Where do you place Joseph Benavidez on the all time greats list?

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He never won a title his entire career and no one talks about his legacy. But from 2006 to 2018 he only lost to two fighters. Flyweight GOAT DJ and arguable bantamweight GOAT Cruz. From his split decision loss to Dom in 2010 to his split decision loss to Sergio Pettis in 2018 he was considered the second best fighter in his division, bantamweight initially and then flyweight. He gave DJ hell in their first fight too. How do you rank a guy like that who never became champ solely because his prime coincided with a top 5 all time great?
 
Gotta feel for a lot of the Alpha Midget guys.

Benavidez was the clear #2 for years behind Mighty Mouse and beat everybody else but couldn't get past the champ.

Mendes was the clear #2 for years behind Aldo and beat everybody else but couldn't get past the champ.

Faber was the clear #2 for years behind Cruz and beat everybody else but couldn't get past the champ.
 
WEC 42 was such a crazy event.

Everyone thought Benavidez was beating Cruz, and everyone thought Torres was going to remain champ forever.

Ended up being the end of Torres' reign, the start of Cruz' incredible run, and a constant question of wtf happened to Brian Bowles.
 
OldBoy91 said:
Gotta feel for a lot of the Alpha Midget guys.

Benavidez was the clear #2 for years behind Mighty Mouse and beat everybody else but couldn't get past the champ.

Mendes was the clear #2 for years behind Aldo and beat everybody else but couldn't get past the champ.

Faber was the clear #2 for years behind Cruz and beat everybody else but couldn't get past the champ.
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Faber was the clear #1 for years and had 5 defenses..
 
blaseblase said:
He never won a title his entire career and no one talks about his legacy. But from 2006 to 2018 he only lost to two fighters. Flyweight GOAT DJ and arguable bantamweight GOAT Cruz. From his split decision loss to Dom in 2010 to his split decision loss to Sergio Pettis in 2018 he was considered the second best fighter in his division, bantamweight initially and then flyweight. He gave DJ hell in their first fight too. How do you rank a guy like that who never became champ solely because his prime coincided with a top 5 all time great?
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Hi Megan
How you doing?
 
Croton said:
Faber was the clear #1 for years and had 5 defenses..
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At featherweight sure. Until Brown and then Aldo came along.

I'm talking about his bantamweight run in the UFC, which far more people are familiar with him for, due to it being int he premier organisation and having the most eyes on it.
 
cade187 said:
He’s missing a crowning achievement. Great fighter, but never reached the pinnacle of the sport.
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Do you really value a guy who won a belt one time over the guy who was the second best fighter for 8 years right under a top 5 P4P GOAT? IMO he's a greater fighter than Sean Strickland, Luke Rockhold, Michael Bisping, or anyone on that level.

When I made this thread I was thinking of DC, who literally never would have been a UFC champion if Jones wasnt a fuck up. And now he's considered the second greatest LHW and a top 10 GOAT. Solely because of Jones getting suspended. Sometimes winning a title is about being in the right time at the right place. Benavidez is basically DC if the greatest fighter in his division wasn't a fuckup.
 
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