Which top fighters in the UFC are "UFC" fighters?

Hendo was in the UFC before SF and Pride
Same with Diaz and i noticed that he even was in the WEC before the UFC
A case can be made for Anderson as he was in Pride before UFC

 

I can see your point fella, but I think you got too look at where these guys made their names.

No one was watching when Hendo won UFC 17, he made his name in PRIDE with the win over Wandy. Before that he was good, but was called decision Dan for a reason. Id personally regard him a PRIDE fighter, that's where he learned his trade

You can argue that more people watched Diaz's 1st UFC run than his run in SF. But his win over Shamrock was one of the fights that put the promotion on the map, only Shamrock v Cung eclipses it imo. And he was one of SF marque fighters, something he's still working at in the UFC. Id consider him an SF fighter, but that could change.

And Anderson was floating from promotion to promotion, until he found a home in the UFC. The rest speaks for it's self

And out of the Champions, quite simply, everyone above 145 is a UFC product, the rest are WEC stalwarts imo

 

Stoo, that avy :rofl

Tito Ortiz has fought only once outside of The UFC. Chuck, Randy, and Tito were the backbone of this organization at one point.

BJ Penn made his pro debut in The UFC, and has fought there all but 5 times.. Along with Anderson Silva, BJ is the greatest talent this organization has seen :thumbsup

Koscheck
Florian
Sanchez
Mitrione
Maynard

I can name a handful of guys who made their name in TUF.. Jim Miller and Matt Hughes made their name in The UFC too.

 

I made this avy myself

But you lose serious brownie points for mentioning Kos, Kenny, Diegeo, Grey and ****ing Mittrione before Matt Hughes :-(

 

Editing my post as I go, knew that would come around atsch

I can't tell you how hard I've searched youtube for the complete Hughes/Trigg fights.. I need to start downloading again.

 

And where does GSP fit in on your radar?

 

Near the top!

If I had to put them in order..

Penn
Couture
GSP
Hughes
Liddell
Ortiz

I wouldn't know where to put Silva at this point in time, but he's definitely a UFC fighter.. His stock will rise once he retires.

 

Vitor ?

I could be wrong but I think he is the guy that have been fighting in the UFC for the longest time !!

 

Vitor definitely deserves a mention in this thread.

Began his career with The UFC in 95, and fought in the organization for the next 8 years.

I got UFC 6 and 49 on tape.. Ferrozzo attacks Vitor after losing, and the last fight with Couture was great :thumbsup

 

I see the other competitions as feeder competitions to the big show. It's just a natural progression for successful fighters from the other competitions to graduate to the UFC.

 

jon jones and junior dos santos thats it. All the best fighters are ex-pride fighters.

Nick diaz is the best but he was former strikeforce
Alistair overeem Strikeforce aswell

 

Dana White answered this question when someone asked if he was worried about Cro Cop beating all his guys when Mirko signed his first contract with the organization. White responded by saying that now that he's signed he's his guy. I think that mentality is what's stopped the UFC shielded or protecting name fighters.

Even so I'd say of the seven champions, six are career Zuffa fighters and Anderson's much improved from what he was in Pride. Not that it means much.