Do you agree with the saying that you're not truly the champion until you defend?

Discussion in 'MMA Forum' started by Haggis McJackass, Jan 13, 2013.


  1. Haggis McJackass

    Haggis McJackass Semi-neutralist Overseer Full Member

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    A fight is just a fight. Weird things can happen, unusual outcomes can occur.

    For this reason, some take the attitude that a title is only really solidified in a man's hands when he has successfully defended it. Because until then, he just won a fight. :conf

    Someone like Matt Serra, for example, who finds himself in the right place at the right time, sprung an upset and became champion, decisively lost the rematch and then never got another chance at the gold?

    Or Benson, who took the title in a close, disputed decision?

    Or is this depending on the case? For example, someone who cleans out the division before he gets his shot at the title? Or someone like Jones, who just completely destroyed all of his competition up to and including a massacre of the title-holder?

    :think

    :good

    :hat
     
    Haggis McJackass, Jan 13, 2013
    Haggis McJackass, Jan 13, 2013
    #1
  2. benebox

    benebox Active Member Full Member

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    If you beat the champion you are the champion. What happens if a guy won the belt 3 times but never succesfully defended it
     
    benebox, Jan 13, 2013
    benebox, Jan 13, 2013
    #2
  3. BobDigi5060

    BobDigi5060 East Side MMA Full Member

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    Haggis, I agree.
     
    BobDigi5060, Jan 13, 2013
    BobDigi5060, Jan 13, 2013
    #3
  4. caleb_forrest_g

    caleb_forrest_g Active Member Full Member

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    ive never like the whole defended the belt talk. My buddy is a huge Rampage fan, and im a Forrest fan and every time we staring talking about Forrest beating rampage and taking his belt, all he has in he didnt defend it, or at least rampage defended it. I say if you beat the champion, i dont care if u defend it or not, aat that time you beat the best fighter in the world.

    So thats what i think : )
     
    caleb_forrest_g, Jan 13, 2013
    caleb_forrest_g, Jan 13, 2013
    #4
  5. ozziebattler

    ozziebattler Shadow Boxer Full Member

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    If u beat the champ you are a true champion yourself .

    But ofcourse a few title defences goes a huge way on ones title reigns legacy .
     
    ozziebattler, Jan 13, 2013
    ozziebattler, Jan 13, 2013
    #5
  6. BobDigi5060

    BobDigi5060 East Side MMA Full Member

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    My thinking is that if you win a Title then of course your the Champ, but only a Title holder until you actually defend the belt. No other way to explain myself other than my name is BobDigi, my story, and I'm sticking to it.

    :thumbsup
     
    BobDigi5060, Jan 13, 2013
    BobDigi5060, Jan 13, 2013
    #6
  7. rusty nails

    rusty nails Tszyu for PM!! Full Member

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    no you beat the champ you are the champ end of story
     
    rusty nails, Jan 13, 2013
    rusty nails, Jan 13, 2013
    #7
  8. SugarShane_24

    SugarShane_24 ESB good-looking member Full Member

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    I think it's more of a pride thing.

    Agree with everyone here, you have the belt, you are the champ.
     
    SugarShane_24, Jan 13, 2013
    SugarShane_24, Jan 13, 2013
    #8
  9. Haggis McJackass

    Haggis McJackass Semi-neutralist Overseer Full Member

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    I take it case-by-case. :conf

    For example, when Bendo beat Edgar I had him winning the fight, but it was close enough that I didn't really view him as THE man yet. I have the mentality that a challenger has to take the belt from the champion, and Bendo didn't really do that.

    Rematch comes around and I had Bendo winning another close fight. But I wanted to see him against a top contender, because he hadn't really stamped his authority on either title fight. After he dominated Nate, now I'm happy that Bendo is clearly and decisively the champ.

    Jon Jones, on the other hand? As soon as he murdered Shogun, that was a strong enough statement that he was CLEARLY The Man in the division. :good

    :hat
     
    Haggis McJackass, Jan 13, 2013
    Haggis McJackass, Jan 13, 2013
    #9
  10. Haggis McJackass

    Haggis McJackass Semi-neutralist Overseer Full Member

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    Oh yeah, you win the belt and you're the champ of course, nobody can take that away from you. But you generally have to defend in order to solidify your claim. I mean, all kinds of people get title shots, and sometimes fights are won more or less by fluke.

    Take Serra, for example. He'll always be able to call himself a former UFC champion, and fair play to him. But did anyone really believe that he was the alpha welterweight while he was wearing that belt? He needed to defend to show that his title reign was more than the result of a lucky punch. :good

    :hat
     
    Haggis McJackass, Jan 13, 2013
    Haggis McJackass, Jan 13, 2013
    #10
  11. thejokerswild

    thejokerswild Guest

    I dont know, Serra had to rematch because everyone called the upset. He was champ because he got the lineage. But you're not a real champ unless its undisputed. Or you won the support of the people atleast
     
    thejokerswild, Jan 14, 2013
    thejokerswild, Jan 14, 2013
    #11
  12. macp1

    macp1 Guest

    did anyone really think of Rahman as The Champ? Or Buster Douglas? Or McCall? I know different sport, but same idea.
     
    macp1, Jan 14, 2013
    macp1, Jan 14, 2013
    #12
  13. BobDigi5060

    BobDigi5060 East Side MMA Full Member

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    These last two posts, exactly. Especially the part about being recognized by the people (I would quote if I could).:good
     
    BobDigi5060, Jan 14, 2013
    BobDigi5060, Jan 14, 2013
    #13