Is being athletic the most important thing in MMA?

CereserBr

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Looks like the really athletic guys always are a step ahead... Fedor, GSP, Jones, Mighty Mouse, Chute Boxe back in the day... All god damn athletic individuals, and amazing fighters.

What u guys say?
 
It's not that easy to tell how much of it is really athleticism and how much of it is really skill unless they've succeeded in multiple other sports. For example we say Jones is super athletic but he lacks explosive KO power and can't dunk, is it really more him knowing how to fight that makes him look more "athletic"?
 
Roy-Nelson.png
 
One of these days, your thread is going to be should I shit or piss
 
Being aesthetic is more important
 
The most athletic people in the NFL usually aren't the best players.
 
For MMAs sake I hope not.

A-level athletes aren't going to fight for $50k and $2500 Reebok money.

<{Ray1}>
 
Being explosive and well spoken is all that matter
 
Fedor's main asset was his well roundedness, not his athleticism. He could armbar you from anywhere and had the skill to stand with Cro Cop.
 
No, MMA fighters are not very athletic relative to most other sports. They only fight a couple of times a year if we are lucky and are out of shape majority of the time. Also, you do not need as much physical talent to become an MMA fighter compared to soccer, basketball, boxing, etc.
 
Fedor's main asset was his well roundedness, not his athleticism. He could armbar you from anywhere and had the skill to stand with Cro Cop.
Its more than just that.

Fedor is incredibly smart. This is very evident in his interviews, he's probably the most well spoken and interesting people to ever compete in mma.

He's also tough as hell. The beating he took from Bigfoot.. A guy who had 50 pounds on him.. Beat the shit out of him for 5 minutes straight from mount and Fedor was still looking for a submission at the end of the round.. Only got stopped from a doctor.

He was the whole package. His sambo and judo background made him well rounded and technical... But his brains and toughness were just as important.

The only weakness he had was a questionable work ethic late in his career.. But once you've gone 30-0, I imagine it is hard to stay driven.
 
not the most important, but as in all physical activity it helps tremendously
 
Fedor's main asset was his well roundedness, not his athleticism. He could armbar you from anywhere and had the skill to stand with Cro Cop.
Fedor and Nogueira were generally considered among the most athletic HW fighters of the 2000-2005 era... They also happened to be the #1 and #2 fighters of that era. Cain and JDS fit the bill the next era, with Stipe throwing his hat in the ring now.

Athleticism is a big deal.

It's no surprise that Fedor, Nogueira, Cain, and JDS all started to lose fights when they started to have health problems, or in Fedor's case, was no longer training at the level he did when he was younger.
 
Yeah that's the first time iv'e heard fedor described as athletic, cunning, ferocious, tenacious, aggressive and high fight IQ(which he seemed to lose later in his career) were more appropriate ways to describe him I'd say.

Also athleticism matters to an extent but it isn't a foot race, or jumping contest, and there are different ways to be athletic. there are people who can beat me in 100m, that can't beat me in an 800m, and dudes who could beat me in both but I could break their neck with my bare hands. You are going to needs endurance, toughness and willpower as well and it by and large something that's hard to test unless someone is beating the crap out of you.

Then consider that MMA is amazingly technical and experienced based, and the barrier to competing at a high level and earning a lot of money is pretty high. Being athletic won't help you if you can be submitted easily due to lack of mastery of various grappling arts or you can't pace yourself in a fight and burn yourself out etc
 
Top Characteristics for a Successful MMA Career

1 - Don't piss off Dana
2 - Have a great chin and heart
3 - Be gifted or at least dedicated in at least one area - striking, wrestling, BJJ, judo, karate, ect
4 - Be athletic
 
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