Werdum is the HW and OW linear champion.
Interesting time line I found.
[blockquote]the UFC heavyweight title was given to Mark Coleman after his submission victory over Dan Severn
Mark Coleman = [6-0]record before losing to:-
Maurice Smith[4-7] at UFC 14
Maurice Smith = [6-7]record before losing to:-
Randy Couture[3-0] at UFC 15.5
Randy Couture= [4-0]record before losing to:-
Enson Inoue[8-3] at Vale Tudo Japan
Enson Inoue= [10-3]record before losing to:-
Mark Kerr[11-0] at PRIDE Grand Prix 2000
Mark Kerr= [12-0]record before losing to:-
Fujita[3-0] at PRIDE Grand Prix 2000
Fujita= [4-0]record before losing to:-
Mark Coleman[9-4] at PRIDE Grand Prix 2000
Mark Coleman= [12-4]record before losing to:-
Nogueira [12-1] at PRIDE 16
Big Nog= [19-1]record before losing to:-
Fedor[12-1] at Pride 25
Fedor= [31-1]record before losing to:-
Fabrico Werdum[13-4]
the heavyweight title leads to Werdum.
If you consider Royce Gracie the original openweight champion because of tournament wins in UFC 1 and follow the records you lead up to Werdum as the lineal champion:
Royce Gracie = UFC 1 Champ. [8-0] record before losing to:
Harold Howard[1-0] via forfeit at UFC 3
Harold Howard = [2-0] record before losing to:
Steve Jennum[0-0] at UFC 3
Steve Jennum = [2-0] record before losing to:
Tank Abbott[2-1] at UU 95 - Ultimate Ultimate 1995
Tank Abbott = [3-1] record before losing to:-
Dan Severn[6-2] at UU 95 - Ultimate Ultimate 1995
Dan Severn = [14-2]record before losing to:-
Mark Coleman[5-0] at UFC 12
Mark Coleman = [6-0]record before losing to:-
Maurice Smith[4-7] at UFC 14
Maurice Smith = [6-7]record before losing to:-
Randy Couture[3-0] at UFC 15.5
Randy Couture= [4-0]record before losing to:-
Enson Inoue[8-3] at Vale Tudo Japan
Enson Inoue= [10-3]record before losing to:-
Mark Kerr[11-0] at PRIDE Grand Prix 2000
Mark Kerr= [12-0]record before losing to:-
Fujita[3-0] at PRIDE Grand Prix 2000
Fujita= [4-0]record before losing to:-
Mark Coleman[9-4] at PRIDE Grand Prix 2000
Mark Coleman= [12-4]record before losing to:-
Nogueira [12-1] at PRIDE 16
Big Nog= [19-1]record before losing to:-
Fedor[12-1] at Pride 25
Fedor= [31-1]record before losing to:-
Fabrico Werdum[13-4]
If you do not count Royce Gracies loss to Harold Howard legit and follow his next loss to Sakuraba you get Werdum again:
Royce Gracie = UFC 1 Champ. [11-1] record before losing to:
Sakuraba[8-1] at PRIDE Grand Prix 2000
Sakuraba= [9-1]record before losing to:-
Igor Vovchanchyn[34-2] at PRIDE Grand Prix 2000
Igor Vovchanchyn= [35-2] record before losing to: -
Mark Coleman[10-4] at PRIDE Grand Prix 2000
Mark Coleman= [12-4] record before losing to: -
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira [12-1] at PRIDE 16
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira= [19-1]record before losing to:-
Fedor[12-1] at Pride 25
Fedor= [31-1]record before losing to:-
Fabrico Werdum[13-4]
if you follow pride you end up with werdum as champion also....
no matter how you want to slice it Werdum should be considered the lineal champion and the #1 ranked heavyweight. the title lesnar holds has been exchanged by only 11 fighters including lesnar. (Coleman, Smith, Couture, Bas, Randleman, Barnett, Ricco, Tim, Mir, Arlovski) and between those exchanges it was vacated 4 times. it was was stripped from couture via contract dispute, vacated when bas rutten retired, stripped from barnett because of steroids, and stripped from mir because of injuries.
11 exchanges and it has been vacated 4 times lol total mess. no idea why the ufc title means anything let alone enough to rank lesnar over fedor/werdum it is a total joke that sherdog has lesnar listed as #1. and Fanhouse totally lost all credibility when they posted Carwin at #2 and Werdum at #4 with Fedor at #5.[/blockquote]
WAR WERDUM!