Rogan's statements about LeBron are a tad disrespectful to fighters

[SuperNerd]

Or maybe he's a stoner manchild who gets off on ridiculous fantasies.

Why not both?

 

[Ghostoftheville]

How many times have we seen the better pure athlete get his ass whipped in an MMA fight? Being a great athlete certainly doesn't hurt, but it doesn't automatically mean you'll make a great fighter.

And how many times have we seen the most decorated BJJ, Judoka, collegiate wrestler, TKD, etc get starched? Being an amazing athlete isn't the end all be all to become an all time great in MMA it takes a lot of the intangibles that we always hear about in other sports including MMA, and Rogan acknowledged as much himself which is why he used LeBron as his example and not just any star athlete. He stated LeBron's physical gifts with his work ethic is at a different level compared to what most fighters have.

 

[Akabignasty]

 

[Phi-]

The level of still and experience required in baseball is light-years above MMA.

And I fucking hate baseball.

Human biology is not built to throw hoops. We are built for stuff like running, jumping and obviously fighting. You don't have to have ANY sprinting experience to be able to run the 100m, you don't have to have any fighting experience to be able to throw a punch or shift your weight to wrestle. This is not the case with sports like basketball, that have much more specific sets of rules, which means you need much more training to be successful at it. Being able to slam-dunk is just not part of our genetic makeup.

However, the mental aspect in ball sports is a lot less meaningful than in MMA. I met some athletes behaving like "alphas" until they realized there is someone in the room that could easily kick their ass and all of a sudden they turned into normal human beings. That's why I don't believe anybody can make it in MMA just be being an A-level athlete, you need a lot more perseverance when training for a fight than training for a game. There's just no comparison between throwing or kicking a ball and getting punched in the face. Tyson is a good example, he was a rather small HW that couldn't compete with many guys from an athletic perspective, but people were scared shitless when standing across the ring... because when he threw something, he didn't "play to win the game", he wanted to destroy you.

 

[eon001]

Said the same dumb shit about Brock.

He never fucking learns.

On another note, the universe just won't let super athletes have a level combat skills.
I think the body and mind can only process so much. The athleticism in some sports don't always transfer over that well.

Look at Mariusz Pudzianowski. The guy was literally the strongest man on the planet but his only decent wins are against shitty fighters, and despite having a striking background, his athletic muscular body can't deliver technical strikes.

 

[awymore]

Rogan's statement could apply to just about any sport. Linebackers would be pissing themselves if LeBron was a tight end. If he played volleyball, someone would probably die.

 

[Dana_is_your_GOD]

LeBron is arguably the most naturally gifted athlete of all time. That + his worth ethic; he has become one of the best basketball players to ever play the game out of the MILLIONS of people to ever play basketball.

He's not out of line in the slightest.

Basketball is nothing like MMA.

 

[linvillegorge]

And how many times have we seen the most decorated BJJ, Judoka, collegiate wrestler, TKD, etc get starched? Being an amazing athlete isn't the end all be all to become an all time great in MMA it takes a lot of the intangibles that we always hear about in other sports including MMA, and Rogan acknowledged as much himself which is why he used LeBron as his example and not just any star athlete. He stated LeBron's physical gifts with his work ethic is at a different level compared to what most fighters have.

It isn't just about physical ability and work ethic though. There's natural aptitudes. I'll give an example in my personal life, both from HS. We had a kid on our basketball team who went to a high level D1 college on a football scholarship as a RB. Dude couldn't play basketball for shit. It just didn't click for him. He was on the team to play defense and make hustle plays but in terms of actual basketball skills he was awful. Couldn't dribble or shoot to save his life.

Hell, how about Aaron Pico "the greatest MMA prospect ever"? Kid is probably still going to be very good, but gets handled by a journeyman jobber in his MMA debut.

 

[Ezekiel 25:17]

LeBron is arguably the most naturally gifted athlete of all time. That + his worth ethic; he has become one of the best basketball players to ever play the game out of the MILLIONS of people to ever play basketball.

He's not out of line in the slightest.

Who cares? How does any of what you just said translate to mma and the point Joe was trying to make?

If a super "A level" athlete came into mma that means nothing. MMA is a cerebral sport as much as it's a physical one....you can't just walk in thinking your the best athlete ever and succeed....thats not how it work. I don't think smokin joe thought it through.

 

[surgeyou1]

Yeah, tell that to Kenny Rogers or Matt Kemp.

It's not true of the NBA, either. As Dennis Rodman and Hakeem Olajuwon can attest.

And even golf has Greg Norman.

You're talking about rare exceptions, not the norm.

 

[Spiderbite]

BBall players incoming with those Fedor style flurries.

 

[fiftywattmafia]

LeBron via armbar.

 

[Furious77]

I actually think Russel Westbrook is just as impressive athletically and seems to have the mental toughness to be a fighter. He is relentless and it looks like he's about a second away from punching somebody in the face most of the the time.

 

[horseshoe_pass man]

joe reads sherdog confirmed

 

[gunsblazingmode]

What athletic even means?
Every sport requires different athletic abilities (agility,speed,strength,endurance,explosive power,etc)
Fighting is also part of it,some people are born to fight

 

[Big Al's Texas BBQ]

LeBron is arguably the most naturally gifted athlete of all time. That + his worth ethic; he has become one of the best basketball players to ever play the game out of the MILLIONS of people to ever play basketball.

He's not out of line in the slightest.

 

[Lo Pan]

Who cares? How does any of what you just said translate to mma and the point Joe was trying to make?

If a super "A level" athlete came into mma that means nothing. MMA is a cerebral sport as much as it's a physical one....you can't just walk in thinking your the best athlete ever and succeed....thats not how it work. I don't think smokin joe thought it through.

 

[UL]

I agree

But Rogan is a

 

[Lo Pan]

I actually think Russel Westbrook is just as impressive athletically and seems to have the mental toughness to be a fighter. He is relentless and it looks like he's about a second away from punching somebody in the face most of the the time.

he's explosive like no one else, truly

 

[mudrubble]

Rogan likes his big black muscular men a little more than the rest of us. Just a little though

But not too many of them in a room. Then he calls them "apes".

Complicated guy. He's a complex thinker, obv.