Who Will Be the First Current UFC Champion To Lose Their Title?

As I sat back this weekend and watched the Strikeforce card and the UFC 100 replay, I began thinking about how dominating the current UFC champions are. So I asked myself, "Which current UFC Champ will be the first to lose?"

This is a very difficult question to answer because we all know that anything can happen inside the Octagon.

That being said I think that we all can agree that all of the current champions possess unique attributes that make them difficult matchups for all of the other fighters in their division.

Lightweight

BJ Penn is the current ruler of this division. He is a BJJ master with good boxing skills, a great chin, and a much improved work ethic. Penn has always had an elite skill set, but the question has always been his work ethic in training camp. I applaud Penn for his new found dedication to strength and conditioning.

Dana White has already said that next in line for a shot at the belt is Diego Sanchez. Sanchez has looked very good since making the move to 155. He has a good chin, underrated striking, an upper level ground game, and an incredible pace. If there is a fighter in the division that will truly test Penn's cardio it is Sanchez.

I see this fight ending the same way the Florian fight ended, with Penn's hand raised at the end. Where Penn will be able to breakdown Sanchez is on the feet. Penn has great takedown defense and I believe that Sanchez will not be able to take him down. If this is the case, then Penn will be able to pick him apart.

The LW division is certainly a deep and exciting division. Other fighters who could make a run at the Champ include Frank Edgar, Gray Maynard, and possibly even Clay Guida. All of these fighters are very similar, strong wrestling, and great cardio. None of these fighters have the stand-up or the BJJ to compete with Penn at this point.

As far as the LW division is concerned, I see Penn standing atop for the foreseeable future.

Welterweight

Georges St. Pierre is the reigning WW champion. What can you say about this man?

He is one of if not the most physically gifted fighters to ever compete inside the Octagon. To go along with his physical gifts St. Pierre is a true student of MMA. He constantly pushes himself to be the best.

Right now, it looks like the next title shot will go to with Swick vs. Kampmann winner. I see Swick coming out of this fight the winner. Either way, neither of these fighters matches up well against St. Pierre. St. Pierre has shown that he is the best functional wrestler in all of MMA. This fight will go to the ground and St. Pierre will grind out a victory. I do see St. Pierre winning this next fight by stoppage.

The rest of the WW division is very strong with fighters like Fitch, and Koscheck. The problem is that St. Pierre is so good that he makes top fighters look average. Looking at the division I do not see anyone that will beat St. Pierre.

Middleweight

Anderson Silva is the champ and is my top P4P fighter in the world. Silva is a black belt in BJJ under the Nogeria brothers, and we all know he is a great striker. Words cannot begin to describe the beauty that is Anderson Silva's stand-up game.

Dan Henderson will be getting the next shot at the title, and he is coming off a highlight reel KO of Michael Bisping. I personally think that the next shot should go to the winner of Damian Maia and Nate Marquardt, but that is just this writer's humble opinion.

Henderson is the only fighter to win a round against Silva.

Hendrson has world-class wrestling and an iron chin. The problem is that he likes to stand and bang. If he can get Silva to the ground I do see him being able to have success. That being said Silva is not slouch on the ground, just look at the Lutter fight.

I see Henderson suffering his first career KO in this fight. I think that Silva is that good and Henderson is may be a little too enamored with his striking ability.

When I look at the rest of the division no one else really jumps off the page as a threat to Silva. He is the best fighter in the world right now and I do not see anyone challenging that claim.

Light Heavyweight

This is the premiere division of, not only, the UFC, but all of MMA. These fighters are strong, fast, agile, and skilled. Their current king is Lyoto Machida. Machida is an elusive striker with great accuracy and power. The man just does not take any damage.

Maurico Rua is the next in line and he is a gem. Rua at one point was considered the best LHW in the world and he is going to be a real test for Machida. In the end I think that it will be Machida with his hand raised.

This is arguably the deepest division in the UFC. The LHW title is the most highly contested title in the UFC and it has changed hands in each of the last three title fights. Machida is the most skilled fighter in this division but it is the depth of the division that is the factor here.

With so many quality LHW's, it is just a matter of time before someone catches Machida. I do however see Machida defending his title successfully at least once.

Heavyweight

The current HW champ is Brock Lesnar.

Lesnar is one of the scariest men alive. He is an absolute freak of nature. The speed and agility this gigantic man possesses is unreal. His ability to control people on the ground is unparalleled. The amount of power he is able to generate with those short hammer fists is amazing.

Lesnar is the least skilled of all the current champions. He does have a great wrestling base, but he has impressed with his physical gifts. I would argue that being that big and athletic is a skill onto itself.

The next in line for a chance to step into the cage with this monster is likely to be the winner of Carwin vs. Velasquez. I think that if someone in the division right now is going to beat the monster named Lesnar, it will be Carwin.

Carwin has the size and punching power to challenge Lesnar on the feet. The problem is that even though Carwin was a DII champ his wrestling is not on the same planet as Lesnar's. Lesnar is going to take Carwin to the mat and maul him like he did to Mir.

The HW division is pretty weak right now.

I do not see anyone being able to deal with Lesnar. He is simply too big, too fast, too strong, and a great wrestler. Lesnar is positioned to be the HW Champ for some time to come.

Conclusion

It is safe to say that all of the current UFC champions have what it takes to rule their divisions. That being said, I see the first champion to stumble being Machida. That is not a knock on Mahcida's ability at all. It is just a matter of the division being that good.

I am interested in getting your opinions and thoughts.

Who do you think will be the first UFC champion to lose their title?