtime and one of the most beloved figures in the sport – won the Heavyweight Title by beating Tim Sylvia in one of the most celebrated performances of his dazzling career. He then defended his belt against the imposing Gabriel Gonzaga, manhandling the huge Brazilian en route to a TKO stoppage. And then he quit. Or, at least, tried to quit.
“The Natural” was apparently unhappy with his treatment within the UFC, claiming that he was underpaid and frustrated that the company had failed to sign Russian heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko – the last man to hold the Pride Heavyweight Title before the Japanese promotion imploded. So Couture decided to leave, but he was still under contract, and it seems that matters may be settled in the court rather than the cage. Zuffa maintains that he owes the company two more fights, and that he’s in breach of contract by cornering fighters from his Xtreme Couture gym when they compete in other promotions.
Relations between the promotion and its former star could politely be described as “frosty”. When Randy cornered Tyson Griffin at UFC 81, his face was kept carefully out of shot, even when you could hear his voice as he was talking to Griffin between rounds. With Couture right there in the building, Sylvia fought Nogueira for the Interim Title, with Minotauro winning by guillotine in the third round in a superb and gutsy performance.
In the post-event press conference, Dana White made no bones about wanting to get Couture in the octagon opposite Minotauro.
“I expect Captain America to step up and give Nogueira the opportunity to win the belt,” he said, even though the Brazilian had just been handed a belt. “I’m not asking him to do anything ridiculous or outrageous. He signed the contract about a year ago and should honour it.” Couture, however, was conspicuously
absent from the broadcast.
No title in the UFC has changed hands as often as the heavyweight belt. To date, no one has been able to complete more than two title defences in a row. In his second title reign Randy Couture won the belt by beating Kevin Randleman, then defended it twice before losing it to Josh Barnett, who was stripped of the title after testing positive for steroids. Similarly, Tim Sylvia’s second championship run saw him complete two defences before he lost to Couture. From 2002 to today the title has changed hands every year, with two Interim Champions along the way.
This may help explain why Fedor Emelianenko is still regarded by some as the best heavyweight in the world. The imposing Russian won the Pride Title by ground and pounding Nogueira in March 2003 and completed his final defence against Mark Hunt in December 2006, prior to Pride shutting up shop. In that same timeframe, the UFC belt changed hands five times. No wonder Couture remains determined to fight Emelianenko.
“If they brought Fedor to the table and made the fight happen, I’d fight for the UFC in a heartbeat,” Randy told Slam! Sports. In the meantime, Zuffa is suing him for $10,000 for breach of contract, so he still has at least one fight on his hands.
LITTLE BIG MEN
In the light heavyweight class, three names dominate the history of the division: Frank Shamrock, Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell. Shamrock was the first titleholder in the 205-pound field, which was called the middleweight division when he won the belt at UFC Japan by tapping out Kevin Jackson in just 16 seconds. Frank completed four successful defences concluding with a beatdown of Tito Ortiz at UFC 22, in which The Huntingdon Beach Day was forced to tap out in the fourth round with Shamrock pounding on him.
Shamrock then left the UFC, vacating the title, and went into semi-retirement, only fighting sporadically until his recent return to active competition. Ortiz fought Wanderlei Silva for the vacant belt at UFC 25, winning by unanimous decision, and then began his own run as champion, racking up a string of impressive wins against the company’s top talent. Tito then began his lengthy war of words with Dana White and refused to defend his belt against the number one contender, Chuck Liddell.
This led to the first Interim Title fight in what then became the light heavyweight division, with Randy Couture beating Liddell. Couture then “unified” the belts by beating Ortiz, restoring some of the lustre to a title that Tito’s neglect had threatened to tarnish. Randy lost to Vitor Belfort on a cut (almost losing his eyelid in the process), returned to stop Belfort and then got knocked out by Liddell in their second encounter. The Iceman completed four defences, equalling the accomplishments of Ortiz and Shamrock, but that fifth title fight proved to be cursed as he got flattened by Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.
Compared to the heavyweights, the 205-pounders have had a remarkably smooth run of champions and it would be hard to deny that Rampage is currently the best light heavyweight in the world – especially since he beat Pride’s last 205-pound king, Dan Henderson. Neat and tidy, thank you very much. Why can’t all weight classes be like the light heavy?
The only disappointment has been the collapse of Pride, leaving the Japanese promotion as a memory. When Henderson fought Jackson, their match was billed as being for the “Unified” Title, but really it was only Jackson’s UFC strap on the line, as you can’t fight for a promotion’s title if it no longer exists (and it was telling that Hendo didn’t bring his Pride belt with him to the match). But Jackson remains the guy to beat at 205, with Forrest Griffin lined up as a worthy challenger. It’s a talent-packed division and one that deserves its clear-cut, undisputed ruler.
STUCK IN THE MIDDLE
The Middleweight (185-pound) Title was introduced in 2001. In his first defence, inaugural champion Dave Menne lost the belt to Murilo Bustamante, who was stripped of the gold when he jumped ship to Pride (oops). Evan Tanner won the strap in his absence and then got mangled by Rick Franklin, who defended it twice before a certain Brazilian Spider spread Franklin’s nose all over his face.
Anderson Silva is now generally considered the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet. His manhandling of challenger Nate Marquardt and his lethal, pinpoint striking in the rematch against Franklin have only cemented his reputation as one very dangerous individual. This month he faces Dan Henderson, who held both the 185-pound and 205-pound Pride belts, in a match to decide the Undisputed Middleweight Champion – although, as was the case with Henderson versus Jackson, in reality it’s only the UFC belt that matters now.
Still, whoever is victorious between Hendo and Silva, the shine on the middleweight belt should only grow brighter; this one really is for bragging rights as the top 185-pound fighter on our little globe.
DOMINATING THE DIVISION
Matt Hughes holds the enviable distinction of being the most successful champion in UFC history. His trainer, Pat Miletich, was the first Welterweight Champion, but lost to Carlos Newton in his fifth title defence. Hughes quickly dethroned Newton and then bucked the odds by pulling off that elusive fifth win, only to fall to his sixth challenger, BJ Penn.
The Hawaiian prodigy won the UFC belt, then went off to fight in K-1 and was summarily relieved of it. Hughes defeated Georges St-Pierre for the vacated championship, though many questioned what the title was worth without Penn there to fight for it. At UFC 63, Penn returned and tried to regain the belt that he never actually lost, but was beaten by Hughes in the third round. In his two combined title reigns, Matt Hughes managed an unprecedented seven title defences, which remains a UFC record.
St-Pierre cut the record breaking short when he took the belt from Hughes, but lost it in his very first defence to Matt Serra. Then, when the wisecracking Long Islander was unable to defend the crown against Hughes due to injury, GSP continued the incestuous lineage by stepping back in to fight for the Interim Title, dispatching the farm boy in dominating fashion. But he wasn’t satisfied with wearing the in-between belt, stating: “Until I get my belt back, I’m not gonna consider myself a real champion.”
He gets his chance in his hometown, Montreal, in April. But we wonder what the point was of having Hughes and St-Pierre fight for an Interim belt in the first place. Serra was injured, not off competing in a rival promotion, not ducking a tough contender and not involved in a contractual dispute. He was physically unable to fight and just needed time to recover; why wasn’t the Hughes-GSP fight just to determine the number one contender?
St-Pierre is a hell of a fighter and is to be commended for his refusal to accept the title until he’s avenged his loss to Serra. But, for whatever reason, Dana White seems loath to let any of his titles sit idle, so he wants someone to keep the throne warm while Serra is out recovering. However, he’s in danger of devaluing the very thing he wants to promote: the prestige of holding a UFC World Championship.
THE EMPTY THRONE
Speaking of titles going cold, the lightweight throne was left vacant for years, gathering dust and cobwebs from neglect. Jens Pulver won the first 155-pound belt when he beat Caol Uno, at UFC 30 in 2001. He fought off challenges from the likes of BJ Penn, but then left the company due to a contract dispute.
Despite the vast array of talent in the 155-pound class, the division was left in limbo. Penn moved up to welterweight and, despite some thrilling lightweight contests (like Genki Sudo versus Duane Ludwig at UFC 42), the division slowly but surely fell off the radar. After lying dormant for more than four years, the Lightweight Title was finally reinstated when Sean Sherk beat Kenny Florian by decision at UFC 64 in October 2006.
But after failing a steroid test following his win over Hermes Franca (who, amazingly, also failed a test), Sherk was quietly stripped of the belt without any mention being made on TV. Penn was matched with Joe “Daddy” Stevenson for the Interim belt at UFC 80 while Sherk appealed his suspension; when he lost that appeal, the Newcastle fight became for the full championship, not the Interim, and Penn won his second UFC belt in phenomenal fashion.
After the fight, Sherk entered the cage to challenge the new champ. Which must have confused most fans, who had last seen Sherk as the champion, defending his belt. He hadn’t lost it in the Octagon, and his suspension wasn’t explained on air, so what was he doing asking for a title shot? Understandably, the UFC isn’t keen to draw attention to instances where fighters are suspended for steroid use. The company has had enough negative press without adding fuel to the fire, but it’s an issue that has had repeated effects on the title picture…
For the rest of this feature, check out issue 25 of FSM – available at WH Smith and all good retailers. (For US readers we are now carried at Borders and Barnes & Noble, so check for local availability or click here to subscribe.)
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