Who Rickson Didn’t Face?

[NHB7]

Rickson fought between 1980 - 2000. The Gracie’s certainly considered him the best among them. Legends about him abound. No doubt, he was a badass. But who was fighting between 1980-1997 (we’ll call those his prime years) that Rickson did not fight that you believe either absolutely would have beaten him or probably would have or possibly could have.


Personally I think:

Coleman absolutely beats him.

Frank Shamrock, Tito Ortiz probably would have beaten him.

Sakuraba, Dan Henderson, Igor V., Don Frye, Oleg T. all could have beaten him.

 

[manboy<3]

Everyone you listed would have ruined him bad

Mark Kerr started in 1997 and would have done whatever he wanted

Mikhael Illukhine would have made him into a highlight real submission

Volk Han would have given him another Sambo loss to weasel out of

Those guys and the three guys I listed would have beaten him so soundly that I don't think they are worth discussing as legit opponents

I think his level of opponent was more like

Igor Zinoviev
Ensoun Inoue
Mario Sperry (maybe too hard for any Gracie)

Could he have beaten guys like that ?

 

[chubbman]

He priced himself out of a fight with bas because he’s a fucking duck.

And I hate ducks

 

[permafrost]

He beat Funaki who has some solid wins. Other then that yes its to bad we didn't get to see him against saku, Igor, etc

 

[lukeuidswords]

Marco Ruas and Sakuraba are the two big ones since they seemed to be on collision courses and they never materialized

 

[moonwolf]

Marco Ruas and Sakuraba are the two big ones since they seemed to be on collision courses and they never materialized

Bas was the biggest one. Bas even called out Rickson in a Pancrase post fight interview (in ring) while Rickson was in the audience.
This was in the early 90s when both were in their fighting primes. Saku's challenge didn't come until much later after Rickson had already beaten Anjo in a dojo fight, Takada twice in Pride, and wasn't wasn't fighting regularly.

 

[lukeuidswords]

Bas was the biggest one. Bas even called out Rickson in a Pancrase post fight interview (in ring) while Rickson was in the audience.
This was in the early 90s when both were in their fighting primes. Saku's challenge didn't come until much later after Rickson had already beaten Anjo in a dojo fight, Takada twice in Pride, and wasn't wasn't fighting regularly.

Bas just wanted to see if Rickson was as good as everyone said. Marco Ruas was deeply personal and rode the crest of the BJJ vs Luta Livre wave. Saku was taking out his family members one by one.

 

[moonwolf]

Bas just wanted to see if Rickson was as good as everyone said. Marco Ruas was deeply personal and rode the crest of the BJJ vs Luta Livre wave. Saku was taking out his family members one by one.

Bas was the one everyone wanted to see, again in the primes of both their careers. Marco Ruas never made an open challenge, and could easily have fought Rickson while in Brazil to represent LL; Hugo Duarte did. Saku hadn't even fought Royce yet.

 

[JacJeanFinger]

Rickson did say in interviews that he would most certainly beat Don Frye, Mark Coleman, Rodrigo Nogueira, and Fedor.

He did not say he would beat Brock Lesnar and Tom Erikson.

He said he would fight Mark Kerr in his dojo

His brother said Rickson would be able to beat Vovchanchyn but Rickson himself mentioned nothing about that possibility.

His brother said Rickson would submit Matt Hughes but Rickson himself didn't.

His uncle said Rickson would have no chance against Mark Kerr on the ground due to size difference.

He declined an offer to fight Sakuraba for PRIDE 9 OR 10 citing he has no charisma.

 

[ngn21]

frank shamrock would have beaten him easily! frank in his prime was the best in his division

 

[rob mafia]

a better question would be who did rickson actually face?

 

[skylolow]

To be honest in all this Rickson for the most part was done fighting by 1995. At that time he was upper 30's. So I think you have to look at other MMA fighters that more or less was fighting in the early 90's. Guys like Dan Severn or Ken Shamrock or Bas Rutten come to mind more so than Coleman who had his first fight in 1996 and was basically a nobody at that time.

In the early 1990's to even the mid 90's these guys with name value going into the late 90's and into the 2000's were nobodies for the most part on the international MMA scene in the mid 90's or any MMA scene. Outside of Severn, Bas, and Shamrock the pool gets pretty thin quickly and no promoter was paying the money Pride forked out for Rickson to come back twice. Which had a lot to do with the name Rickson made in Vale Tudo tournaments in Japan and Pride matching him up with cultural icons in Japan more so than putting him up against a great mixed martial artist. Rickson vs Bas in 1995 or 1996 or whatever in Japan really won't mean much to the Japan audience at that time, which in return won't get Rickson paid much.

He only came back in 1997 because of what was rumored a million dollar payday and more for his 1998 comeback which he was 40 years old at that point. It wasn't like he was out there seeking fights. This is guy that put in ton of time in the dojo through his life which I'm sure added lot of wear and tear on the his body. To boot he had a good business going with Gracie JJ so to go fight for 10K to 20K or whatever wasn't exactly that appealing I'm sure to him. So it took a lot of money to get him to perk up. I think it was rumored Pride offer him like 3 million to fight Sak. that he initially agreed to but then his son died and he backed out. At that time he was like 41 or 42 years old.


P.S.: People always want to rip on him not fighting some these guys but very few people realize the guy was well on his way or into his mid 40's by the time any of these guys had any star power. I don't see to many mid 40 year old MMA fighters looking for fights against the best the world has to offer. Yes, he yapped about beating some of them when asked about it in interviews but do you think Chuck Liddell sits around today saying he'd lose to this guy or that guy?? It isn't how these guys think.

 

[Vil7]

He beat Funaki who has some solid wins. Other then that yes its to bad we didn't get to see him against saku, Igor, etc

Igor via the punchy punchy.

 

[InfinityLens]

Here is an interesting question, what was the best record a guy he faced in MMA had?

 

[jono83]

Igor via the punchy punchy.

Igor would've murdered that Rickson.

 

[gono btw]

Rickson did say in interviews that he would most certainly beat Don Frye, Mark Coleman, Rodrigo Nogueira, and Fedor.

He did not say he would beat Brock Lesnar and Tom Erikson.

He said he would fight Mark Kerr in his dojo

His brother said Rickson would be able to beat Vovchanchyn but Rickson himself mentioned nothing about that possibility.

His brother said Rickson would submit Matt Hughes but Rickson himself didn't.

His uncle said Rickson would have no chance against Mark Kerr on the ground due to size difference.

He declined an offer to fight Sakuraba for PRIDE 9 OR 10 citing he has no charisma.

He actually said he could see holes in both Fedor and Lesnar´s game

 

[Idonotbelieveit]

Coleman loses . He takes him down then gets wrapped up

Ken in 1996 be good match up but rickson wins

No body pre 2000 beats rickson

 

[gono btw]

Rickson fought between 1980 - 2000. The Gracie’s certainly considered him the best among them. Legends about him abound. No doubt, he was a badass. But who was fighting between 1980-1997 (we’ll call those his prime years) that Rickson did not fight that you believe either absolutely would have beaten him or probably would have or possibly could have.


Personally I think:

Coleman absolutely beats him.

Frank Shamrock, Tito Ortiz probably would have beaten him.

Sakuraba, Dan Henderson, Igor V., Don Frye, Oleg T. all could have beaten him.

Basically the one everybody was waiting for back in the days: Ruas.

If you listen and read Rickson´s interviews, he always showed respect mainly to Ruas, never badmouthed him, seriously

 

[Idonotbelieveit]

Igor would've murdered that Rickson.

He might have landed first punch but if not?

He gets took down and subbed

 

[jono83]

He might have landed first punch but if not?

He gets took down and subbed

I'm not sure it would be so easy for Rickson. There's almost no evidence of how he would do against top fighters, especially the heavies. Dude fought nobodies and he was already old as mma was starting to grow and expand with talent. I think Rickson would've been much too slow to avoid getting tagged by Igor who not only was on a different level as an overall fighter but also incredibly strong and powerful.