Can you imagine how good Yair Romero could have been if he started MMA earlier?

[MMAislife69]

he already looks like one of the best fighters we've ever seen and he is in his late 40s. Can you imagine when he was 25 what damage he could have done to other UFC fighters?

Any other cases of old fighters joining late and dominating? I can't think of any.

 

[GoodAssCheese]

What about Yoel Rodriguez?

 

[MMAislife69]

What about Yoel Rodriguez?

I only watch the UFC so I don't know any of the Bellator fighters

 

[wilKO]

Up there with Erick Silva; who himself is still a mere prospect.

 

[VitorReem]

 

[Arm Barbarian]

Can you imagine how good Yair Romero could have been

 

[chitoortiz]

What about this guy?

 

[NinjaSpider]

Meh , Ken Rua though.....

 

[Arqueto]

What about Sandy Couture bro?

 

[HomerThompson]

What about this guy?

He would've been like a better version of Mark Coleman.

 

[AC1D1K]

Yoeliair dos Santos jr as welll

 

[El Fernas]

Similar to Anderson Aldo.

 

[DaPunkMinowaMan]

he already looks like one of the best fighters we've ever seen and he is in his late 40s. Can you imagine when he was 25 what damage he could have done to other UFC fighters?

Any other cases of old fighters joining late and dominating? I can't think of any.

His kicks would be even better...

 

[DaPunkMinowaMan]

What about this guy?

Blake looks different...

 

[Mikey Palangio]

MMA is a grappling sport. Yoel wouldn't have been that good if he didn't have a life time of top shelf wrestling experience.

He would have been the average fighter who knows a little bit of everything, getting dominated by an experienced wrestler who started MMA late.

After watching Chris Weidman vs Mousasi and Maia vs Masvidal, I am even more convinced that MMA is essentially grappling with just enough striking to allow a fighter to grapple.

MMA does not require higher level striking, it is more important to have higher level grappling, because a grappler scores points with takedowns, positioning and attempted submissions. But a striker doesn't get points for good footwork or strikes that miss.

Conclusion, it is better to be a dominant grappler than a MMA fighter who knows a little bit of everything.

 

[cntrlvafightfan]

he already looks like one of the best fighters we've ever seen and he is in his late 40s. Can you imagine when he was 25 what damage he could have done to other UFC fighters?

Any other cases of old fighters joining late and dominating? I can't think of any.

Wow a hybrid of Yoel Romero and Yair Rodriguez? Would be pretty formidable I would guess.

 

[MMAislife69]

MMA is a grappling sport. Yoel wouldn't have been that good if he didn't have a life time of top shelf wrestling experience.

He would have been the average fighter who knows a little bit of everything, getting dominated by an experienced wrestler who started MMA late.

After watching Chris Weidman vs Mousasi and Maia vs Masvidal, I am even more convinced that MMA is essentially grappling with just enough striking to allow a fighter to grapple.

MMA does not require higher level striking, it is more important to have higher level grappling, because a grappler scores points with takedowns, positioning and attempted submissions. But a striker doesn't get points for good footwork or strikes that miss.

Conclusion, it is better to be a dominant grappler than a MMA fighter who knows a little bit of everything.

That's two fights. Plus extremely extremely disproportional sample size to come to that conclusion. How many wrestling and BJJ champs have crossed over compared to how many boxing or MT champs?

And you have to take into account the weight class too. Grappling is more effective at lower levels I would say, because the fear of getting KO'd is much less. In heavyweight one wrong move and you could be unconscious.

 

[BJJ_Rage]

MMA is a grappling sport. Yoel wouldn't have been that good if he didn't have a life time of top shelf wrestling experience.

He would have been the average fighter who knows a little bit of everything, getting dominated by an experienced wrestler who started MMA late.

After watching Chris Weidman vs Mousasi and Maia vs Masvidal, I am even more convinced that MMA is essentially grappling with just enough striking to allow a fighter to grapple.

MMA does not require higher level striking, it is more important to have higher level grappling, because a grappler scores points with takedowns, positioning and attempted submissions. But a striker doesn't get points for good footwork or strikes that miss.

Conclusion, it is better to be a dominant grappler than a MMA fighter who knows a little bit of everything.

Actually everything in Mma is designed to be in prone strikers. Fights start in the feet, free stand ups, do strikers get to a forced clinch if they just walking around the cage shadow boxing each other? No. Gloves, rounds etc etc. the thjng is, grappling is more dominant in fighting than striking, artificial rules have to be made to make the sport more "exiting"... Strikers benefit from it because well, the regular fan just want to see guys throw and care very little for the grappling aspect.

 

[TheYoshiSlayer]

Imagine if Brock Lesnar or Mark Hunt trained in MMA at an early age. Inagine Mike Tyson learning how to grapple early in life. Bare knuckle Tyson vs Gordeau, the sumo guy, Royce, and my boy Art Jimmerson

 

[DaWrassler007]

What about this guy?