Velasquez defeated Brock Lesnar to become the current UFC champion. By defeating the incumbent champion, he automatically earns the title. But this isn't the only way of determining the UFC champion if you are a nerd like myself. The first method is using UFC fights only, from the first UFC heavyweight champion (inaugural title awarded to Mark Coleman for winning UFC 12 bout vs. Dan Severn). Only UFC fights are counted. Note that the progression doesn't exactly follow the UFC's line (due to titles being forfeited, stripped, etc.) but eventually finds its way to the same conclusion. Mark Coleman d. Dan Severn, UFC 12, becoming the first UFC HW champion Maurice Smith d. Mark Coleman, UFC 14 Randy Couture d. Maurice Smith, UFC Japan Randy Couture is stripped in 1998 due to a contract dispute. Bas Rutten defeats Kevin Randleman for the vacant title in 1999 but forfeits the title to drop down to light heavyweight. In terms of the linear championship, Couture remains champion until he fights in the UFC again--he has three successful linear title defenses against Randleman, Rizzo, and Rizzo again. (Josh Barnett d. Randy Couture, UFC 36) Barnett pisses hot after the bout and is stripped of the title. The result of the bout isn't overturned (should've been ruled a no-contest), yet for the purposes of this discussion Couture retains his title. Ricco Rodriguez d. Randy Couture, UFC 39 (Tim Sylvia d. Ricco Rodriguez, UFC 41) Tim Sylvia stripped of title after pissing hot, bout result with Rodriguez not overturned. Rodriguez retains title. Pedro Rizzo d. Ricco Rodriguez, UFC 45 Rizzo never fights in the UFC again and retains his UFC heavyweight title in perpetuity. At this point we can pick back up at UFC 48, where conveniently enough Mir and Sylvia fight for the vacant heavyweight strap. Frank Mir d. Tim Sylvia, UFC 48 Frank Mir is involved in a serious motorcycle accident following the event forcing him to vacate the title. The UFC puts an "interim" label on the strap in the meantime. The UFC expected him to be back sooner but the interim title gradually becomes the actual title because Mir is out for so long. I think we should let Mir keep his belt. We split-off from the UFC's official title for a bit but wouldn't you know we'll be merging right back again in no time. Marcio Cruz d. Frank Mir, UFC 57 Wait, Marcio Cruz? Yeah. Now we have Rizzo and Cruz both being champions at one point. Cruz defeats Mir in his return bout, only to be defeated by Jeff Monson a few months later, where the line merges back into the UFC's official picture. Jeff Monson d. Marcio Cruz, UFC 59 Tim Sylvia d. Jeff Monson, UFC 65 Randy Couture d. Tim Sylvia, UFC 68 Brock Lesnar d. Randy Couture, UFC 91 Cain Velasquez d. Brock Lesnar, UFC 121 So by this standard, we have two rightful champions: Pedro Rizzo, who "retires" from the UFC with the unofficial championship, and Cain Velasquez, having defeated the last linear champion (Brock Lesnar). Things get a little wackier if you only consider wins and losses across any promotion. The belt becomes less of a UFC trophy and more of a world championship at this point. There are no interruptions for this method since nobody is stripped and the title never gets vacated. Check it out: Mark Coleman d. Dan Severn, UFC 12 Maurice Smith d. Mark Coleman, UFC 14 Randy Couture d. Maurice Smith, UFC Japan Enson Inoue d. Randy Couture, Vale Tudo Japan 1998 Mark Kerr d. Enson Enoue, Pride Grand Prix 2000 Kazuyuki Fujita d. Mark Kerr, Pride Grand Prix 2000 Mark Coleman d. Kazuyuki Fujita, Pride Grand Prix 2000 Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira d. Mark Coleman, Pride 16 Fedor Emelianenko d. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Pride 25 Fabricio Werdum d. Fedor Emelianenko, Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum Alistair Overeem d. Fabricio Werdum, Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum The current world heavyweight champion, beginning with the UFC Heavyweight Championship, is Alistair Overeem. Finally, if you consider the winner of the UFC 1 open-weight tournament (Royce Gracie) the first HW champion... Royce Gracie d. Gerard Gordeau, UFC 1 Kazushi Sakuraba d. Royce Gracie, Pride Grand Prix 2000 Igor Vovchanchyn d. Kazushi Sakuraba, Pride Grand Prix 2000 Mark Coleman d. Igor Vovchanchyn, Pride Grand Prix 2000 ...we rejoin the non-exclusive list above where Big Nog defeats Coleman and we wind up with Overeem as the champion. So if there are five ways of determining the champion, only two lead us to Velasquez (Velasquez x2, Rizzo, Overeem x2). Strange how that works out, no?
Still sticking with Velasquez! Although it seems that if Alistair beats Brock he'll probably get a shot at the UFC HW belt and a chance to prove he is the rightful champ according to the lineage you posted AND unify the UFC and SF HW belts... thus realigning the UFC HW champion as the true HW champion of the world?
Welterweight: UFC FIGHTS ONLY Pat Miletich d. Mikey Burnett, UFC Brazil Carlos Newton d. Pat Miletich, UFC 31 Matt Hughes d. Carlos Newton, UFC 34 B.J. Penn d. Matt Hughes, UFC 46 B.J. Penn stripped of title following contract dispute. Georges St-Pierre d. B.J. Penn, UFC 58 Matt Serra d. Georges St-Pierre, UFC 69 Georges St-Pierre d. Matt Serra, UFC 83 ALL FIGHTS Pat Miletich d. Mikey Burnett, UFC Brazil Carlos Newton d. Pat Miletich, UFC 31 Matt Hughes d. Carlos Newton, UFC 34 B.J. Penn d. Matt Hughes, UFC 46 Lyoto Machida d. B.J. Penn, K-1 Heroes 1 Mauricio Rua d. Lyoto Machida, UFC 113 Jon Jones d. Mauricio Rua, UFC 128
Lightweight: UFC FIGHTS ONLY Jens Pulver d. Caol Uno, UFC 30 Jens Pulver stripped of title following contract dispute. Joe Lauzon d. Jens Pulver, UFC 63 Kenny Florian d. Joe Lauzon, UFC Fight Night 13 B.J. Penn d. Kenny Florian, UFC 101 Frank Edgar d. B.J. Penn, UFC 112 ALL FIGHTS Jens Pulver d. Caol Uno, UFC 30 Duane Ludwig d. Jens Pulver, UCC 12: Adrenaline B.J. Penn d. Duane Ludwig, K-1 MMA: Romanex Lyoto Machida d. B.J. Penn, K-1 Heroes 1 Mauricio Rua d. Lyoto Machida, UFC 113 Jon Jones d. Mauricio Rua, UFC 128
Light Heavyweight UFC FIGHTS ONLY Frank Shamrock d. Kevin Jackson, UFC Japan Frank Shamrock retires, keeping UFC LHW title in perpetuity. Tito Ortiz d. Wanderlei Silva, UFC 25 Randy Couture d. Tito Ortiz, UFC 34 Vitor Belfort d. Randy Couture, UFC 46 Randy Couture d. Vitor Belfort, UFC 49 Chuck Liddell d. Randy Couture, UFC 52 Quinton Jackson d. Chuck Liddell, UFC 71 Forrest Griffin d. Quinton Jackson, UFC 86 Rashad Evans d. Forrest Griffin, UFC 92 Lyoto Machida d. Rashad Evans, UFC 98 Maurilo Rua d. Lyoto Machida, UFC 113 Jon Jones d. Maurilo Rua, UFC 128 ALL FIGHTS Frank Shamrock d. Kevin Jackson, UFC Japan Renzo Gracie d. Frank Shamrock, EliteXC: Destiny Matt Hughes d. Renzo Gracie, UFC 112 B.J. Penn d. Matt Hughes, UFC 123
Middleweight UFC FIGHTS ONLY Dave Menne d. Gil Castillo, UFC 33 Murilo Bustamante d. Dave Menne, UFC 35 Murilo Bustamante stripped of title after contract dispute, never fought for UFC again, retains championship in perpetuity. Evan Tanner d. David Terrell, UFC 51 Rich Franklin d. Evan Tanner, UFC 53 Anderson Silva d. Rich Franklin, UFC 64 ALL FIGHTS Dave Menne d. Gil Castillo, UFC 33 Murilo Bustamante d. Dave Menne, UFC 35 Quinton Jackson d. Murilo Bustamante, Pride Total Elimination 2003 Wanderlei Silva d. Quinton Jackson, Pride Final Conflict 2003 Mark Hunt d. Wanderlei Silva, Pride Shockwave 2004 Josh Barnett d. Mark Hunt, Pride Critical Countdown Absolute Mirko Filipovic d. Josh Barnett, Pride Final Conflict Absolute Gabriel Gonzaga d. Mirko Filipovic, UFC 70 Randy Couture d. Gabriel Gonzaga, UFC 74 Brock Lesnar d. Randy Couture, UFC 91 Cain Velasquez d. Brock Lesnar, UFC 121
Lightweight: Frank Edgar (current), Frank Edgar (UFC), Jon Jones (linear) Welterweight: Georges St-Pierre (current), Georges St-Pierre (UFC), Jon Jones (linear) Middleweight: Murilo Bustamante (retired), Anderson Silva (current), Anderson Silva (UFC), Cain Velasquez (linear) Light Heavyweight: Frank Shamrock (retired), Jon Jones (current), Jon Jones (UFC), B.J. Penn (linear) Heavyweight: Pedro Rizzo (retired), Cain Velasquez (current), Cain Velasquez (UFC), Alistair Overeem (linear), Alistair Overeem (linear- open weight) YOUR LINEAR WORLD CHAMPIONS! Lightweight - Jon Jones Welterweight - Jon Jones Middleweight - Cain Velasquez Light Heavyweight - B.J. Penn Heavyweight - Alistair Overeem That is bat-shit insane.
