Hello there lineal title fans! We've been running low on major unification opportunities, but this latest installment was well worth the wait. A combined 34 lineal titles are up for unification at UFC 175! First, Rousey puts her 9 lineal titles against Davis's 4, with the winner boasting 12 of 18 lineal titles in the WMMA Bantamweight division or 67% unification. Then, Chris Weidman attempts to add Lyoto Machida's lineal Dream Middleweight title to his collection with the winner securing 21 lineal titles and 49% unification of all Middleweight belts and 60% of the Big Ten. Just one more reason to get excited about the big 4th of July event.

Here's a quick rundown of the rules I follow:

1. Each title can be traced to the original belt issued by the respective promotion

2. In order to keep a belt in it's intended weight class, the lineal title is only on the line in bouts contested at the weight class in which the belt was issued

3. If a fighter retires with the belt, or changes weight class permanently, later iterations of the title will be considered. If none exist, the lineal title will be retired

4. For the women's titles, I ignore weight class because, historically, women have had to compete in many different weight classes to stay busy and it would be tough to track. Not surprisingly, most of the major titles have migrated to the 135 lb division because of the UFC

Lineal Titles of Weidman vs. Machida

1. UFC

Title History: Menne => Bustamante => Henderson => Misaki => Filho => Sonnen => Maia => Marquardt => Sonnen => Silva => Weidman

2. Deep

Title History: Sakurai => Bustamante => Henderson => Misaki => Filho => Sonnen => Maia => Marquardt => Sonnen => Silva => Weidman

3. Pancrase

Title History: Marquardt => Kunioku => Marquardt => Yamamiya => Machado => Leites => Kampmann => Marquardt => Sonnen => Silva => Weidman

4. King of the Cage

Title History: Lister => Marquardt => Silva => Weidman

5. MFC

Title History: Cote => Lutter => Silva => Weidman

6. Gladiator Challenge

Title History: Fanshier => Lee => Lister => Marquardt => Silva => Weidman

7. Cage Warrior

Title History: Ewin => Professor X => Ewin => Riccio => Mason => Semedo => Bandeira => Maia => Marquardt => Sonnen => Silva => Weidman

8. Cage Fury

Title History: Dan Miller => Sonnen => Silva => Weidman

9. Sport Fight

Title History: Leben => Silva => Weidman

10. Pride FC

Title History: Henderson => Misaki => Filho => Sonnen => Maia => Marquardt => Sonnen => Silva =>Weidman

11. WEC

Title History: Leben => Doerksen => Riggs => Salaverry => Marquardt => Silva => Weidman

12. IFL

Title History: Horwich => McGivern => Radach => Horwich => McGivern => Dan Miller => Sonnen => Silva => Weidman

13. Cage Rage

Title History: Silva => Chonan => Baroni => Minowa => Bustamante => Henderson => Misaki => Filho => Sonnen => Maia => Marquardt => Sonnen => Silva => Weidman

14. Sengoku

Title History: Santiago => Khalidov => Santiago => Stann => Sonnen => Silva => Weidman

15. K-1 Hero's

Title History: Sexyama => Leben => Stann => Sonnen => Silva => Weidman

16. TKO

Title History: Ouimet => Jones => Loiseau => Rivera => Murray => Silva => Chonan => Baroni => Minowa => Bustamante => Henderson => Misaki => Filho => Sonnen => Maia => Marquardt => Sonnen => Silva => Weidman

17. Bodog

Title History: Prangley => Santiago => Khalidov => Santiago => Stann => Sonnen => Silva =>Weidman

18. WFA

Title History: Andre => Vigneault => Cote => Doerksen => Lindland => Belfort => Silva =>Weidman

19. PFC

Title History: Ento => Loughran => Credeur => Quarry => Rivera => Bisping => Sonnen => Silva =>Weidman

20. IVC - International Vale Tudo Championship

Title History: Landi-Jons => Menne => Bustamante => Henderson => Misaki => Filho => Sonnen => Maia => Marquardt => Sonnen => Silva => Weidman

21. Dream

Title History: Mousasi (MW Tournament winner) => Machida

Notes

• Perhaps the most interesting (and ironic) bit of information to come out of the details of the above title lineage is the degree to which Chael Sonnen has played a role. In fact, heading into their famous first meeting, Chael Sonnen was "the man" in the Middleweight division with 14 lineal titles to Silva's 6. And, Sonnen's titles included the UFC, Pride, WEC, and IFL titles! Sonnen was into referring to himself as the champion after the first Silva fight...turns out he should have been claiming it before.
• UFC Lineage ignores Bustamante's losses at Light Heavyweight in Pride.
• Deep lineage works a few different ways. The one I traced above sticks closer to my rules of only including fights in the correct weight class. However, you can also trace the original title through the Welterweight class and get to Chris Weidman through Silva.
• KOTC title is actually the 2nd iteration and ignores LHW bouts of Dean Lister. The original title was never contested at MW again.
• MFC title runs through Lutter to Silva even though Lutter failed to make weight. I do the same with Fihlo vs Sonnen because the fight was originally scheduled as a MW contest so I believe those are close enough to a MW fight to include in the lineage. If you don't allow Silva's win over Lutter, then the title passes thru Rich Franklin to Cung Le.
• Cage Rage title is actually the 2nd iteration of the belt. The 1st title dead ends at a different weight class.
• TKO title is actually the 2nd iteration of the belt. The 1st title dead ends at a different weight class.
• IVC title ignores a number of losses at Light Heavyweight and also passes thru Paulo Fihlo and Chael Sonnen

Lineal Titles of Rousey vs Davis

1. UFC

Lineal History: Ronda Rousey was awarded the inaugural Women's BW title by virtue of being the last Strikeforce champion before the UFC merger

2. Strikeforce

Lineal History: Sarah Kaufman => Marloes Coenen => Miesha Tate => Ronda Rousey

3. Extreme Challenge

Lineal History: Jennifer Howe => Roxanne Modafferi => Megumi Habushita => Tara LaRosa => Roxanne Modafferi => Sarah Kaufman => Marloes Coenen => Miesha Tate =>Ronda Rousey

4. IFC

Lineal History: Jennifer Howe => Roxanne Modafferi => Megumi Habushita => Tara LaRosa => Roxanne Modafferi => Sarah Kaufman => Marloes Coenen => Miesha Tate =>Ronda Rousey

5. Bodog

Lineal History: Tara LaRosa => Roxanne Modafferi => Sarah Kaufman => Marloes Coenen => Miesha Tate => Ronda Rousey

6. Smackgirl (2006 Middleweight Queen Tournament)

Lineal History: Hitomi Akano => Amanda Buckner => Takayo Hashi => Sarah Kaufman => Marloes Coenen => Miesha Tate => Ronda Rousey

7. Smackgirl (2004 Openweight Queen Tournament)

Lineal History: Megumi Yabushita => Tara LaRosa => Roxanne Modafferi => Sarah Kaufman => Marloes Coenen => Miesha Tate => Ronda Rousey

8. HookNShoot

Lineal History: Jennifer Howe => Roxanne Modafferi => Megumi Habushita => Tara LaRosa => Roxanne Modafferi => Sarah Kaufman => Marloes Coenen => Miesha Tate =>Ronda Rousey

9. Remix Cup (2000)

Lineal History: Marloes Coenen => Erin Toughill => Megumi Yabushita => Tara LaRosa => Roxanne Modafferi => Sarah Kaufman => Marloes Coenen => Miesha Tate => Ronda Rousey

10. Bellator MMA

Lineal History: Zoila Frausto Gurgel => Jessica Eye => Alexis Davis

11. Ring of Combat

Lineal History: Jessica Eye => Aisling Daly => Rosi Sexton => Alexis Davis

12. Pink Fight

Lineal History: Vanessa Porto => Sarah D'Alelio => Shayna Baszler => Alexis Davis

13. Japan Cup 2002

Lineal History: Yuka Tsuji => Ana Michelle Tavares => Megumi Fujii => Zoila Frausto Gurgel => Jessica Eye => Alexis Davis

Notes:

• Extreme Challenge title traces back to inaugural Women's Junior LightweightChampionship established in 1999
• IFC title traces back to inaugural women's IFC MW title established in 2003 and contested at 135 lbs
• Bodog title traces back to the inaugural Bantamweight championship established in 2007
• Smackgirl was an all women's promotion in Japan which formed in 2001 and went defunct in 2008 when it was sold and rebranded as JEWELS.
• Bellator MMA title Traces back to 1st Bellator Women's 115 lb tournament won by Frausto in 2010
• Ring of Combat traces back to inaugaral 130 lb title won by Jessica "Evil" Eye in 2011
• Pink Fight title traces back to the BW title won by Vanessa Porto in 2012. Pink Fight was Jungle Fight's all Women spin off, which had its first event in January of 2012
• Japan Cup 2002 title traces back to inaugural Smackgirl Middleweight Japan Cup tournament contested at 115 lbs and won by Yuka Tsuji

Lineal Title Leaderboard
As you can see below, the winner of the main event will tie Jon Jones for 4th place on the leader board with 21 titles. And, if Rousey can beat Davis, she will inch within 1 title of Jose Aldo. The next big unification opportunity will come when Jon Jones rematches Alexander Gustafsson. Gus has earned two lineal titles since his loss to Jones: The UCMMA and Reality Fighting Light Heavyweight belts.