2021 UFC HW rankings if time travel was possible

Robbie Brawler

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Who would be the champ + and how would the top 15 look like if it was possible to merge current UFC HW with Pride Openweight GP fighters from 2006?

Assumptions/rules:
- UFC rules/octagon, but no USADA
- Only HWs actually ranked by the UFC right now (i.e. no Jones/Cormier)
- I didn’t reorder UFC rankings other than bumping them down to make slots for Pride, but feel free to do so since it’s a pure fantasy exercise.

I start:
Champion: Fedor
#1 Big Nog
#2 Ngannou
#3 Miocic
#4 Cro Cop
#5 Werdum
#6 Lewis
#7 Gane
#8 Overeem
#9 Barnett
#10 Hunt
#11 Blaydes
#12 Volkov
#13 Rozenstruik
#14 Abdurakhimov
#15 Tybura

Assistance for casuals:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_in_Pride_FC
https://www.ufc.com/rankings

A couple of observations / comments:
- Pride was the pinnacle of HW MMA so I’ve got Fedor / Nog as a clear cut top 2. No disrespect to 2021 Francis / Stipe, but they are just a tier below.
- I’d probably have Miocic from 2-3 years ago as a #1 only behind the GOAT himself, but again, it’s the current UFC.
- My #11-#15 is essentially the same as UFC’s current #5-#9 spots. As much as I love Shogun, Belfort and Randleman, they’re not natural heavyweights and I can’t see them matching up well with 260 lbs monsters like Rozenstruik or Abdurakhimov.
- Cro Cop is a wild card and I struggled the most ranking him. You can tell me that he’s too high or too low and I’ll probably agree.
 
I would have Cro Cop above Francis (Legs are more deadly than his hands and with higher reach).
Barnett should be higher.
Werdum and Lewis would be lower IMO. Gane would be above them.

Though If we can move back in time, why pick only now and 2006? Why not all fighters at their peak?
 
Depends whether the fights would be in the UFC or not. Pride had no strict drug testing and the officials were shady
 
LOL at having Nog, Cro Cup, and especially Josh Barnett that high. Be real.
 
They have no chance against them. Just watch Fedor vs Mirko and watch any HW fight these days. It's funny how terrible modern HWs are

I mean Black Beast is ranked #2 and he beat the mighty Ngannou lmao
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They have no chance against them. Just watch Fedor vs Mirko and watch any HW fight these days. It's funny how terrible modern HWs are

I mean Black Beast is ranked #2 and he beat the mighty Ngannou lmao
Lewis and Nducko would have like 40 lbs on prime Fedor and Mirko. That counts.
 
People seriously need to go back and watch these guys in their primes instead of picturing their 45 year old versions vs the younger guys now. I just had this discussion with someone about Ken Shamrock earlier when people act like 50 year old Ken Shamrock is exactly the same as prime Ken Shamrock who got a lightening fast knee bar on Bas Rutten. Heck, speaking of that, what HW can even do a kneebar these days? Much less one that looked as amazing as that one.
 
People seriously need to go back and watch these guys in their primes instead of picturing their 45 year old versions vs the younger guys now. I just had this discussion with someone about Ken Shamrock earlier when people act like 50 year old Ken Shamrock is exactly the same as prime Ken Shamrock who got a lightening fast knee bar on Bas Rutten. Heck, speaking of that, what HW can even do a kneebar these days? Much less one that looked as amazing as that one.

Noone does kneebars at a high level anymore, it's a pretty easy technique to defend for high level fighters who know what they're doing. It used to work better in the era where knowledge of these things wasn't as widespread, but now everyone knows how to defend them.
 
People seriously need to go back and watch these guys in their primes instead of picturing their 45 year old versions vs the younger guys now. I just had this discussion with someone about Ken Shamrock earlier when people act like 50 year old Ken Shamrock is exactly the same as prime Ken Shamrock who got a lightening fast knee bar on Bas Rutten. Heck, speaking of that, what HW can even do a kneebar these days? Much less one that looked as amazing as that one.

Ciryl Gane can and has?

He also is not on copious amounts of anabolic steroids unlike these old timers you think so highly of.
 

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