Caucasus Fighters

[Sakuraba7]

Yes I'm sure that helps but genetics also plays a role. Good old genetics. The touchy subject certain people refuse to acknowledge because it "hurts their feelings".

Not all African Americans live in rough urban areas. I've seen plenty of kids that look like how Mike Tyson looked at 14 and it had nothing to do with living in a rough neighborhood. Why do you think most great sprinters are from west african descent yet most great swimmers are European? Does the rough neighborhood living only work in sports on land?

Nitpicking but we are on a geography topic afterall. Most are not from West Africa. They're from Central-East Africa or "African Great Lakes" region.

 

[Julius_Caesar]

Nitpicking but we are on a geography topic afterall. Most are not from West Africa. They're from Central-East Africa or "African Great Lakes" region.

I was talking about sprinters. Most top sprinters are either African American or Jamaicans (or Jamaicans living in England). Their genetics trace back mostly to Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon. As well as other west african and central west african countries.

 

[Sakuraba7]

I was talking about sprinters. Most top sprinters are either African American or Jamaicans (or Jamaicans living in England). Their genetics trace back mostly to Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon. As well as other west african and central west african countries.

The athletes from North America are certainly of West African descent, you're correct. But in Africa itself not so much.

 

[Julius_Caesar]

The athletes from North America are certainly of West African descent, you're correct. But in Africa itself not so much.

Yes East Africans tend to be good long distance runners. Most other Africans countries dont seem to be very active in sports.

 

[Snubnoze707]

Yes I'm sure that helps but genetics also plays a role. Good old genetics. The touchy subject certain people refuse to acknowledge because it "hurts their feelings".

Not all African Americans live in rough urban areas. I've seen plenty of kids that look like how Mike Tyson looked at 14 and it had nothing to do with living in a rough neighborhood. Why do you think most great sprinters are from west african descent yet most great swimmers are European? Does the rough neighborhood living only work in sports on land?

Genetics play a role irregardless of race, period. Not all black people have the same genetic gifts...

 

[dsdoubled]

A lot of the competitors from the neighboring countries are also from the North Caucasus. They have so many good wrestlers but not enough slots. Several compete for foreign flags. You'll notice a lot of the Azaerbaijan wrestlers are actually from Dagestan.


EDIT: Of Azerbaijan's 11 male wrestlers at the 2016 Rio Olympics. 2 were from Dagestan. 2 were from Iran. 1 was from Ossetia. At Greco-Roman, the 2 Iranians were the only ones to win a medal (the 3 Azeris did not). At Freestyle, 2 of the 3 north Caucasians won a medal (as did 3 Azeris).

Of Belarus' 6 male wrestlers at 2016 Rio, 4 of the 6 were from Dagestan. 1 was from Ossetia. And only 1 was native Bellarussian. They won 2 medals, both were Dagestanis.

Of Poland's 4 male wrestlers at 2016 Rio, 1 of them was from Dagestan.

Incredible! Its insane how much Caucasus wrestling talent is competing elsewhere. Its so wide spread too, even beyond the Countries you mentioned. Canada's 96-97 kilo freestyle Olympian and world team member is from Ossettia. Adam Batirov, the Dagestani wrestler who has won European titles and the Ivan Yarygin 3x is now competing for Bahrain. Brazil's Greco Roman HW is Armenian (Eduard Soghomonyan). Im sure there are a ton of othe examples as well.

 

[Ryoto Machida]

Yes I'm sure that helps but genetics also plays a role. Good old genetics. The touchy subject certain people refuse to acknowledge because it "hurts their feelings".

Not all African Americans live in rough urban areas. I've seen plenty of kids that look like how Mike Tyson looked at 14 and it had nothing to do with living in a rough neighborhood. Why do you think most great sprinters are from west african descent yet most great swimmers are European? Does the rough neighborhood living only work in sports on land?

And all the great distance runners are east African. You're absolutely right. To deny the role genetics plays is just fooling yourself. The genetic factors that makes one a great wrestler/boxer/fighter are a bit more difficult to nail down, but it's ignorant to deny that the Caucuses region seems to have an inordinately high per-capita percentage of these factors. That said, I do know from a cultural perspective, in that region fighting is a part of life, so the "nurture" and "nature" components go hand in hand in making the Caucuses a hotbed of badassery.

 

[SuperLuigi]

And all the great distance runners are east African. You're absolutely right. To deny the role genetics plays is just fooling yourself. The genetic factors that makes one a great wrestler/boxer/fighter are a bit more difficult to nail down, but it's ignorant to deny that the Caucuses region seems to have an inordinately high per-capita percentage of these factors. That said, I do know from a cultural perspective, in that region fighting is a part of life, so the "nurture" and "nature" components go hand in hand in making the Caucuses a hotbed of badassery.

In boxing its a big genetic advantage to be an ectomorph with long arms, in wrestling its a big genetic advantage to be a mesomorph with a fairly thick torso but sufficiently long arms. MMA is still a young sport with not much data on it, but it stands to reason that people midway between ectomorphs and mesomorphs would be the ideally built MMA fighters.

 

[Julius_Caesar]

Another fighter to add to the list.

 

[MadSquabbles500]

The Caucasus region is producing a lot of combat sports athletes is less about their innate, inherent, or cultural inclinations toward violence, and more about them realizing their is a niche that is shallow at the moment, and they best jump on the bandwagon when the taking is still good.

All the other regions have other interests that pay much better than kickboxing or MMA, or grappling. Boxing still pays decent which is why the Brits, and Americans still have some depth in it.

 

[SuperLuigi]

The Caucasus region is producing a lot of combat sports athletes is less about their innate, inherent, or cultural inclinations toward violence, and more about them realizing their is a niche that is shallow at the moment, and they best jump on the bandwagon when the taking is still good.

All the other regions have other interests that pay much better than kickboxing or MMA, or grappling. Boxing still pays decent which is why the Brits, and Americans still have some depth in it.

Not so sure about a "cultural inclination towards violence" but they certainly have a strong cultural inclination towards wrestling as its a deep part of their folk cultures. As for their MMA and KB success I think its mostly that they have the sporting facilities, coaches, etc. of Russia, an economic incentive because of poverty, a culture of masculinity, and strong exposure to eastern martial arts.

 

[OCGSC]

Another fighter to add to the list.

I call him the Abraham Lincoln of death.