The Bottom Line: The Sad Fall of the Light Heavyweight Division

Editor’s note: The views and opinions expressed below are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sherdog.com, its affiliates and sponsors or its parent company, Evolve Media.* * * There is often a tendency in combat sports to romanticize the history of the heavyweight division. However, in mixed martial arts, more often than not the light heavyweight has been the sport’s marquee division. Heavyweight has had its moments and superstars have broken through in many other divisions, but light heavyweight has consistently been MMA’s centerpiece.Just 10 years ago, as the Ultimate Fighting Championship was exploding and Pride Fighting Championships was still riding high, 205-pound fighters led the way. Chuck Liddell’s rivalry with Randy Couture was the driving force behind the first season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” and Tito Ortiz’s feuds with Liddell and Ken Shamrock set pay-per-view records. Meanwhile in Pride, Wanderlei Silva was the superstar foreigner at 205 pounds, chased by native heroes like Kazushi Sakuraba and Hidehiko Yoshida as well as foreign rivals like Ricardo Arona and Quinton Jackson. That time period might have been the high point for the 205-pound division, but it was plenty strong before and after, from Ortiz vs. Frank Shamrock to Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier. Given that history, it’s sad to see the state of the light heavyweight division in 2016. There is definite talent at the top of the division in Jones, Cormier and Anthony Johnson, but Jones’ continuing screw-ups have made a mess of the situation. Cormier and Johnson are fighting at UFC 206 in what feels like their second number one contender fight for a shot at Jones. It isn’t fair to Cormier and Johnson, but it’s hard to feel like either can lay claim to being the best in the …

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