UFC heavyweight domination

[Warner2BruceTD]

The current gap between the UFC heavyweight division and the second best heavyweight division in the world (Bellator by default) is gigantic.

Is this the biggest gap in talent between the number one and number two groups in one particular weight class ever?

The 205 gap between UFC & Strikeforce is pretty big. The gap between UFC & Bellator at 205 is even bigger if you aren't counting SF as a separate entity (I still do since the rosters have been split for the foreseeable future).

PRIDE & UFC were usually close enough in all weight classes, and before that weight classes weren't really relevant anyway. EliteXC, Strikeforce, even IFL and some others usually had enough talent that was good enough to compete in the UFC, and in some cases (like heavyweight at times) were flat out better in some weights.

Shogun - at the height of JMMA, did any group over there dominate all others in any of the smaller classes?

 

[EmpireWF]

Until Daniel Cormier and Josh Barnett leave SF, I'd say they are very much comparable with the UFC guys. 1000x moreso than Bellator. Even if the heavyweight division in SF is practically dead, but not buried.

 

[Kuzzy Powers]

Well they just scrapped the SF HW division altogether at the benefit of the UFC heavyweight division. But prior to that raping of their division id say it was pretty comparable. Of course when combined the UFC's becomes a crazy strong division.

 

[SHOGUN]

Shooto and eventually PRIDE pretty much had a chokehold on the lightweight division until they closed and then a lot of those guys went to HEROS/DREAM. Even the early UFC divison was basically all about BJ Penn, Uno and Pulver. I'd say it wasn't until '09 when balance in power in the LW division started to turn toward the UFC.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Until Daniel Cormier and Josh Barnett leave SF, I'd say they are very much comparable with the UFC guys. 1000x moreso than Bellator. Even if the heavyweight division in SF is practically dead, but not buried.

I'm going off the premise that the SF heavyweight division is dead.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Shooto and eventually PRIDE pretty much had a chokehold on the lightweight division until they closed and then a lot of those guys went to HEROS/DREAM. Even the early UFC divison was basically all about BJ Penn, Uno and Pulver. I'd say it wasn't until '09 when balance in power in the LW division started to turn toward the UFC.

What about 145 and lower? Was there any point that one org had a lock down on any of those divisions?

 

[SHOGUN]

What about 145 and lower? Was there any point that one org had a lock down on any of those divisions?

Until the WEC blew up, I'd argue Shooto had the most relevant 145 and 135 divisions but back then there was a solid talent spread between them, Pancrase and the US. But Shooto essentially ran Flyweight and under (sans Torres) for a long time.