To be the man, you’ve got to beat the man.
Such is the path of a world champion. Often times, however, champions choose to leave their organization and forfeit their title without ever actually losing. In this case, how can someone be the man, if the man has already left?
In come linear titles.
Linear titles take the concept of beating the man to the extreme, making unofficial titles that are passed on when champions, who have been stripped of their title for one reason or another, fight and lose.
In short, the title is split into the true title that remains with the organization and the linear title which follows the holder.
These titles can be passed on even when fighting outside of the original organization, but are often restricted to the title’s original weight class.
Do these unofficial linear titles matter or is all just a bunch of fluff concocted by fans as a point of debate?
Let’s take a look at some of the linear titles that have been created throughout UFC history and find out.