The List: The champ with the toughest competition ahead

For too long, our writers’ hyper-specific arguments have been confined to the private corridors of the Internet. Welcome to The List, where we take their instant message bickerings, add a little polish, and make them public. Today, we steal a question from MMAjunkie Radio’s “Gorgeous” George Garcia: Which division’s champion faces the scariest murderer’s row of upcoming opponents?

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Chris Weidman, because a trio of savages await, and it doesn’t get easier down the line

Chris Weidman

Steven Marrocco (@MMAjunkieSteven): Admittedly, my selection would’ve looked a lot better in late 2013, when newly minted champ Chris Weidman (13-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) was staring down the barrel of a rematch with the more serious, scary Anderson Silva. Since “The Spider” snapped (in more ways than one), the 31-year-old New Yorker has done a pretty good job of answering all the competitive questions asked of him. He finally put down the young dinosaur Vitor Belfort. But there are still some scary dudes ahead.

For one, there’s his UFC 194 challenger Luke Rockhold, who rebounded from his KO loss to TRT-riffic Belfort by savaging four opponents, including a spank-down of former light-heavy champ Lyoto Machida. Then there’s the winner of the same card’s meeting between Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and Yoel Romero, which, if it doesn’t get canceled a third time, means Weidman will either face a massive wrestler with dynamite in his hands (Romero) or a submission wizard with impeccable finishing instinct (Souza). And don’t forget Gegard Mousasi, whose only UFC losses at 185 pounds are to Souza and Machida; he’s bulldozed everyone else.

If we’re keeping an open mind, there’s also a bankable rematch with Machida, who taxed the champ in the fourth round and went the distance, winning two of three rounds on one judges’ scorecards. And then there’s Michael Bisping, who just got past a dangerous Thales Leites and might still find a way to stay in contention long enough for a long-delayed title shot.

It ain’t easy being 185 pounds, that’s for sure.

Lightweight: Because it is both a destination and a crossroads

Rafael dos Anjos

Ben Fowlkes (@benfowlkesMMA): You want to know how hard it is to earn a title shot in the UFC’s lightweight division right now? Here’s a clue: Tony Ferguson has won six in a row in that division, and he’s not even really all that close to a shot at current champion Rafael dos Anjos (24-7 MMA, 13-5 UFC).

Actually, that’s not completely true. He’s sort of close. All he has to do is beat Khabib Nurmagomedov, who has won all 22 of his professional bouts (that’s right, he’s 22-0 and hasn’t yet fought for a UFC title; if he was a heavyweight with that record, he’d have been knighted by now), and he might get the nod. That should be easy, right?

That was sarcasm. Because ain’t a damn thing easy at lightweight. Not for the champ, or for anyone who hopes to become champ.

Consider the situation facing dos Anjos. First he has to defend his title against Donald Cerrone, who is on track to fight every lightweight on the planet some time in early 2017. If he holds onto his belt there, he’ll probably get the winner of Nurmagomedov vs. Ferguson. Or maybe by then Anthony Pettis will be back in the mix. Or maybe it’ll be former Bellator lightweight champ Eddie Alvarez. Tell me, where’s the easy fight in that bunch?

Lightweight is such a tough division because it exists in a sweet spot among the deepest, most athletic divisions in the sport. It’s right there between featherweight and welterweight, beckoning to fighters in both those weight classes who are either looking for a change or a challenge. It’s also a weight class that has been around long enough to be firmly established, but, unlike pretty much everything from middleweight on up, hasn’t had its best talent siphoned off by other, more lucrative pro sports, which tend to favor bigger athletes.

It’s the weight class where everyone is still big enough to hurt you, but not so big as to be lumbering. It’s the division that gave us the “Showtime Kick,” for crying out loud. It’s the division where there’s enough talent for Cerrone to fight six times a year without ever running out of quality opponents. It’s the division where there’s so many good fighters, there’s even enough for Bellator to have a few.

Try saying the same thing about heavyweight. See if you can keep a straight face as you do it.

Heavyweight, because it’s harder to get and stay on top, Mike Bohn says with a straight face

Fabricio Werdum

Mike Bohn (@MikeBohnMMA): Heavyweight may be home the biggest, strongest and most powerful fighters in the UFC. However, the division is frequently bashed for its lack of depth and rankings top-heavy with aging competitors.

The complaints about the weight class are warranted for outsiders, but champion Fabricio Werdum (20-5-1 MMA, 8-2 UFC) certainly can’t feel that way.

Werdum is the 18th heavyweight champion in UFC history. None of the previous 17 titleholders successfully defended the strap more than twice, and it’s not going to be easy for Werdum to surpass that mark.

Former champ Cain Velasquez was on the verge of breaking the record earlier this year before Werdum pulled off a shocking third-round submission at UFC 188 to unify the heavyweight belts.

Werdum’s road to the UFC belt is an extraordinary story, but if he wants to hold that position, he has to turn back a fairly terrifying list of contenders.

First and foremost is a rematch with Velasquez, which is likely to take place in March. Velasquez was heavily favored to win the first meeting but Werdum had other plans. Repeating that feat in a rematch could prove problematic.

If Werdum denies Velasquez again, the competition won’t get any easier. Top contenders include Andrei Arlovski, Alistair Overeem and Junior Dos Santos, all of whom own rather convincing victories over Werdum dating back to 2006. Names such as Stipe Miocic and Ben Rothwell are also jockeying for a championship opportunity.

Werdum’s overall skillset has taken great strides in recent years, but no amount of training can prepare a fighter for the unpredictable nature of the heavyweight division. Anyone from the No. 1 contender to the lowest ranked fighter can win on a given night due to the size and power of the competitors. History has proven it’s nearly impossible to hold the title for long, and it’s going to be very difficult for Werdum to buck the trend.