The "evolution" of the ww division

[Mike]

Do people really believe this has happened? And if so, why? Keep seeing people swinging off of Usmans nuts saying each of his wins is so amazing because the division is so much better and less one dimensional. What are you guys basing this on?

Masvidal: career journeyman that arguably didn't deserve a shot. Good striking, competent but not amazing in other areas.

Chiesa: decent wrestling and good bjj, average striking

Colby: good wrestling and great cardio, average striking that can look better at times because of the wrestling threat.

WB: great striking and tdd, no real grappling to speak of outside of that

Where is this amazing evolution at? I'd argue the division now is weaker than when gsp was champ, and on par AT BEST. Not every division is magically better now than it was in the past. Hw and lhw aren't better today either.

 

[Combat-Betting]

Every division today is better and Usman would wreck GSP

 

[Mike]

Every division today is better and Usman would wreck GSP

Lhw and hw are literally filled with old men and journeyman that have taken over spots as guys aged out. WW is not better. Nobody claiming this has made a substantive argument as to what makes it better.

 

[acannxr]

Where is this amazing evolution at?

Average age of the top ten in the Welterweight division just two years ago was 32.5 and it's gone up to 35.2 since then; that's not evolution, that's stagnation.

 

[AimedWithV]

Do people really believe this has happened? And if so, why? Keep seeing people swinging off of Usmans nuts saying each of his wins is so amazing because the division is so much better and less one dimensional. What are you guys basing this on?

Masvidal: career journeyman that arguably didn't deserve a shot. Good striking, competent but not amazing in other areas.

Chiesa: decent wrestling and good bjj, average striking

Colby: good wrestling and great cardio, average striking that can look better attires because of the wrestling threat.

WB: great striking and tdd, no real grappling to speak of outside of that

Where is this amazing evolution at? I'd argue the division now is weaker than when gsp was champ, and on par AT BEST. Not every division is magically better now than it was in the past. Hw and lhw aren't better today either.

This is not how you prove there was no evolution.
Prove that WW was better before

 

[Combat-Betting]

Yeah people tend to age every year or so

 

[Mike]

Average age of the top ten in the Welterweight division just two years ago was 32.5 and it's gone up to 35.2 since then; that's not evolution, that's stagnation.

I've been saying that many divisions seem to be like this now. There's no money in mma and it seems like as guys are aging out, they're being replaced by journeymen and people hopping around weight classes. Yet all I hear about is how much better these divisions are that still have a bunch of old guys ranked in them.

 

[Mike]

This is not how you prove there was no evolution.
Prove that WW was better before

So other people are making the claim divisions are better now, but they don't have to prove that point I have to do it for them? Seems unreasonable.

 

[Area809]

I couldn’t make the argument that it’s better or worse. However, I could say that it’s been the same for the past 10 years or so and as a result, GSP is still the most well rounded and skilled WW ever.

 

[Mike]

I couldn’t make the argument that it’s better or worse. However, I could say that it’s been the same for the past 10 years or so and as a result, GSP is still the most well rounded and skilled WW ever.

I see it as being on par at best, and if that's the case you'd think dominating the division for so long would be valued a bit more. It was a lot of specialists then and seems to be the same way now.

 

[kingghidrah]

Average age of the top ten in the Welterweight division just two years ago was 32.5 and it's gone up to 35.2 since then; that's not evolution, that's stagnation.

That's USADA

Used to be newcomers coming in every year to take over ranking spots, now they can't pass the drugs tests so they don't even try to make the UFC. The pool for new UFC fighters has effectively been cut in half.

 

[Area809]

I see it as being on par at best, and if that's the case you'd think dominating the division for so long would be valued a bit more. It was a lot of specialists then and seems to be the same way now.

The sport in general hasn’t evolved from 2010 to 2020 as it did 2000-2010. There’s only but so much you can do. Not sure if people thought everyone would be doing showtime kicks by now.

 

[Reyes Lost]

light heavyweight is better now then when they had Hendricks on top but it isn't far off from gsps era I will say it now and I will say it again WW was NEVER filled with world beaters at any point in time ok wrestlers and decent jiu jitus guys same with light weight

 

[GOATtalks]

Average age of the top ten in the Welterweight division just two years ago was 32.5 and it's gone up to 35.2 since then; that's not evolution, that's stagnation.

It only proves that your assumption of when fighters are at their prime is wrong

 

[AimedWithV]

So other people are making the claim divisions are better now, but they don't have to prove that point I have to do it for them? Seems unreasonable.

Who are these other people and why should you care? I talk to you, not to them

 

[CallMeCasual]

https://forums.sherdog.com/threads/chiesa-is-ranked-6-in-ww.4162806/
https://forums.sherdog.com/threads/wonderboy-is-38-years-old-and-i-would.4162795/

 

[GOATtalks]

The sport in general hasn’t evolved from 2010 to 2020 as it did 2000-2010. There’s only but so much you can do. Not sure if people thought everyone would be doing showtime kicks by now.

The most improvement is at the athletic part of the sport. BJ Penn is like a random guy from the street compared to Usman athletically

 

[CallMeCasual]

The most improvement is at the athletic part of the sport. BJ Penn is like a random guy from the street compared to Usman athletically

If anything the amount of athletic freaks have decreased.

 

[GOATtalks]

I've been saying that many divisions seem to be like this now. There's no money in mma and it seems like as guys are aging out, they're being replaced by journeymen and people hopping around weight classes. Yet all I hear about is how much better these divisions are that still have a bunch of old guys ranked in them.

GSP fought Hughes for 29K base. Wtf are talking about? There is more money in MMA than ever before and it’s way bigger than it ever was before. Basically nothing you speak of is supported by any real stats

 

[GOATtalks]

If anything the amount of athletic freaks have decreased.

I don’t know what you think athletics are, but fighters have much better cardio fighting at much higher pace than ever before. Usmans muscle mass paired with his cardio is unheard of ever before