How would Buvaisar Saitiev and Aleksandr Karelin have done in MMA?

[KillerIsBack V2]

Buvaisar Saitiev consensus considered a top two p4p of all time in wrestling.
Won 3 gold medal in the olympics.
Won gold in 6 world championships.
Won 6 European gold medals.
only lost 2 matches on paper, one of them he was ahead on all score cards so the descision was a robbery
Never tried MMA.
Competed in 3 weight classes


HW Aleksandr Karelin with a record of 887-2:
majority considers him GOAT
3 Gold medal in olympics and one silver.
9 world championships gold
12 Euro golds.
13 time russian champion
He had one MMA fight for fun and won via descision against veteran MMA fighter Akira Maeda.

That is as A level accomplishment as you can realistically get as an athlete.

 

[wilKO]

No one knows. They may fold the minute they get punched. They may have a weak chin. They may struggle to apply their wrestling to mma. Other great wrestlers have been out wrestled by guys much worse based on credentials.

 

[Bokelj]

Karelin would decimate any and all opponents and their will to live

 

[KYS]

No one knows. They may fold the minute they get punched. They may have a weak chin. They may struggle to apply their wrestling to mma. Other great wrestlers have been out wrestled by guys much worse based on credentials.

Or they go full DC.

 

[wilKO]

Or they go full DC.

Yeah but he was out wrestled by the much inferior pure wrestler in Jones.

 

[ortizgnp]

HW Aleksandr Karelin with a record of 887-2:

what a fucking savage

 

[Fluffernutter]

Or, retire and be elected to parliament

 

[KYS]

I looked up that Karelin vs Maeda fight wtf... thats a pro wrestling match...

That means ban the mofo.

 

[KYS]

Yeah but he was out wrestled by the much inferior pure wrestler in Jones.

Agreed. Though that's a pretty high level complaint, right?

I was rather suggesting that the progression to a well-rounded fighter is more than possible. Weidman is also an example I think. Though DC might be the better example as he started MMA later if I'm not mistaken.

 

[Spath]

Karelin has three olympic gold medals (1988, 1992 and 1996) and one silver. You can't even wikipedia, bro.

 

[KillerIsBack V2]

Karelin has three olympic gold medals (1988, 1992 and 1996) and one silver. You can't even wikipedia, bro.

Fixed

 

[TheScorpionDude]

I don't think you can compare any wrestler turned mma fighter with Karelin.

DC is not close to Karelins level. They are from different dimensions of skill and strength.

Karelin could probably wrestle DC and Jones at the same time in a wrestling match, ragdolling them in the process.

This is the only time Fedor has been scared... ever.

Karelin is already picking him up with his left hand... it's a habit.

 

[PoaaH]

probably would've been beaten pre fight and post fight by usada everytime

 

[hymn]

i think saitiev's style would've translated well, besides the throws and trips he had this incredible positional awareness and way of wrestling from any position, and keeping his technical approach he could've been a submision grappling god too

 

[JP557CU]

Bouivasia would have been UFC champ at 170-205 and destroyed everyone. His wrestling was actually so good it was hard to fathom. How this skinny guy could effortlessly beat everyone (except Brandon stay, Murica) was just crazy.

 

[Willek]

I have never seen a thread about Karelin before.

 

[xmovingparts]

Steve Mocco or better or someting.

 

[ArtemV]

I think Saitiev would have done better, but who knows? We will never find out.