Daniel Cormier Gives His Take
On his show, Good Guy / Bad Guy, Hall of Famer and former UFC double champ Daniel Cormier gave his take on why the UFC lacks star power at the moment. The latest episode is where Cormier gave his take, stating:
“I think the reason we don’t have that star, is it’s hard to be a long-reigning champion“. Cormier continued, “That’s the problem. The game has gotten so hard now, that Anderson [Silva] had what, 11 title defenses? Jon Jones had 13? Who is doing that anymore? We talked bout Sean O’Malley as if he had a great title reign, but he defended the belt one time. Imagine if he did it seven times.”
Cormier went into further detail, discussing what he believes the current criteria for a “great” championship reign would be,
“A long title reign is very difficult. It’s what’s needed to become a real draw. You cannot just be a flash-in-the-pan champion. Unfortunately, [Israel Adesanya] was a draw because he held that belt for a long time, but since he lost the belt, the number isn’t as great. The reigns aren’t as long [now].
“What would you consider a great championship reign today? For me right now, I think defending that belt three times. Winning the title, defending it three times, I think it gets you in the Hall of Fame because it’s so hard to hold on to the belt today.”
Watch the full episode of Good Guy / Bad Guy below:
Is Cormier Accurate?
On the surface, Cormier’s justification does make some sense as being a champion for a long time puts you in the spotlight, but the issue with DC’s statement is that there have been champions who’ve had short reigns who were stars and champs with long reigns who weren’t stars.
The biggest example of a champion who had few defenses but still achieved popularity would be the biggest MMA star ever, Conor McGregor. McGregor never defended his featherweight crown after dethroning Jose Aldo and never defended his lightweight crown after dethroning Eddie Alvarez. McGregor didn’t make his name from a dominant title reign but through his rise up, trash talk, and skill. His popularity was achieved before his title reigns, the belts boosted his name but were never defended.
Another big example of a champion who had many defenses but wasn’t a star is Demetrious Johnson. Johnson had 11 consecutive title defenses, a record in the UFC, however, despite his achievements and skill, Johnson did not become a star. The UFC considered him so little of a draw that they swapped him for Ben Askren in what became the first “trade” in MMA history.
Cormier’s Inaccuracy
Daniel Cormier is right in that the UFC doesn’t have “that star”, presumably referencing a McGregor-level star, which is a massive post to clear. But, the UFC still does have big stars right now. Examples include Charles Olivera, Max Holloway, Jiri Prochazka, and Alex Pereira. And funnily enough, those four were or are champions who didn’t have many defenses but became stars.
So, Cormier’s idea that short championship reigns define stardom is not accurate. Long reigns can help stardom do not define it as many other factors are involved. Factors like personality, fighting style, skill, promotion, and more all play into stardom. There are many examples of long-reigning champions who weren’t stars and short-reigning champions who have been.
However, DC was right when he said it’s more difficult to remain a champion and have a long reign nowadays. The level of competition and skill have risen to the point where it can be difficult for a champion to hold on to a belt for long. But, being a long-reigning champion doesn’t automatically make you a star. Cormier’s examples of Silva, Jones, and Adesanya were stars for more than just their long reigns.
Do you think DC is correct in believing that the UFC has a lack of stardom? Let us know your thoughts on what makes a fighter a star in the comments below!
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