There's a growing sentiment among fight fans that the UFC has lost a bit of its magic, and it all comes down to one thing: too many immediate rematches. Remember when losing your championship belt meant you had to claw your way back to the top? Those were the days.

In the golden era of the Octagon, an ex-champion didn't automatically get a second chance just because of their name or past glory. The only time you saw an immediate rematch was when the previous fight was razor-close or the division had no other obvious contender. It didn't matter if you held the record for most title defenses—you had to earn your way back.

Take Tito Ortiz, for example. After losing the light heavyweight title to Randy Couture, it took him three years and six more fights before he got another shot. Sure, some of that was due to his rocky relationship with the UFC brass, but the principle held: if there was a fresh challenger waiting in the wings, they got the nod. The ex-champion had to prove they still had what it takes.

This wasn't an isolated case. Matt Hughes lost his belt to B.J. Penn and had to go through Renato Verissimo before getting another title fight. Randy Couture dropped his championship to Chuck Liddell and had to beat Mike Van Arsdale first to set up the rubber match. Even Liddell, the UFC's poster child at the time, had to get past Keith Jardine after losing his belt. He fell short and never fought for the title again.

These were champions the UFC would have loved to keep in the title picture, but the system demanded they prove themselves. The exceptions were rare and made sense—like when a fight was so competitive that everyone wanted to see it again. But those days feel like a distant memory now.

For fans who remember when earning a title shot meant something, the current trend of automatic rematches takes away from the sport's appeal. It's time to bring back the old rules: lose the belt, get back in line.