Besides Heavyweight - How Does The Talent Compare to Past Eras?

[Alpha_T83]

Fighters are better than ever on average. However, MMA is being "solved" by boring fighters like Ankalaev that are able to win decisions with very boring but effective strategies.

Another example is Volk vs Lopes. People weren't happy that Volk fought a smart fight to win the decision. But that's how you become a UFC champ and stay the champ.

Guys like Ilia Topuria are a flash in the pan. It's very hard to maintain a championship fighting that way. People forget that Cody Garbrandt was once an 11-0 undefeated UFC champion that looked unstoppable. But his fighting style inevitably led to him getting knocked out. I see the same thing happening to Topuria.

 

[Ivancho]

Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight divisions really suffered after USADA came into the picture.

 

[Pancake Sprawl]

i think the skills are better, on average, but their will/heart/willingness to take risks, has gone way back. their skill is there but the intangibles are what is lacking in today's average fighter. back in the day everyone thought they were the best and were fighting like it. now a days there's plenty of guys who look at UFC as "better than working a 9to5" and don't REALLY believe they're a world champion caliber fighter, or have the ability to be a top fighter, they're just going through the motions.

 

[NoSmilez]

As a whole they are better. Testing and fighters making more money hurt the sport a lot.

 

[BroScienceTalkatWork]

How would the talent pool be smaller now than before when there was less money in it before?

I think it comes down to a change in martial arts/ fight culture at the bigger weight classes and what UFC is willing to do/pay in those classes to develop them

Because size is king and weight cutting has evolved.

So Im building off the idea that MMA won't attract the best large athletes. I don't see why you have 3 weight classes of dudes that fight at 210 + when you won't pay them shit for it.

 

[BroScienceTalkatWork]

Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight divisions really suffered after USADA came into the picture.

This is related to my argument.

So you have modern weight cutting and now 3 classes of fighters that are 205 + in the ring. BUT you are saying they can't juice.. AND you won't increase the pay.

Now find me 3 divisions worth of athletes that walk around 210 naturally, and will fight for 80k a year

 

[JKS]

You can't even really compare those older eras because of the size difference.

With modern weight cutting, its also size above everything else.

Flyweight and Bantam are super small

And then Featherweight is basically average size. 10% bodyfat 165.... Throw 40 pounds of fat and you have your average American man

Lightweights are your average dude IF he spent 5-10 years in the gym.

And then from that point on.. Its just huge motherfuckers sneaking into divisions they weren't meant for

Size difference isn't as much as people think it is. MW and above has always had roughly the same size guys from 2005 to now.

In general the fighters below the top 10 are better and more well rounded than the ones in previous eras.

The top 10 in general are better for BW and FW.

LW & WW the top 10 in general are better but the top 3 were better in previous eras.





I agree with almost everything. Very spot on brother.

My only disagreement is some of the LW assessment

Please elaborate on LW

 

[Stump]

The average fighter has a more evolved game overall, but most of the divisions are ho hum in terms of star power and marketability.

Do you think so? I'd say this is mostly true, but I also think that the welterweight of 15 years ago would do pretty well today, for example.

It seems like there's maybe more depth in the top 15, or 20 now but the top 3 of many divisions from decades past would still do well in today's divisions.

Anderson, bj, gsp for example would still be GOATS if they were in their primes today.

I think. But of course nobody has any idea, it's totally impossible to test any of this.

 

[BowserJr]

Please elaborate on LW

I think BJ would be top 3 in any era so far given the fact that he was top 3 and champ at WW.

His draw with Fitch 2 wins over Hughes and close fight with near prime GSP are big indicators that he'd beat most if not all current and recent LW especially since the big 2 recently Islam & Khabib and BJ was the elite antibwrestler in his prime. For him it comes down to stylistic matchups especially since his fight IQ was low.

Sherk too was a top 3 WW only losing to Hughes and GSP iirc. He had good boxing and would beable to hang with and defend against all the top wrestlers of recent eras.

Gray Maynard, Melendez, Alvarez Bendo also had great wrestling in order to make fights against any top guys currently competitive.

Frankie was small but he was much faster than pretty much anyone and he was a good wrestler too and his footwork would be better than anyone now.

IMO the end of each of these guys careers makes them look whatever but in their prime I could see them beating most of the guys in the subsequent eras.

 

[WoozyFailGuy]

In 20 Years, we will have the same thread for Powerslap once majority of fighters transition.

Hall of Fame curated by @PaddyO'malley

 

[arcadeperfect]

You can't even really compare those older eras because of the size difference.

With modern weight cutting, its also size above everything else.

Flyweight and Bantam are super small

And then Featherweight is basically average size. 10% bodyfat 165.... Throw 40 pounds of fat and you have your average American man

Lightweights are your average dude IF he spent 5-10 years in the gym.

And then from that point on.. Its just huge motherfuckers sneaking into divisions they weren't meant for

It's hilarious how the names are so misleading in MMA. Middleweights are basically superhero sized.

 

[Stump]

You can't even really compare those older eras because of the size difference.

With modern weight cutting, its also size above everything else.

Flyweight and Bantam are super small

And then Featherweight is basically average size. 10% bodyfat 165.... Throw 40 pounds of fat and you have your average American man

Lightweights are your average dude IF he spent 5-10 years in the gym.

And then from that point on.. Its just huge motherfuckers sneaking into divisions they weren't meant for

My girlfriend obviously wanted something so she was being super nice, the other day. She was asking me about MMA, and I was explaining weight classes and cutting and she thinks it's absurd.

It was one of those things you don't think about and then when you describe it to somebody, it's just absurd misogynistic. Take two guys of the same size, have them both beat the shitnout of their bodies via extreme dehydration, and then have them fight.

She was like, "why don't they just skip the dehydration phase..?" And that's an awfully good question.

 

[BroScienceTalkatWork]

It's hilarious how the names are so misleading in MMA. Middleweights are basically superhero sized.

This is why you bring back Pride level gear usage

cause then
the average dude will be bout 210/220

The lightweights will be bout 180 etc

 

[Hog-train]

Current champions are boring AF in several weight divisions.

 

[Bowel-forged Stool]

As a whole they are better. Testing and fighters making more money hurt the sport a lot.

It’s true!

Juicy, healthy, and hungry is the recipe for making mma great again!

 

[Ladder Master]

Truly one in six billion promotion

UFC posters fucking SUCK DICK compared to PRIDE posters.
View attachment 1092228

Pride poster were very interesting.

Rare Pride FC Posters

Thanks to everyone who helped compile this list of rare Pride Posters, Wanted one place you could find the most sought after ones, and think we have close to all of the most wanted.

forums.mixedmartialarts.com

 

[Trabaho]

There're are always good fighters. It's not a decade thing. A punch was always a punch.

 

[cmw43]

And if you're going to have 205 be guys who walk around at 240.. Why even have a 265 weight limit? Lol make it make sense.

You ain't paying heavyweights shit and yet you make them cut. Let them dudes eat.

There's a lot of guys at HW out of shape at 265lbs, you let those guys have no limit and they're coming in at 300lbs+ slobs.

There's very few guys in shape who can't make 265lbs, who do you think we're missing out on?

 

[BroScienceTalkatWork]

There's a lot of guys at HW out of shape at 265lbs, you let those guys have no limit and they're coming in at 300lbs+ slobs.

There's very few guys in shape who can't make 265lbs, who do you think we're missing out on?

guys who aren’t getting in shape for 70k a year

Like in boxing you have Bakole, Yang, Fury (at times)

 

[WoozyFailGuy]

Pride poster were very interesting.

Rare Pride FC Posters

Thanks to everyone who helped compile this list of rare Pride Posters, Wanted one place you could find the most sought after ones, and think we have close to all of the most wanted.

forums.mixedmartialarts.com

I wish I still had my old collection, lost to the void. Tons of the OG PRIDE posters are going for beaucoup bucks now.