Are there any good LHWs and HWs under 28 years?

[Liquid Smoke]

Nope. Dana and Lorenzo like smaller fighters because they eat less and don't cost as much.

 

[FlyingKimurabar]

Not sure, it's not like the pay was better back then to encourage more bigger guys to fight.

Maybe it's harder to be that big with all the new testing?

 

[Rum]

The lhw division could get really bad, really quick!

It's been pretty bad for years now if you go by the challengers for the belt.

Lyoto off a 1-2 run where the win was over a 593yo Randy.
Vitor with zero fights at LHW for half a decade and a 4-5 record in his last 9 fights at 205.
Chael with zero fights at LHW for 7 years, off a loss and with a 4-5 record in his last 9 at 205.
Gus off a R1 KO loss.
Even Shogun getting the shot at Machida on a 2-1 streak in which one of those wins was a horrible performance against a 473yo Mark Coleman.

The division is always fun, but in terms of talent pool has been at least half a joke for quite some time.

 

[Gun'n'Run]

Thread title doesn't limit just HW, the thread is talking about LHW's also.

Now explain yourself...

LHW is still the third weakest division bro

 

[bjpenngoat]

I still have hope for BEASTIN 25/8

he is terrible. Filthy almost exposed his jaw and his terrible striking. he was lucky to walk away with a win over a guy that gassed himself out after 1 round.

 

[TheProphetAxel]

LOL. It's not that at all.


Crossover has stopped, that's the problem. I wish we'd get a top kickboxer with 2 years of hard training in MMA.

The UFC is just too cheap to attract big fighters.

Wellrounded to be competetive.... There is no competition. A bunch of oldies are fighting ffs.

Young collegiate wrestlers with 2 years of MMA training should destroy the HW division.

I remember when they were building up Spong in WSOF and the hype was so crazy for a legit top 10 kickboxer from a heavier class to come to the ufc.

 

[DarkfireBoy]

Don't forget the legend that is The Al Capone.

 

[tenniswhiz]

Most 200+ pound "athletes would rather try their luck in better sports before settling for the minimum wage UFC. It's not like the money sports where they get their prospects in around 16-21 and many become household names as teens. The UFC and mma in general get the other sports rejects or second career type guys.

Haha, so true.

MMA also provides a path for college wrestlers to do something after graduation. Some of these guys are probably the best athletes in the sport.

 

[Evangelion]

You guys ever consider the fact that big guys just suck at fighting in general? Very very rare to find a big person with the agility and stamina you need to succeed. That's why your GOATS at HW in MMA, boxing and for the most part kickboxing (except Semmy) are under 240 without cutting (most of the GOATs could make the MMA LHW or even MW limit if they leaned out and cut.)

You guys all act like there are actually big guys out there who could make great MMA fighters but the pay isn't worth it -- that's balony. They're not good enough, that's the problem. The HW champ in the UFC makes damn good money, and anyone who could just walk in and take over would sell big tickets and make more than most football player.

But they can't just walk in and take over because A) they suck at fighting and B) MMA is really hard.

Shhh logic doesn't fit the Ufc is cheap narrative.

Everyone on sherdog is a multimillionaire and makes far more than the millions Jones or Werdum makes

 

[Evangelion]

That is a bad excuse. There were plenty of young HWs and LHWs in the 2000's.

There are plenty of young HWs. Lhw on the other hand, sucks

 

[Taric]

You guys ever consider the fact that big guys just suck at fighting in general? Very very rare to find a big person with the agility and stamina you need to succeed. That's why your GOATS at HW in MMA, boxing and for the most part kickboxing (except Semmy) are under 240 without cutting (most of the GOATs could make the MMA LHW or even MW limit if they leaned out and cut.)

You guys all act like there are actually big guys out there who could make great MMA fighters but the pay isn't worth it -- that's balony. They're not good enough, that's the problem. The HW champ in the UFC makes damn good money, and anyone who could just walk in and take over would sell big tickets and make more than most football player.

But they can't just walk in and take over because A) they suck at fighting and B) MMA is really hard.

The average offensive linemen salary is 1.3 million. That includes guys that sit on the bench all year.
Fabricio Werdum had a disclosed base pay of $175,000 + $50,000 his last fight.

Without money to drive athletes to your sport, you simply aren't going to get the same quantity of people training to enter the sport from a young age. Not when you can join another sport, maybe not even have to play, and get paid more.

 

[Andrusz]

Plan A: Make it in the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, etc.
Plan B: If Plan A fails, train UFC.

I feel like this is the case, but hopefully with what has recently transpired with fighter pay thanks to Conor that will all begin to change.

 

[Andrusz]

The average offensive linemen salary is 1.3 million. That includes guys that sit on the bench all year.
Fabricio Werdum had a disclosed base pay of $175,000 + $50,000 his last fight.

Without money to drive athletes to your sport, you simply aren't going to get the same quantity of people training to enter the sport from a young age. Not when you can join another sport, maybe not even have to play, and get paid more.

I'm pretty sure it's a combination of pay and the fact that MMA is too difficult to just walk from your spring training cut into the Octagon.

 

[Taric]

I'm pretty sure it's a combination of pay and the fact that MMA is too difficult to just walk from your spring training cut into the Octagon.

I dunno, there's a number of football flunky candidates I can think of off the top of my head that got into MMA.
IE: Bob Sapp, Brendan Schaub, Matt Mitrione, Marcus Jones, Wes Shivers, etc

I'll even include Herschel Walker on the list just to illustrate that retired successful football players have ventured in MMA after their retirement... I can't think of a single person who has done the reverse, nor do I see it ever happening.

MMA does seem to be one of the few sports where athletes go to die, as it were. Yoshida and Sexyama, for example, retired in Judo for a few years then got into MMA simply to continue competing in something... Anything.
Cormier was purely a wrestling coach after his retirement, then got into MMA while he was coaching Cain.