Prime Alexander Karelin would ragdoll Cain

[Super Grover]

...except for Tyson.

Tyson wasnt even the most feared boxer of all time IMO. Sonny Liston and Foreman would both be ahead of him.


All the grill selling has made people forget how fucking scary George Foreman was back in the day. People legitimately thought he was going to kill Ali in the ring in Zaire.

 

[The Clamburglar]

Stronger? Probably.

Better wrestler? By a mile.

But significantly stronger? Brock, in his prime, had a ~700lb squat/deadlift, ~500lb bench. Strength-wise, that'd put him just shy of world class strongmen, powerlifters, etc. Hard to imagine someone who isn't a hw strength athlete being significantly stronger than Brock.

According to Strong, Stronger, Strongest by Dale Harder, Karelin's numbers were:

Bench press: 704 lbs.
Deadlift: 882 lbs
Clean and jerk: 450 lbs

 

[U.S. Soldier]

Here is what ppl don't get. In pure Wrestling, Karelin would make short work out of all the wrestlers that are fighting in MMA. In a MMA fight, all the MMA wrestlers will not try to take him down, just go for the KO. Karelin would have to learn the striking game to be able to use his superior wrestling.

One sport is different than another. To be able to use your one art your really good at, you are going to have to crosstrain to be able to use that one art your excellent with.

 

[RJ43]

According to Strong, Stronger, Strongest by Dale Harder, Karelin's numbers were:

Bench press: 704 lbs.
Deadlift: 882 lbs
Clean and jerk: 450 lbs

That's just a stupid high amount of weight. That bench press would have given Karelin the world record for a raw lift assuming it was done at some point during the early 90's.

Karelin is probably one of strongest guys ever in terms of actual application of strength but to believe he could also perform weight lifts at those numbers is a bit of a stretch.

 

[The Clamburglar]

That's just a stupid high amount of weight. That bench press would have given Karelin the world record for a raw lift assuming it was done at some point during the early 90's.

Karelin is probably one of strongest guys ever in terms of actual application of strength but to believe he could also perform weight lifts at those numbers is a bit of a stretch.

The world record was like 720-730 at the time (assuming it was early-mid 90s).

I agree the numbers are hard to believe for someone who is not dedicated to that specific discipline, but Karelin has countless displays that shows just how powerful he was, so even if the numbers are off a little, I have no doubt he was significantly stronger than Lesnar.

Like I said, I just quoted a book that is about the strongest athletes of all-time, not saying they are 100% factual.

 

[uhwrestler]

That's just a stupid high amount of weight. That bench press would have given Karelin the world record for a raw lift assuming it was done at some point during the early 90's.

Karelin is probably one of strongest guys ever in terms of actual application of strength but to believe he could also perform weight lifts at those numbers is a bit of a stretch.

don't know about those numbers....but all those years of wrestling created freak functional strength in Karelin that not even the worlds top powerlifters or strongmen had. Karelin wouldn't even need his wrestling technique i believe he could ragdoll o-lineman,powerlifters, and strongmen using purely strength and no technique

 

[Bahoosh]

Karelin was a freak of nature, but i'm surprised Mijain Lopez doesn't get the same kind of attention.

Two time olympic gold medalist in greco roman, plus five time world champ. It's widely known that his two silver medals are the result of him selling matches, which Cuban wrestlers are notorious for doing. He's going to go for (and almost certainly get) his third olympic gold in 2016.

 

[Torrid]

He looked super awkward during his fight in Japan.

 

[SlicerDM]

Still laughing that people are saying that Brock is stronger than Karelin. Karelin is the definition of a freak athlete. Easily one of the scariest athetes of all time. He would make Brock look like DJ in terms of intimidation.

 

[kflo]

The world record was like 720-730 at the time (assuming it was early-mid 90s).

I agree the numbers are hard to believe for someone who is not dedicated to that specific discipline, but Karelin has countless displays that shows just how powerful he was, so even if the numbers are off a little, I have no doubt he was significantly stronger than Lesnar.

Like I said, I just quoted a book that is about the strongest athletes of all-time, not saying they are 100% factual.

What displays show how he would be as strong as the strongest power lifters of all a time? Beyond what we saw on the mat.

 

[RafailNadull]

I think he was a good athlete but as he never played in the NFL or an equivalent sport, we cannot know for sure.

The competition in wrasslin is almost non-existent compared to the top paying sports that attract all the A level athletes.

 

[Emanuele]

I think they actually wanted him for one of the first UFC

I don't know about UFC 1, but it was Rulon Gardner who didn't like to hit people on face.
This is the same thing I ask to myself about Artur Taymazov (the best freestyle wrestler ever).
However, Karelin would have been a beast in MMA.

 

[kflo]

Really strong guy. Not benching 700.

 

[kflo]

I don't know about UFC 1, but it was Rulon Gardner who didn't like to hit people on face.

This is the same thing I ask to myself about Artur Taymazov (the best freestyle wrestler ever).

However, Karelin would have been a beast in MMA, Beyond of his Greco Roman wrestling he was trained in sambo, judo and boxing too.
So he would have been able in pinning, punching, armbarring, leglocking, choking.

There's little real evidence he trained much in anything other than wrestling.

 

[NicholasJBasile]

He is definitely one of the big "what ifs" but I don't feel he'd match Cain in the cardio department.

 

[HOLA]

Karelin was a freak of nature, but i'm surprised Mijain Lopez doesn't get the same kind of attention.

Two time olympic gold medalist in greco roman, plus five time world champ. It's widely known that his two silver medals are the result of him selling matches, which Cuban wrestlers are notorious for doing. He's going to go for (and almost certainly get) his third olympic gold in 2016.

There were actually rumors a few years ago he was coming to MMA, but nothing happened.

That dude has run shit since 2005.

O5 1st
06 2nd
07 1st
08 1st
09 1st
10 1st
11 2nd
12 1st
13 didn't compete
14 1st

If he didn't throw the two matches, which there is definitely a possibility he did, he would be at 9 right now, not far behind Karelin.

 

[pclanadmin2]

He is definitely one of the big "what ifs" but I don't feel he'd match Cain in the cardio department.

yeah i came into this thread to say this.

 

[peytonlucy]

Oh thats cool is Conner also known for ragdolling 300 pound olympic wrestlers...this guy ate guys like Daniel Cormier and Brock Lesnar for Breakfast

No, he ate guys, who beat guys like Cormier and Brock, for breakfast. But let's not forget Aleksander Medved who won three Olympic Golds in successive Olympics in increasing weight classes, the last in 1972 Super Heavyweight where he gave away more than 150 pounds in a match and won.

 

[skombolis]

There is way too much ass-crack and teeth in that photo! And for the love of God tell me that guy is wearing a sweater for pants and that isn't leg hair. He makes George 'the animal' Steele look like a fully-shaved swimmer

 

[K1MMA]

[YT]7_dDKWmyz4k[/YT]

Needs more highlights!

He does those slams to guys that weigh 280-290 that is insane.

Never watched wrestling, but this video is definitely worth watching. Insane, yea.