How good was Ian Freeman?

[Yrat]

Ian was the first heavyweight from UK who did a name in mma and especially in UFC. He destroyed a young Frank Mir and he was training with Josh Barnett back then for that fight.

Ian style reminds me a little bit of Igor Vovchanchyn but Igor back then had way much better rhythm in head movement and set up strikes.

With that said Ian ended his career with 20-7 if I am not mistaken and beated Ricco Rodriguez back in 2013

Questions I have

- Would Ian do better in pride back in 2002 if his first opponent was Heath Herring?
- If Ian could do 205 lbs would he do a better UFC career?
- Why was not UFC interested to promote him more back then? He was the only UK heavyweight who did well until he lost to Andrei Arlovski


I think he is amazing to be honest. The British version of Igor Vovchanchyn

 

[Luthien]

The British version of Igor Vovchanchyn

 

[rear naked ankle pick]

"there is no greater victory than to fall from this world a Freeman"

-Spartacus

 

[Bork Neslar]

Pretty good.

 

[Prologue]

I feel like, people, when they see Ian Freeman, they don't say, oh, he's a punk. They say, hey man, there's a warrior.

 

[Local Plata]

Pretty solid for the time. Not very well rounded, but pretty tough and imposing.

 

[Zorro]

Ian was the first heavyweight from UK who did a name in mma and especially in UFC. He destroyed a young Frank Mir and he was training with Josh Barnett back then for that fight.

Ian style reminds me a little bit of Igor Vovchanchyn but Igor back then had way much better rhythm in head movement and set up strikes.

With that said Ian ended his career with 20-7 if I am not mistaken and beated Ricco Rodriguez back in 2013

Questions I have

- Would Ian do better in pride back in 2002 if his first opponent was Heath Herring?
- If Ian could do 205 lbs would he do a better UFC career?
- Why was not UFC interested to promote him more back then? He was the only UK heavyweight who did well until he lost to Andrei Arlovski


I think he is amazing to be honest. The British version of Igor Vovchanchyn

He was pretty good fighter, but I certainly wouldn't compare him to Igor. Igor Vovchanchyn had scud missiles where his hands should be.
His father died the night before he beat up Frank Mir, he entered that fight on a mission.
I really enjoyed his fight against Vernon white, I think that was at UFC 43. I don't remember what happened to him after that, but I'm thinking he was already fairly oldish
Edit: He was only 32, not that old. My mistake

 

[TeenageMutantLesnarTurtle]

Strong pitbull of a bloke who deserves credit for being a trailblazer for UK MMA, but he was a third tier HW even for that era. Calling him a British Igor is flattering him more than a little.

 

[weaselkenievil]

@Yrat i was a huge fan of Ian Freeman back in the day, his absolute whalloping of Frank Mir was classic just bleed stuff. Pounding Mir’s face in while in a heel hook, love that fight.

His book is good too if you haven’t read it.

I think he would have definitely done better at 205, he was not a true HW.

I think that was the only UFC that was on Sky Sports in England, and still is I think.

He didn’t have a long enough reign to really build him up and the UK MMA scene at the time was tiny. You’d bump into the same people everywhere.

 

[weaselkenievil]

Strong pitbull of a bloke who deserves credit for being a trailblazer for UK MMA, but he was a third tier HW even for that era. Calling him a British Igor is flattering him more than a little.

I think that is more accurate assessment yeah. Pioneer of UK MMA, let’s leave it at that.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

Good for the time, durable and hard hitting. Calling him the British Igor is a bit of a stretch though.

 

[pankrat]

Better than Mark Epstein

 

[RogerB08]

Good for the era he competed in just like most if tge guys we remember from back then.

 

[Siver!]

Good heavyweight but when he lost, he lost fast.

 

[Pierced7681]

Good for the time, durable and hard hitting. Calling him the British Igor is a bit of a stretch though.

was going to comment pretty much the same thing lol

 

[Max Power]

One of Britain's hardest.

 

[Goatenstein]

Ian was the first heavyweight from UK who did a name in mma and especially in UFC. He destroyed a young Frank Mir and he was training with Josh Barnett back then for that fight.

Ian style reminds me a little bit of Igor Vovchanchyn but Igor back then had way much better rhythm in head movement and set up strikes.

With that said Ian ended his career with 20-7 if I am not mistaken and beated Ricco Rodriguez back in 2013

Questions I have

- Would Ian do better in pride back in 2002 if his first opponent was Heath Herring?
- If Ian could do 205 lbs would he do a better UFC career?
- Why was not UFC interested to promote him more back then? He was the only UK heavyweight who did well until he lost to Andrei Arlovski


I think he is amazing to be honest. The British version of Igor Vovchanchyn

Heath would have beaten his ass.

 

[HI SCOTT NEWMAN]

Very tough guy, thats when there was real men in UFC, not these tiny teenage boys that we get now. Different breed was Ian