As an augmentation to Jason Amadi's column this week, name your choices for the worst instances of a fighter who didn't deserve a title shot getting one because they were "more exciting" or more likely to draw? Who lost out as a result, and might it have changed the course of MMA?
JASON SCHIELKE, MMATORCH COLUMNIST
I believe that Ken Shamrock’s title shot against Tito Ortiz at UFC 40 wins by a landslide. If my memory serves me correctly (which it doesn’t sometimes), Dana White said that Chuck Liddell deserved the title shot, but he stepped aside so that the Ortiz-Shamrock fight could happen “for the sport”.
I think Liddell lost out the most because of his decision to concede his title shot. His loss against Randy Couture at UFC 43 caused his title shot to be delayed for nearly two and a half years, until he got his shot in a rematch against Couture at UFC 52.
To be honest, I believe that had Liddell fought Ortiz and won at UFC 40, he would have had a much longer run as the Light Heavyweight king. In addition, Couture wouldn’t have reached the level of stardom he currently enjoys and I don’t believe the cross-promotion with Pride would have ever happened, as at that time White didn’t have another elite fighter at Light Heavyweight to send over there to compete in the Pride 2003 GP.
LANE BRADFORD, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR
My choice for the worst title shot given to someone who didnt deserve it is Vitor Belfort. Now, obviously, due to injury he wont even get that shot. The reason I felt that way is the fact that his one fight back in the UFC before the shot was a catchweight bout. It wasn't even a middleweight bout.
I think he is an extremely talented fighter and would give Anderson Silva a test but he didn't have any body of work in the UFC to skip over other middleweight division contenders. I think this changed MMA due to the fact that Dan Henderson and Nate Mardquart both were not given a shot and were both not happy about it.
Now this wasn't Dan Henderson's only quarrel, money was involved, but Henderson leaving the company along with Nate Marquardt's loss to Chael Sonnen has now cleaned out an already thin division. Vitor Belfort's injury then left them with Demian Maia for their main event at UFC 112.
CHRIS PARK, MMATORCH UK SPECIALIST
It is very difficult to decide on this constructively. In hindsight; Anderson Silva is possibly the greatest Middleweight of all time. I was, however surprised when he was given a crack at Rich Franklin after just one "Fight Night" victory over Chris Leben.
Anderson Silva destroyed an otherwise dominant Champion in Frankin to such an extent, however, that anyone who may have doubted he deserved it would eat their words.
The choice I will make on this one will be Brock Lesnar.
The return of Randy Couture came at a time when both number one and two contenders, Minotauro Noguiera and Frank Mir, were contracted to face one another.
This left the door wide open for the UFC to hand Brock Lesnar a shot after just one Octagon win.
Giving Lesnar the title shot gave the UFC the opportunity to cash in on the huge amount of profile and spotlight that Brock Lesnar could shine down on the organisation.
I don't think that Brock Lesnar is neccessarily the most undeserving fighter EVER to get a title shot. What I do think is that his shot saw two fighters (Mir & Noguiera) who could well have defeated Couture (to then hold the title) miss out on their own time at the top.
[Brock Lesnar art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]
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