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Today :
Skill Set & MMA Evolution - The HWs Case.
Check the following theads about LHWs & MWs & WWs:
http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/d...t-mma-evolution-the-lhw-golden-era-s.3828473/
http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/d...-evolution-the-mw-transitional-era-s.3858851/
http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/deconstructing-mma-myths-part-21-the-disorganized-ww-div.3873877/
Note: this thread can be seen as an extension of this one:
http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/deconstructing-mma-myths-part-5-the-true-evolution-of-mma.3807975/
Some 'evolutionists' here keep claimin´ that the game has evolved exponentially,
and that the current generation is definitely more talented/less 'one-dimensional' than the previous one, from the 2000s.
> Context:
In retrospect, NHB/Vale Tudo was much less refined...Even the BJJ Black Belts, most of the time, would GNP...
If you look at the BJJ vs Luta Livre Challenges [1984 or 1991], or hardcore tournaments like WVC or IVC,
half of the dudes invited were BJJ dudes, and the fights were pretty gruelling ones, not really technical.
Early Pancrase tried to promote a new evolution, more technical, with fighters working on their
ground game and trying to built a submission game (that´s why GNP was forbidden, great idea...).
A talented generation willing to create cross-training teams,and adapt their game to a new fight configuration, technically more demanding .
Rings too had this same objective. And you could say that both had a clear influence
in Early Pride´s game...
Then, Pride added some rules, that made it difficult for submission artists to take risks on the ground:
[till the knee-to-a-downed-opponent rule, technically - Pride 13],
On a sidenote: some of them HWs were actually LHWs bulking,which means that they would retain some of their agility and quickness, while competing/grappling @ HW...
> Now, about the 'Well-Roundedness' Concept:
Ground control has become the new paradigm these days.
Modern Rules & Fight Configuration led the path to a new Skill Set Evolution.
Today, the best "well rounded" fighters are 'defensively' well-rounded, in grappling for instance:
they know for sure how to defend this or that submission.
But one might argue that their offensive submission game has become sub-par,
since most coaches now "prohibit" risky subs like leglocks or armbars for instance.
Well-Roundedness has consequently become limited to its poorest dimension.
But, this cannot be only about a defensive posture:
A "well-rounded" fighter, in his higher and richer meaning,should be someone who can be a threat wherever the fight goes [shout-out to Marco Huas].
Hence, let´s try to assess this Evolution Thing, starting 1st with the HWs.
2006:
1.) Fedor Emelianenko Russia [30 yrs]
2.) Rodrigo 'Minotauro' Nogueira Brazil [30 yrs]
3.) Mark Hunt New Zealand [32 yrs]
4.) Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic Croatia [32 yrs]
5.) Fabricio Werdum Brazil [29 yrs]
6.) Sergei Kharitonov Russia [26 yrs]
7.) Josh Barnett USA [29 yrs]
8.) Alexander Emelianenko Russia [25 yrs]
9.) Heath Herring USA [28 yrs]
10.) Kazuyuki Fujita Japan [36 yrs]
2018: [Current UFC Ranking]
Champion : Daniel Cormier [39 yrs]
1 Stipe Miocic [36 yrs]
2 Derrick Lewis [33 yrs]
3 Curtis Blaydes [27 yrs]
4 Francis Ngannou [31 yrs]
5 Alexander Volkov [29 yrs]
6 Alistair Overeem [38yrs]
7 Junior Dos Santos [34 yrs]
8 Mark Hunt [44 yrs]
9 Marcin Tybura [32 yrs]
Which Generation was indeed the most Well-Rounded one?
Which Fighters were truly the most well-rounded?
Important: this thread is not about who would win in H2H confrontations,
or who took/is taking more PEDs.
That´s why Im asking here to go beyond the clichés/myths... from both sides...
& to focus solely on this division (a BW comparison wouldnt make sense)...
Skill Set & MMA Evolution - The HWs Case.
Check the following theads about LHWs & MWs & WWs:
http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/d...t-mma-evolution-the-lhw-golden-era-s.3828473/
http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/d...-evolution-the-mw-transitional-era-s.3858851/
http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/deconstructing-mma-myths-part-21-the-disorganized-ww-div.3873877/
Note: this thread can be seen as an extension of this one:
http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/deconstructing-mma-myths-part-5-the-true-evolution-of-mma.3807975/
Some 'evolutionists' here keep claimin´ that the game has evolved exponentially,
and that the current generation is definitely more talented/less 'one-dimensional' than the previous one, from the 2000s.
> Context:
In retrospect, NHB/Vale Tudo was much less refined...Even the BJJ Black Belts, most of the time, would GNP...
If you look at the BJJ vs Luta Livre Challenges [1984 or 1991], or hardcore tournaments like WVC or IVC,
half of the dudes invited were BJJ dudes, and the fights were pretty gruelling ones, not really technical.
Early Pancrase tried to promote a new evolution, more technical, with fighters working on their
ground game and trying to built a submission game (that´s why GNP was forbidden, great idea...).
A talented generation willing to create cross-training teams,and adapt their game to a new fight configuration, technically more demanding .
Rings too had this same objective. And you could say that both had a clear influence
in Early Pride´s game...
Then, Pride added some rules, that made it difficult for submission artists to take risks on the ground:
[till the knee-to-a-downed-opponent rule, technically - Pride 13],
On a sidenote: some of them HWs were actually LHWs bulking,which means that they would retain some of their agility and quickness, while competing/grappling @ HW...
> Now, about the 'Well-Roundedness' Concept:
Ground control has become the new paradigm these days.
Modern Rules & Fight Configuration led the path to a new Skill Set Evolution.
Today, the best "well rounded" fighters are 'defensively' well-rounded, in grappling for instance:
they know for sure how to defend this or that submission.
But one might argue that their offensive submission game has become sub-par,
since most coaches now "prohibit" risky subs like leglocks or armbars for instance.
Well-Roundedness has consequently become limited to its poorest dimension.
But, this cannot be only about a defensive posture:
A "well-rounded" fighter, in his higher and richer meaning,should be someone who can be a threat wherever the fight goes [shout-out to Marco Huas].
Hence, let´s try to assess this Evolution Thing, starting 1st with the HWs.
2006:
1.) Fedor Emelianenko Russia [30 yrs]
2.) Rodrigo 'Minotauro' Nogueira Brazil [30 yrs]
3.) Mark Hunt New Zealand [32 yrs]
4.) Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic Croatia [32 yrs]
5.) Fabricio Werdum Brazil [29 yrs]
6.) Sergei Kharitonov Russia [26 yrs]
7.) Josh Barnett USA [29 yrs]
8.) Alexander Emelianenko Russia [25 yrs]
9.) Heath Herring USA [28 yrs]
10.) Kazuyuki Fujita Japan [36 yrs]
2018: [Current UFC Ranking]
Champion : Daniel Cormier [39 yrs]
1 Stipe Miocic [36 yrs]
2 Derrick Lewis [33 yrs]
3 Curtis Blaydes [27 yrs]
4 Francis Ngannou [31 yrs]
5 Alexander Volkov [29 yrs]
6 Alistair Overeem [38yrs]
7 Junior Dos Santos [34 yrs]
8 Mark Hunt [44 yrs]
9 Marcin Tybura [32 yrs]
Which Generation was indeed the most Well-Rounded one?
Which Fighters were truly the most well-rounded?
Important: this thread is not about who would win in H2H confrontations,
or who took/is taking more PEDs.
That´s why Im asking here to go beyond the clichés/myths... from both sides...
& to focus solely on this division (a BW comparison wouldnt make sense)...
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