Woodley: 13-2, 2-1 in his last 3, 3-2 in his last 5. Those losses were to Jake Shields and Nate Marquardt.
Most recent quality wins: Condit and Koscheck.
Overall popular opinion? Meh. His knockout of Koscheck was cool but that was Josh's 3rd loss in a row.. and regarding condit nobody is (or should be) impressed by wins via injury
Lombard: 34-4, 2-1 in his last 3, 3-2 in his last 5. Those losses were to Okami and Boetsch. He hasn't even been at WW very long.
Most recent quality wins: Shields and Marquardt
My personal opinion: I'd pick him over Woodly just because he just beat the two guys Woodly lost to. Besides, at least he actually beat shields and it wasn't an injury. Not sure how everyone else feels though.
Diaz: 26-9, 1-2 in his last 3, 3-2 in his last 5. Those losses were to GSP and Condit
Most recent quality wins: NONE---you have to go all the way back to 2011 to find a win and that was against BJ Penn and Paul Daley.. (putting that into perspective: Woodly and Lombard have won 4 and 3 fights respectively in the time since Nick Diaz had his last win--so I can't use the word "recent" when it comes to his wins at all)
Popular Opinion? A lot seem to think a Diaz title shot would be complete bullshit but they seem to want to see it regardless.
Brown: 18-11, 3-0 in his last 3, and 5-0 in his last 5
Most recent quality wins: Mike Pyle? maybe you could count Mike Swick but he went into the brown fight 1-2 in his last 3.
Overall Opinion: At least he's on a winning streak but he has no real quality wins. I don't think he's beaten one real "player" at 170.
MacDonald: 16-2, 2-1 in his last 3, 4-1 in his last 5. The sole loss being to Robbie Lawler in a very close decision, and Robbie Lawler just came half a round away from winning the vacant title and beating Johny Hendricks.
Most recent quality wins: Maia, Ellenberger, Penn.
Overall opinion: For some reason that I don't get, people think woodley and lombard should be ahead of him, but the records and the fights themselves say otherwise.
and of course if he returns:
GSP: 25-2, 3-0 in his last 3, and 5-0 in his last 5
I believe, looking at those numbers and the quality of fights, MacDonald really should be at least evenly considered along side Woodley and Lombard, and Diaz (as exciting as the fight would be) should not be considered at all.
The only arguments for Lombard or Woodley over MacDonald is that they're on 2 fight win streaks opposed to his 1, but they're also both 5-2 in their last 7 opposed to his 6-1 (and it has to be taken into consideration WHO and HOW Rory lost... a split decision against Lawler..who just came razor close to winning the title himself. As Nick Diaz can tell you, if you lose the guy who was #1 contender ala Condit when he fought GSP, it makes it easier to sell you getting a title shot)
Most recent quality wins: Condit and Koscheck.
Overall popular opinion? Meh. His knockout of Koscheck was cool but that was Josh's 3rd loss in a row.. and regarding condit nobody is (or should be) impressed by wins via injury
Lombard: 34-4, 2-1 in his last 3, 3-2 in his last 5. Those losses were to Okami and Boetsch. He hasn't even been at WW very long.
Most recent quality wins: Shields and Marquardt
My personal opinion: I'd pick him over Woodly just because he just beat the two guys Woodly lost to. Besides, at least he actually beat shields and it wasn't an injury. Not sure how everyone else feels though.
Diaz: 26-9, 1-2 in his last 3, 3-2 in his last 5. Those losses were to GSP and Condit
Most recent quality wins: NONE---you have to go all the way back to 2011 to find a win and that was against BJ Penn and Paul Daley.. (putting that into perspective: Woodly and Lombard have won 4 and 3 fights respectively in the time since Nick Diaz had his last win--so I can't use the word "recent" when it comes to his wins at all)
Popular Opinion? A lot seem to think a Diaz title shot would be complete bullshit but they seem to want to see it regardless.
Brown: 18-11, 3-0 in his last 3, and 5-0 in his last 5
Most recent quality wins: Mike Pyle? maybe you could count Mike Swick but he went into the brown fight 1-2 in his last 3.
Overall Opinion: At least he's on a winning streak but he has no real quality wins. I don't think he's beaten one real "player" at 170.
MacDonald: 16-2, 2-1 in his last 3, 4-1 in his last 5. The sole loss being to Robbie Lawler in a very close decision, and Robbie Lawler just came half a round away from winning the vacant title and beating Johny Hendricks.
Most recent quality wins: Maia, Ellenberger, Penn.
Overall opinion: For some reason that I don't get, people think woodley and lombard should be ahead of him, but the records and the fights themselves say otherwise.
and of course if he returns:
GSP: 25-2, 3-0 in his last 3, and 5-0 in his last 5
I believe, looking at those numbers and the quality of fights, MacDonald really should be at least evenly considered along side Woodley and Lombard, and Diaz (as exciting as the fight would be) should not be considered at all.
The only arguments for Lombard or Woodley over MacDonald is that they're on 2 fight win streaks opposed to his 1, but they're also both 5-2 in their last 7 opposed to his 6-1 (and it has to be taken into consideration WHO and HOW Rory lost... a split decision against Lawler..who just came razor close to winning the title himself. As Nick Diaz can tell you, if you lose the guy who was #1 contender ala Condit when he fought GSP, it makes it easier to sell you getting a title shot)