Chuck Liddell wouldn't even rank today

[dissolved]

The game has barely if at all evolved, all this 'evolution' is much more about point-fight better on the Unified System

Chuck's prime skills would match up pretty well with almost everyone in the division

I would still say he'd lose to Jones and he could potentially be outpointed by a few fighters with the right gameplan. But you give prime Chuck 5 rounds and there's a decent chance he'd knock anyone from the top5 out.

Yep I agree with u . . . People need to watch Karo/N. Diaz again from like 2007 . . . The game hasn't evolved all that much. The talent pool has deepened a bit that is all.

*edit* Oops, that was 2004 - so it hasn't evolved much since then tbh

 

[kaya]

Chuck is a horrible match up for DC? I don't think so, DC can take Chuck down and control him. Chuck was a junior College wrestler, DC is a freaking Olympian. Shogun took Chuck down... Then again for some weird reason Shogun takes everyone down. Rampage also controlled Chuck on the ground.

A junior college wrestler?

I *think* you meant to say captain of a division I wrestling team on a wrestling scholarship.

Just you know, to make sure you have your facts straight

 

[whougonnacall]

Chuck was good for his time but this isnt it, hed be killed in todays UFC

 

[hadrian999]

You should watch the Joe Rogan Podcast with the Pit Master (Hackleman) really gives you an insight on Chuck's training and how he refused to adapt. He talks about how he would try to fix his stance and he would during training then just go bang once he got in the cage.

every fighter is a product of their era, it's fairly useless to discuss how a fighter from one era would match up in another. if chuck started in a time his whole mentality could be different.

 

[sdaccount]

]

As far as Liddell goes. Age caught up to him. On the contrary, Liddell was a wrestler with heavy hands. He used his wrestling along with his heavy hands to dictate the fight. He could defend the TD with his wrestling and force an opponent to shoot in for a TD (makes defending it easier) with his hands. He was a nightmare. However, age caught up with him, not the evolution of the sport.

 

[Kanster]

I would easily pick him against the likes of Bader and Davis.

 

[BlizzardVeers]

lol, Shogun can barely walk and is still top 20, and you think the talent level is so high that Chuck Liddell in his PRIME wouldn't be competitive?

The 205 division in the era of Chuck's prime from PRIDE and the UFC were superior or on-par with the talent today for the most part.

 

[w00t]

You shut your filthy dirty pirate hooker mouth when speaking about the Iceman. He would be fine in today's MMA. The sport is not as evolved as people think.

 

[Tchernobog]

It's the same in every sport. Older gen fighters would be disadvantaged against the pros of today but that doesn't prove that they would get owned. Chuck could beat lots of modern fighters imo

Agreed. I think prime Chuck would still be a top 10 LHW, maybe even top 5, though unlikely.

 

[reflecttcelfer]

Chuck was good for his time but this isnt it, hed be killed in todays UFC

"Today's" UFC isn't all that different from Chuck's UFC. MMA fans have this weird need to pretend the sport is evolving at this hyper-accelerated pace, as though cage-fighting in 2004 was just cavemen hitting each other with clubs.

 

[BlizzardVeers]

"Today's" UFC isn't all that different from Chuck's UFC. MMA fans have this weird need to pretend the sport is evolving at this hyper-accelerated pace, as though cage-fighting in 2004 was just cavemen hitting each other with clubs.

Because the guys they're watching live are the best that's ever walked into the cage, didn't you know?

 

[Coffee79]

Prime Chuck would make top 15 today

 

[D 1 Wrestler]

"Today's" UFC isn't all that different from Chuck's UFC. MMA fans have this weird need to pretend the sport is evolving at this hyper-accelerated pace, as though cage-fighting in 2004 was just cavemen hitting each other with clubs.

erm it is evolving pretty fast, prime hughes would not be champ or near it imo. neither would BJ. there's plenty of guys who have transitioned into the newer age of fighters will still somewhat in their prime and they have all failed pretty hard except GSP.

 

[Rockapotomuses]

Well that was fun lol

Truth is, Chuck would hang in top 5 and be capable of taking out anyone, including Jones 10-20% of the time.

Thanks for the lols!

 

[TheonGreyJoy**]

Prime Chuck was also Vale Tudo Chuck. I don't know . . . In the LHW division and up outside of Jones I haven't seen too much evolution in the sport honestly.

the evolution in MMA has been almost entirely in the areas of Defense and professionalism.

the offensive skills have advanced little.

But guys are no longer when facing a top bjj guy or striker if that is not their primary art. the professionalism has led to rounded training that has paid dividends in defense. Offense is the next big evolution that MMA needs to see and will come as the level of athlete keeps increasing in the sport.

You can teach a Forrest Griffen or Ed Herman to defend a choke or apply it, but what you will never teach them is how to be a dynamic and devastating striker even if you improve their technique.

 

[jimbob27]

erm it is evolving pretty fast, prime hughes would not be champ or near it imo. neither would BJ. there's plenty of guys who have transitioned into the newer age of fighters will still somewhat in their prime and they have all failed pretty hard except GSP.

That's mostly just down to the fact the talent pool has increased. Guys like Hughes and BJ in their primes would still be competitive top 10 fighters. Wrestling hasn't changed.. Hughes would still wrestlefuck many of todays fighters, and BJ was one of the first guys who was truly dangerous both on his feet and on the ground. He'd still be dangerous today.... but now there's quite a few guys at the top with a similar talent for putting together different styles.

 

[ib313]

Hard to admit because I loved watching Chuck fight, but really he was just a tough bro who banged. Striking has evolved now to the point where every ranked fighter would watch tape on him, pick and angle to step away from the overhand right and then take out Chuck's chin, even in Chuck's prime.

Watching Firas's video of how Rory picked apart Woodley demonstrated how far striking in this sport has come. It's almost on par with boxing now.

Your post doesn't rank now

 

[branchtan]

No, MMA boxing isn't anywhere close to pro boxing.

Also, Chuck would rank because the bottom end of the top10 isn't very impressive at all - the division is pretty stagnant.

 

[MuayThaiBX]

LHW is very weak right now after the top 5. Prime Chuck would absolutely be 'in the mix' as Dana likes to say. People forget that prime Chuck had a great chin and great TDD to go along with big KO power. He would actually match up quite well with a lot of the top LHW's today if he were say in his early 30s IMO.

 

[Whitestallion]

Chuck destroyed Tito twice. Tito destroyed the MW champ in Bellashit, things are not clear in MMA kid