From their UFC debut, to their prime, who is/was the most improved fighter?

[RayA]

Title says it all. From their first fight in the UFC, to either now or their prime, who had made the most improvements. In theme with the influx of TJ threads, I'm picking him.

Starting off as a straight up wrestler who relied on it exclusively to get him the win, to becoming one of the best strikers in the UFC. Alongside MM, one of the most well rounded fighters currently.

Who's your answer and why?

 

[WAR RANDLEMAN!]

junior albini

diaper game continues to improve

 

[chinarice]

TJ Dillashaw

 

[leatherneck]

Wanderlai

went from a 10 second blitz KO victim,
to LHW champ in toughest org,
undefeated under pure Pride rules.

 

[Gambit MMA]

holloway has to be up there too with TJ

 

[abiG]

How bout Ronda? Oh wait, she never improved.

 

[PlatinumAmerican]

Holloway, Poirer, Ngannou, Nina Ansaroff

 

[nanika]

GSP

 

[HI SCOTT NEWMAN]

RDA, when he was first in UFC he was awful, he didn't look good at all. Lost most of his fights, even low level guys like Clay Guida were giving him a ass whopping. But then he changed and moved to USA and went on a long win streak and then after become the LW champ, is doing well now at WW too. His skills are noticeably different

 

[SpecialDelivery]

Cant be Conor, hes always been great.


Id say Robbie Lawler

 

[Wariowokecancel]

GSP.

Completely changed his game, training and diet after both losses, avenged them and the came back into post USADA and again change his game to double finish (TKO and sub) the champ in a higher weight class after years of @TheRassler and other basement dwellers predicting his failure.

Where you at @TheRassler

 

[LargeMammal]

I think you got to give a shout out to Whittaker as well.

Ok fair enough he did win the TUF smashes tournament, but he never exactly set the world on fire. Then went on to lose to court mcgee etc. If you'd have made a prediction in 2013 you would've expected Whittaker to go on to enjoy a semi-successful typical overrated TUF-winner journeyman career.

He's now considered one of the best MWs out there and rightfully so. I have utmost respect for the guy, but if I'm honest I never expected that watching him early on.

 

[LargeMammal]

I also think TJ is a great shout for obvious reasons

 

[ga_ninja]

AJ at 170 he was just your average collegiate wreslter got cut and become the MMA George Foreman.

 

[Diet Butcher]

Liddell

Shit fight with Noe Hernandez,
Choked out by Jeremy Horn to LHW legend

 

[ChildoftheCorn]

Honorable mention might be Forrest. I never would have thought he'd be champ and have wins over Shogun and Page near their primes.

 

[Haj01]

CM Punk, he was absolutely humiliated in his first fight. Then he comes back and ... oh wait

 

[WinZip]

GSP went from a striker to one of the best grapplers in the sport (and also improved his striking)

Robbie Lawler came a long way since 10+ years ago, too

 

[laleggenda27]

I agree with RDA, Max, and TJ, as noted above.

MM lost his WEC debut to Brad Pickett. In a few short years, he became a technical dynamo who's outclassed every top fighter in his division.

Stipe was very raw when he first entered the UFC. I was completely unimpressed with his debut against Joey Beltran. Now he's the HW champ and has KO'd Hunt, Arlovski, Werdum, Overeem, and JDS in succession. Respect.

Jon Jones went from being a raw talent who earned a decision over Andre Gusmao to finishing Vera, Matyushenko, Bader, Shogun, Rampage, and Lyoto in succession. PEDs aside, it was tremendous improvement.

 

[007]

Glover Teixeira