Media A-level athlete Shaquille Rashaun "Shaq" O'Neal ADMITS that UFC fighters are best athletes in world

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I mean it really depends on your definition. As far as having at least some skill in many athletic fields MMA is up there. But if your definition is being reallllly good in one particular discipline guys like Usain Bolt are clearly better.
 
I mean it really depends on your definition. As far as having at least some skill in many athletic fields MMA is up there. But if your definition is being reallllly good in one particular discipline guys like Usain Bolt are clearly better.

pretty much everything requires athleticism ... even if you play video games (relfexes,speed, hand eye coordination).

Talent pool also plays a huge role.
 
MMA tests your everything

Endurance
Strength
Cardio
Technique
Mind games

etc...

So yes, I agree

Just because a sport requires the most athleticism doesn't mean it has the best athletes.

Fast Pitch softball requires pretty much the same athletic attributes as baseball... but the best athletes with those skills play baseball.

I could invent a sport that combined basketball and MMA and baseball into one, and compete against my neighbour every second Thursday. Wouldn't automatically make us the best athletes on the planet.

MMA is gaining a large viewership but it's still a fringe sport, participation wise.
 
No they aren't. When a guy can go from selling tires at Costco to beating Arlovski in the span of a few years......it means the talent pool isn't full of the best athletes in the world.
Not hating on MMA guys. It requires a lot of talent and determination and will! But they aren't the best athletes in the world. Have you seen Bones try to dunk a ball? You have seen Conor try to jump up on a log? Now go watch an NBA player move and jump.
 
But but what about Greg "A level" Hardy, vertical jumps and a 40-yard dash ;)
I am not convinced that NFL players are the best overall athletes. Those guys spend the majority of the game sitting down.
 
According to sherdog, circus freakshows have the best athletes. I'll spam my own quote on this thread: Being the most "athletic" in your own sport doesn't even make you the best in your sport. This i use when people bring up "A level athletes" being able to win UFC belts just based off athleticism.

Anyway, yeah, MMA requires the most athleticism in all sports. Do we have the current best athletes in the world? For MMA, yes. Do we have the best athletes we'll ever get? No. No sport has the best athletes they'll ever get. New steroids keep bringing more and more monstrous athletes.
 
That's why 40 year old hamburger eating broken down Floyd toyed with a prime Conor right? Why Brock Lesnar became heavyweight champ.

mma is barely a sport. It's glorified cagefighting.
 
Just because a sport requires the most athleticism doesn't mean it has the best athletes.

Fast Pitch softball requires pretty much the same athletic attributes as baseball... but the best athletes with those skills play baseball.

I could invent a sport that combined basketball and MMA and baseball into one, and compete against my neighbour every second Thursday. Wouldn't automatically make us the best athletes on the planet.

MMA is gaining a large viewership but it's still a fringe sport, participation wise.

which sport req. the most "athleticism" is stupid.

Golf guys are one of or even the mentally thoughest guys in the sport business.

boxing req. more cardio than mma => body shots.

every sport has 1-2 things in which they are "better".

Soccer players are probably one of the most well rounded athletes and you have to prove yourself every stupid week + deepest talent pool in the history of any sport. Talent pool also plays a huge role.

The best athletes go where the most prestige/fame and money is => Soccer/NBA/NFL etc.
 
According to sherdog, circus freakshows have the best athletes. I'll spam my own quote on this thread: Being the most "athletic" in your own sport doesn't even make you the best in your sport. This i use when people bring up "A level athletes" being able to win UFC belts just based off athleticism.

Anyway, yeah, MMA requires the most athleticism in all sports. Do we have the current best athletes in the world? For MMA, yes. Do we have the best athletes we'll ever get? No. No sport has the best athletes they'll ever get. New steroids keep bringing more and more monstrous athletes.
If that was the case, Tony Twist is the greatest athlete to have ever participated in the Big-4 (NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL).



In reality, Twist was a terrible player who earned a place on the roster with his fists. He couldn't skate, shoot or pass.

Old-Time Hockey is fun, but players today are better athletes. All athletes today are in peak condition year round. If you aren't, somebody else is and will take your job. Hockey players, run, lift weights, box, wrestle. As do every athlete in every sport.

With that said, being a hockey enforcer wasn't an easy job. Somebody like Nikita Kucherov (or LeBron in the NBA) only has to keep his stats up. An enforcer knows there's one or two guys he has to fight every game. Every one of those guys wants to put your lights out. So you have to practice and study fight films so you know what your up to.
 
which sport req. the most "athleticism" is stupid.

Golf guys are one of or even the mentally thoughest guys in the sport business.

boxing req. more cardio than mma => body shots.

every sport has 1-2 things in which they are "better".

Soccer players are probably one of the most well rounded athletes and you have to prove yourself every stupid week + deepest talent pool in the history of any sport. Talent pool also plays a huge role.

The best athletes go where the most prestige/fame and money is => Soccer/NBA/NFL etc.
ESPN has the answer: http://www.espn.com/espn/page2/sportSkills
 
I am not convinced that NFL players are the best overall athletes. Those guys spend the majority of the game sitting down.
True that.
But on sherdog there are a lot of people who still believe in a mythical nfl a level athlete even though hardy gassed badly after a round.
 
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No they aren't. When a guy can go from selling tires at Costco to beating Arlovski in the span of a few years......it means the talent pool isn't full of the best athletes in the world.
Not hating on MMA guys. It requires a lot of talent and determination and will! But they aren't the best athletes in the world. Have you seen Bones try to dunk a ball? You have seen Conor try to jump up on a log? Now go watch an NBA player move and jump.
Different sports require different athletic abilities, if there's anyone out there who still doesn't know that, go watch greg a level athlete hardy's performance in the octagon.
 
The sport is rapidly improving in terms of technique and depth. The standard of athletes is improving a lot, while it's not at the same level as other household sports, there's little doubt in my mind it will reach the same level in the next couple decades or so.

People forget how young tMMA is and how it takes time for any sport to become a fully perfected craft.
 
I believe the fights are too long. I wrestled and the 2 minute rounds took everything I had out of me. I couldn't imagine going 5 minutes, I think the human body isn't made to grapple for 15 minutes, much less 25.

The pacing is different in a fight than in wrestling.

Same in bjj. When wrestlers start, they have some advantages because they know how to push the pace and have years of grappling experience but they gas out quick. Give them six months to figure out how not to gas and force them to develop their bottom game - they become very dangerous.
 
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