I love Sherdogs obsession with fighters physiques

[MMALeBronJames]

Maybe because there's always a correlation between BJ's shape and his performance. When he shows up to the weigh ins FAT, he usually gasses in the fight and loses. Proof is in the pudding. Not to mention BJ himself said that he'd be in good shape for this fight, 10% body fat, no fat around his stomach at 170, and etc. We're only pointing his fatness out because he claimed he was ripped for this fight. /Thread

 

[TM]

I just want someone to point out a current WW that looks kinda soft and slightly chubby who is a top fighter in the UFC. Can't think of one right? Because it doesn't work for fighters these days considering how tough the competition is, whether your name is BJ or not. If you don't train really hard and keep up a good diet to maximize your muscle/fat ratio, you're very likely to lose to top fighters that do all those things. And if you do work really hard training, you will look good physically so it does have a correlation.

I know someone will bring up Roy Nelson, but HW is a bit different unless you're pretty close to the LHW limit. If you're 250lbs naturally while training, cutting a few lbs of fat won't let you go down a weight-class. And frankly Roy Nelson should be a LHW, his cardio would be insane without the huge belly.

 

[Cameron92107]

Diaz is less buff than condit and he won rounds 1 2 and 5

 

[tkotom]

lol..as if physique doesn't mean anything. its not coincidence 90% of fighters are shredded.

BJ comes into fights chubbier than your average fighter, and he also gasses significantly worse than other fighters.

Coincidence? yea I guess so.

Fedor never gassed in his career.

You don't always have to be shredded to have great cardio.

You'll find most special forces guys aren't ripped like they're on stanazol but they can run for days.

 

[Radon]

This is all beside the point. Yes, everyone knows BJ should probably be at 155. But BJ wants to fight at 170, so why dwell? The point I'm making is just because BJ isn't yoked doesn't automatically mean he isn't going to do OK in the cardio department tomorrow.

But consider this. If I'm in equally good cardiovascular shape to someone who's stronger and let's assume even in technique/skills/learned abilities. I will gas first. I'm using my "elite cardio" to move something larger/stronger than me. My opponent is using their "elite cardio" to move something smaller/weaker than them.

I may be in just as good of shape, but I'm going to be taxed harder and faster.

 

[nostradumbass]

BJ isn't some new fighter we've never seen. We've seen what he looks like in shape and out of shape. He does carry more useless weight at 170 and has always gassed halfway through the 2nd round. When he was leaner at 155 his cardio was better.

 

[Natman2939]

OMG BJ PENN DOESN'T EVEN LOOK RIPPED, SHREDDED, LEAN OR BUFF!!!!

I hate listening to these shitheads. You jerkoffs can work on your abs and biceps to try and trick some poor girl into coming home with you from the bar, but that doesn't mean BJ Penn needs to suddenly morph into a chizzled mountain of a man to be in better shape.

Is BJ in better shape? Idk, I hope so, but to the morons crying about how the fact that BJ isn't sporting a shiny new 6 pack means he must be ready to gas during his ring entrance, chill out.

I'm not sure about fighters in general,

but here's the thing about BJ Penn: Most of his worst losses were the ones where he looked the "fattest" and out of shape

2nd Hughes fight
Diaz fight

and even at 155:
the 1st Edgar fight, controversial or not, was one of Penn's slowest and worst performances at 155. And it was pretty much the only fight at 155 where he didn't look to be in great shape.

The fights where he's come in shredded and great looking, like against diego, and sherk, and florian, and even the 3rd matt hughes fight to an extent, he dominated.

So that's why, in this PARTICULAR case, Penn's physique is of great interest. Because if he loses, it's going to be another case of "well damn...maybe if he was in shape..."

 

[crowded]

My obsession with physique will grow with the women's division.

 

[Brock2026]

A fighters physique can be a good indication of a fighters shape. BJ Penn doesn't have the genetics to look like some of those other ripped guys. But when he looks more ripped people take notice. Who cares.

 

[DSM]

Genetics

 

[GSP Apologist]

 

[straight6]

A fighters physique tells you a little story about their fight IQ at ~185 (realistically even 205) or below. If you can afford to carry fat at a lower class you're cheating yourself by not losing it and dropping a class, or exchange it for muscle and staying in the same weight class. The only exception might be the extremely stocky guys who are a dying breed due to the physical disadvantages mostly related to reach, or even frame. GSP is the last "stocky" fighter at the top. In every other weight class it's lean, tall, strong.

BJ obviously should be 155.. If he wants to be "legit" at 170 he needs to add muscle that will likely slow him down. It's just not the right weight class for him in 2012 where guys like Rory/Story/Marquardt etc. exist. He can either be mini jeff monson or fight at 155. Honestly GSP pushes the envelope at 5'10? If not for his very long arms, and of course unparalleled MMA skills he'd be losing due to his disadvantages against the larger guys.

Couldnt agree more, this!

 

[Woozer]

The only way that physique effects the way I look at fighters is this:

Both guys have to come in at roughly the same weight. Let's say both dudes are at 170, one dude has flab, and the other guy is ripped. Looks don't matter but I always feel like the guy who's got more muscle relative to body weight, if nothing else, has a mechanical advantage.

It's not the be all end all, and of course skill trumps everything. But all other things being equal, body fat is a waste of space in a sport where you're being grouped by weight class in my opinion.

 

[Da Speeit]

Wow Life and Monopoly I gotta get me a set of abs.

Woah.
Life is like, so big and Monopoly is so small.

Just shows you how inferior something like money is to the great wonders and trials of life

 

[ONLYDEATHISREAL]

OMG BJ PENN DOESN'T EVEN LOOK RIPPED, SHREDDED, LEAN OR BUFF!!!!

I hate listening to these shitheads. You jerkoffs can work on your abs and biceps to try and trick some poor girl into coming home with you from the bar, but that doesn't mean BJ Penn needs to suddenly morph into a chizzled mountain of a man to be in better shape.

Is BJ in better shape? Idk, I hope so, but to the morons crying about how the fact that BJ isn't sporting a shiny new 6 pack means he must be ready to gas during his ring entrance, chill out.

I think the fact that rory trains with gsp will be the reason he wins! Bj is great, but with semi good cardio, those late rounds will be his kryptonite!

 

[OldManGrip]

A fighters physique tells you a little story about their fight IQ at ~185 (realistically even 205) or below. If you can afford to carry fat at a lower class you're cheating yourself by not losing it and dropping a class, or exchange it for muscle and staying in the same weight class. The only exception might be the extremely stocky guys who are a dying breed due to the physical disadvantages mostly related to reach, or even frame. GSP is the last "stocky" fighter at the top. In every other weight class it's lean, tall, strong.

BJ obviously should be 155.. If he wants to be "legit" at 170 he needs to add muscle that will likely slow him down. It's just not the right weight class for him in 2012 where guys like Rory/Story/Marquardt etc. exist. He can either be mini jeff monson or fight at 155. Honestly GSP pushes the envelope at 5'10? If not for his very long arms, and of course unparalleled MMA skills he'd be losing due to his disadvantages against the larger guys.

haha what aldo is ike 5'7, edgar beat the sht out of much bigger guys and is 5'6, i think cormier could take jones, jds isn't long and lanky hes 6'3 hw which is average

 

[Vhagar]

the reality is fat people suck at fighting. there are like 5 examples i can think of in combat sports history that i would consider fat and were good.

 

[Poseidon]

And no gladiator who ever fought for his life ever had a six pack, the reverse actually, htye would appear out of shape by todays drug fuelled standard, yet they would slay all these fuckers in seconds

 

[OldManGrip]

And no gladiator who ever fought for his life ever had a six pack, the reverse actually, htye would appear out of shape by todays drug fuelled standard, yet they would slay all these fuckers in seconds

exactly, look at fedor and cormier, they took out much bigger fighters. cormier schooled big foot and barnett and hes a 5'10 chubby dude

 

[Chernabog]

TS, why are you obsessing with our obsession over physiques?

Don't judge us based on what we post, you barely know us.