At UFC 254 on Saturday, Khabib Nurmagomedov will defend his Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight title against Justin Gaethje. If he succeeds, he will join B.J. Penn, Frankie Edgar and Benson Henderson as the only men to defend the belt three times. He will also bolster his case to be called the greatest champion in the history of what is by acclamation the deepest, most competitive division in the sport.
It wasn’t always that way, of course. The lightweight division was once so unloved that, thanks to a combination of lukewarm fan interest, a thin roster and a fluke fight outcome, the 155-pound championship lay vacant from March 2002, when champion Jens Pulver bolted over a contract dispute, until October 2006, when Sean Sherk defeated Kenny Florian to capture the title and rekindle the division.