Deconstructing MMA Myths... [Part 21] - Skillset & MMA Evolution - The Disorganized WW Div.

[gono btw]

Today: [JMMA & USA MMA Scenes]

Skillset & MMA Evolution - The Disorganized WW Div.


Note: I wont drop a LW Eras thread, too complex to assess since back in the days BWs & FWs had to fight literally @ OW, against bigger dudes @ LW or even @ WW.


Following the previous thread about HWs & LHWs & MWs:

http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/d...skill-set-mma-evolution-the-hws-case.3815393/

http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/d...t-mma-evolution-the-lhw-golden-era-s.3828473/

http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/d...-evolution-the-mw-transitional-era-s.3858851/

Note: this thread can be seen as an extension of this one:

http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/deconstructing-mma-myths-part-5-the-true-evolution-of-mma.3807975/

Some 'evolutionists' here keep claimin´ that the game has evolved exponentially,
and that the current generation is definitely more talented/less 'one-dimensional' than the previous one, from the 2000s.

> Context:

In retrospect, NHB/Vale Tudo was much less refined...Even the BJJ Black Belts, most of the time, would GNP...

If you look at the BJJ vs Luta Livre Challenges [1984 or 1991], or hardcore tournaments like WVC or IVC,
half of the dudes invited were BJJ dudes, and the fights were pretty gruelling ones, not really technical.

Early Pancrase tried to promote a new evolution, more technical, with fighters working on their
ground game and trying to built a submission game (that´s why GNP was forbidden, great idea...).
A talented generation willing to create cross-training teams,and adapt their game to a new fight configuration, technically more demanding .

Rings too had this same objective. And you could say that both had a clear influence
in Early Pride´s game...

Then, Pride added some rules, that made it difficult for submission artists to take risks on the ground:
[till the knee-to-a-downed-opponent rule, technically - Pride 13],

> Now, about the 'Well-Roundedness' Concept:

Ground control has become the new paradigm these days.
Modern Rules & Fight Configuration led the path to a new Skillset Evolution.

Today, the best "well rounded" fighters are 'defensively' well-rounded, in grappling for instance:
they know for sure how to defend this or that submission.

But one might argue that their offensive submission game has become sub-par,
since most coaches now "prohibit" risky subs like leglocks or armbars for instance.

Well-Roundedness has consequently become limited to its poorest dimension.

But, this cannot be only about a defensive posture:
A "well-rounded" fighter, in his higher and richer meaning,should be someone who can be a threat wherever the fight goes [shout-out to Marco Huas].

Hence, let´s try to assess this Evolution Thing, now with the WWs:

Note: Pride didnt have a WW div. back then.


January 2007 :

1. No Rush GSP (25)
2. Matt Hughes (33)
3. Diego Sanchez (25)
4. Karo Parysian (24)
5. Jon Fitch (28)
6. Akira Kikuchi (28)
7. Jake Shields (27)
8. Josh Koscheck (29)
9. Nick Diaz (23)
10. BJ Penn (28)


2018: UFC + Bellator :

1. Tyron Woodley (36)
2. Colby Covington (30)
3. Rafael dos Anjos (34)
4. Robbie Lawler (36)
5. Rory MacDonald (29)
6. Douglas Lima (30)
7. Stephen Thompson (35)
8. Kamaru Usman (31)
9. Andrei Koreshkov (28)
+ No Rush GSP (37)


Which Generation was indeed the most Well-Rounded one?
Which Fighters were truly the most well-rounded?

Important: this thread is not about who would win in H2H confrontations,
or who took/is taking more PEDs.
That´s why Im asking here to go beyond the clichés/myths, & to focus solely on this division (a BW comparison wouldnt make sense), ie 20 elite skill sets...

Spoiler: 'DECONS' Threads

http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/deconstructing-mma-myths-part-24-carlson´s-silence.3879035/
http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/d...-part-9-bjj-during-the-vale-tudo-era.3826197/
http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/deconstructing-mma-myths-part-13-khabib´s-eastern-european-career.3830345/
http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/deconstructing-mma-myths-part-14-mousasi-flukes.3836617/
http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/d...-the-anatomy-of-a-fighter-khabib-1-2.3844333/
http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/d...-the-anatomy-of-a-fighter-khabib-2-2.3844507/
https://forums.sherdog.com/threads/...t-16-siamese-brothers-the-2-hw-goats.3851935/
https://forums.sherdog.com/threads/deconstructing-mma-myths-part-25-the-wild-wild-east.3886295/
https://forums.sherdog.com/threads/deconstructing-mma-myths-part-23-cross-training-in-mma´s-dark-ages.3874607/
https://forums.sherdog.com/threads/...-groovy-paradox.3893619/page-3#post-148236621
https://forums.sherdog.com/threads/...de-ow-gp-mezger-those-infamous-6-lbs.3899881/
https://forums.sherdog.com/threads/deconstructing-mma-myths-part-28-deaf-ears.3907767/
https://forums.sherdog.com/threads/...-penn-the-frontrunner.3925599/#post-149993595
https://forums.sherdog.com/threads/deconstructing-mma-myths-part-30-mma´s-buster-douglas.3935185/
http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/d...-fights-start-from-standing-position.3808087/
http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/deconstructing-mma-myths-part-5-the-true-evolution-of-mma.3807975/
http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/d...tion-of-submission-defence-grappling.3803333/
https://forums.sherdog.com/threads/deconstructing-mma-myths-part-3-the-evolution-of-werdum´s-striking.3831261/
http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/deconstructing-mma-myths-part-2-hunto´s-atomicbutt-drop.3735841/
http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/deconstructing-mma-myths-part-1-hoyce-his-gi-ufc-1.3734725/
http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/d...skill-set-mma-evolution-the-hws-case.3815393/
http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/d...hs-part-8-mma-cans-the-unsung-heroes.3822123/
http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/deconstructing-mma-myths-part-10-b4-after-usada.3826221/
http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/deconstructing-mma-myths-part-11-fighters´evolution.3827221/
http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/d...t-mma-evolution-the-lhw-golden-era-s.3828473/
http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/deconstructing-mma-myths-part-17-askren´s-undefeated-record.3855315/
http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/deconstructing-mma-myths-part-18-the-genesis-of-ufc-1´s-roster.3855847/
http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/d...-evolution-the-mw-transitional-era-s.3858851/
http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/deconstructing-mma-myths-part-20-judges-mma-ideology.3862173/
https://forums.sherdog.com/threads/...ma-evolution-the-disorganized-ww-div.3873877/
http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/d...part-22-the-avenged-losses-narrative.3874257/
https://forums.sherdog.com/threads/...-ufc-5-requiem-for-the-vale-tudo-era.3947367/
https://forums.sherdog.com/threads/deconstructing-mma-myths-part-32-where´s-dat-suplex-monster.3954795/

 

[dawzz]

Of course WW @ GSP era is more well rounded and better than the current one. Nice post and this shows why GSP is the GOAT

 

[gono btw]

Of course WW @ GSP era is more well rounded and better than the current one. Nice post and this shows why GSP is the GOAT

oh my friend dawzz who was missin´ my Deconstructin´ shits...


And they call me a 'hater'..oh the irony...

Coudlnt help droppin´ da GOAT shit, right, mate?

 

[TheExpert]

Today :

Skillset & MMA Evolution - The Disorganized WW Div.


Note: I wont drop a LW Eras thread, too complex to assess since back in the days BWs & FWs had to fight literally @ OW, against bigger dudes @ LW or even @ WW.


Following the previous thread about HWs/LHWs/MWs:

http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/d...skill-set-mma-evolution-the-hws-case.3815393/

http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/d...t-mma-evolution-the-lhw-golden-era-s.3828473/

http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/d...-evolution-the-mw-transitional-era-s.3858851/


Some 'evolutionists' here keep claimin´ that the game has evolved exponentially,
and that the current generation is definitely more talented/less 'one-dimensional' than the previous one, from the 2000s.

> Context:

In retrospect, NHB/Vale Tudo was much less refined...Even the BJJ Black Belts, most of the time, would GNP...

If you look at the BJJ vs Luta Livre Challenges [1984 or 1991], or hardcore tournaments like WVC or IVC,
half of the dudes invited were BJJ dudes, and the fights were pretty gruelling ones, not really technical.

Early Pancrase tried to promote a new evolution, more technical, with fighters working on their
ground game and trying to built a submission game (that´s why GNP was forbidden, great idea...).
A talented generation willing to create cross-training teams,and adapt their game to a new fight configuration, technically more demanding .

Rings too had this same objective. And you could say that both had a clear influence
in Early Pride´s game...

Then, Pride added some rules, that made it difficult for submission artists to take risks on the ground:
[till the knee-to-a-downed-opponent rule, technically - Pride 13],

> Now, about the 'Well-Roundedness' Concept:

Ground control has become the new paradigm these days.
Modern Rules & Fight Configuration led the path to a new Skillset Evolution.

Today, the best "well rounded" fighters are 'defensively' well-rounded, in grappling for instance:
they know for sure how to defend this or that submission.

But one might argue that their offensive submission game has become sub-par,
since most coaches now "prohibit" risky subs like leglocks or armbars for instance.

Well-Roundedness has consequently become limited to its poorest dimension.

But, this cannot be only about a defensive posture:
A "well-rounded" fighter, in his higher and richer meaning,should be someone who can be a threat wherever the fight goes [shout-out to Marco Huas].

Hence, let´s try to assess this Evolution Thing, now with the WWs:

Note: Pride didnt have a WW div. back then.


January 2007 :

1. No Rush GSP (25)
2. Matt Hughes (33)
3. Diego Sanchez (25)
4. Karo Parysian (24)
5. Jon Fitch (28)
6. Akira Kikuchi (28)
7. Jake Shields (27)
8. Josh Koscheck (29)
9. Nick Diaz (23)
10. BJ Penn (28)


2018: UFC + Bellator :

1. Tyron Woodley (36)
2. Colby Covington (30)
3. Rafael dos Anjos (34)
4. Robbie Lawler (36)
5. Rory MacDonald (29)
6. Douglas Lima (30)
7. Stephen Thompson (35)
8. Kamaru Usman (31)
9. Andrei Koreshkov (28)
+ No Rush GSP (37)


Which Generation was indeed the most Well-Rounded one?
Which Fighters were truly the most well-rounded?

Important: this thread is not about who would win in H2H confrontations,
or who took/is taking more PEDs.
That´s why Im asking here to go beyond the clichés/myths, & to focus solely on this division,
ie 20 elite skill sets (a BW comparison wouldnt make sense)...


View attachment 481537

Good analysis and retrospect.

Of course the sport evolve. This is why we need to praise the old timers in the context they competed. Some ideas and approaches to the game weren't even available to them....because they were developed later.

WW suffers from a huge misunderstanding. 2007 WW was under the shadow of LHW, that was the much cooler division. Back then, WW was considered "manlet" by the ignorant fan at the time. That's where this idea of "skill" and "well-roundedness" came about, to hype the division. But it was not as good as advertised: promoters and fans alike bought into the exaggeration.

The current WW division is a much stronger and better division, and this is true for other divisions....some by virtue of now existing.

WW is better now, more competitive, more stacked, and Woodley is probably the best WWer we've witnessed in there. We need to contextualise for the time to acknowledge that GSP achieved great things in the precarious WW division of his time.

 

[gono btw]

Good analysis and retrospect.

Of course the sport evolve. This is why we need to praise the old timers in the context they competed. Some ideas and approaches to the game weren't even available to them....because they were developed later.

WW suffers from a huge misunderstanding. 2007 WW was under the shadow of LHW, that was the much cooler division. Back then, WW was considered "manlet" by the ignorant fan at the time. That's where this idea of "skill" and "well-roundedness" came about, to hype the division. But it was not as good as advertised: promoters and fans alike bought into the exaggeration.

The current WW division is a much stronger and better division, and this is true for other divisions....some by virtue of now existing.

WW is better now, more competitive, more stacked, and Woodley is probably the best WWer we've witnessed in there. We need to contextualise for the time to acknowledge that GSP achieved great things in the precarious WW division of his time.

One could argue that both era were/are in a transitional state: the current WW div. for instance (equally divided between UFC & Bellator) is made of semi-retired dudes & young guns... Back then, it was [sadly] made of legit WWs & bloated LWs...

Some opinions on No Rush, back in the days:

Hughes:
"I don't think he's a great wrestler. I think if you put him on a wrestling mat against Josh Koscheck, Josh would beat him up. What Georges does so well is mixes everything up and camouflages his takedowns with his striking. When you're out there against Georges, you don't know if he's going to kick, punch, close the distance and gets his hands on you or take a shot. He's pretty one-dimensional on the ground. You don't see him going for many submissions. He is really there to keep people down. But he's effective at his striking. He likes to stand up in people's guard and that gives him power in his punches. But his No. 1 thing is to keep people down."

Marc Laimon, grappling coach, trains Hendricks:
"One of my black belts and I were talking about this and he was saying St-Pierre kind of reminds him of a guy who pushes to half-guard, does enough to get the advantage to win and stalls the rest of the match. Against Nick Diaz, for somebody to talk so much trash, I didn't see that killer instinct. I saw a guy win and stay busy and active and do enough to win, but not a scary, killer, bloodthirsty guy wanting to kill you. I see a pro athlete doing his job very well."


Now, if ya think about it, what Hughes was sayin´ is really interesting: No Rush began his career in UCC as a grappler [he was announced as a BJJ dude, not a striker] who would take his opponents to the ground and work for a submission, tryin´to be creative on the ground [see his slick pendulum sweep vs Pete Spratt, for instance].

He then became conservative after his 1st Rd vs BJ 1... But ya could see some interesting potential there..

Now these 2 eras both have fighters that ya could label as 'specialists', not so many legit well-rounded skill sets, except
maybe guys who are not legit WWs (BJ back then, RDA now), or 'incomplete' well-rounded skill sets (like Nick back then, perhaps Woods today)..

Some interesting [potentially] well-rounded skill sets today, though:
Rory
Koreshkov

 

[Jerrah]

2018 is obviously better

Anyone who thinks otherwise is either clueless, or a blind GSP fan.

Usman (who's not even the champion) is a better version of Fitch and Koscheck in every way possible. He would crush those guys even easier than GSP did.

 

[TUFNewb]

Lol Colby and rda are 2 and 3. Old ass lawler is 4. 5 and 6 are not even in the ufc.

Ufc Ww division fucking stinks in 2018.

One again ts has failed to debunk/deconstruct anything with his wall of text.

 

[gono btw]

Lol Colby and rda are 2 and 3. Old ass lawler is 4. 5 and 6 are not even in the ufc.

Ufc Ww division fucking stinks in 2018.

One again ts has failed to debunk/deconstruct anything with his wall of text.

lmao...



Im actually against them 'evolutionists'...

READ b4 replyin´.

 

[Jack O'Neill]

2007... Back then, WW was considered "manlet" by the ignorant fan at the time.

No. It really wasn't. This is just flat out false.

WW is better now, more competitive, more stacked, and Woodley is probably the best WWer we've witnessed in there.

You should probably change your name

 

[TUFNewb]

lmao...

View attachment 481609

Im actually against them 'evolutionists', ya goof...

READ b4 replyin´.

Lmao my bad. I just assumed this was another thinly veiled gsp hate thread. Haters got me trigger happy. Sorry, ill read your wall next time before i post promise.

 

[gono btw]

Lmao my bad. I just assumed this was another thinly veiled gsp hate thread. Haters got me trigger happy. Sorry, ill read your wall next time before i post promise.

Well, people around here considers me a hater... It is what it is...

This thread is about 20 elite skill sets, not jus´one, though...

 

[gono btw]

Lol Colby and rda are 2 and 3. Old ass lawler is 4. 5 and 6 are not even in the ufc.

Ufc Ww division fucking stinks in 2018.

One again ts has failed to debunk/deconstruct anything with his wall of text.

"One again ts has failed to debunk/deconstruct anything with his wall of text."

So, all these times I failed in one of these Deconstructin´shits,.. ya read them, right?

 

[TUFNewb]

"One again ts has failed to debunk/deconstruct anything with his wall of text."

So, all these times I failed in one of these Deconstructin´shits,.. ya read them, right?

I was just poking fun my man, from one gsp nut hugger to a hater.

Sometimes i read them. They are long and there is a lot of them. I won't judge your threads before reading them anymore tho k.

 

[gono btw]

I was just poking fun my man, from one gsp nut hugger to a hater.

Sometimes i read them. They are long and there is a lot of them. I won't judge your threads before reading them through anymore k.

 

[TheExpert]

One could argue that both era were/are in a transitional state: the current WW div. for instance (equally divided between UFC & Bellator) is made of semi-retired dudes & young guns... Back then, it was [sadly] made of legit WWs & bloated LWs...

Some opinions on No Rush, back in the days:

Hughes:
"I don't think he's a great wrestler. I think if you put him on a wrestling mat against Josh Koscheck, Josh would beat him up. What Georges does so well is mixes everything up and camouflages his takedowns with his striking. When you're out there against Georges, you don't know if he's going to kick, punch, close the distance and gets his hands on you or take a shot. He's pretty one-dimensional on the ground. You don't see him going for many submissions. He is really there to keep people down. But he's effective at his striking. He likes to stand up in people's guard and that gives him power in his punches. But his No. 1 thing is to keep people down."

Marc Laimon, grappling coach, trains Hendricks:
"One of my black belts and I were talking about this and he was saying St-Pierre kind of reminds him of a guy who pushes to half-guard, does enough to get the advantage to win and stalls the rest of the match. Against Nick Diaz, for somebody to talk so much trash, I didn't see that killer instinct. I saw a guy win and stay busy and active and do enough to win, but not a scary, killer, bloodthirsty guy wanting to kill you. I see a pro athlete doing his job very well."


Now, if ya think about it, what Hughes was sayin´ is really interesting: No Rush began his career in UCC as a grappler [he was announced as a BJJ dude, not a striker] who would take his opponents to the ground and work for a submission, tryin´to be creative on the ground [see his slick pendulum sweep vs Pete Spratt, for instance].

He then became conservative after his 1st Rd vs BJ 1... But ya could see some interesting potential there..

Now these 2 eras both have fighters that ya could label as 'specialists', not so many legit well-rounded skill sets, except
maybe guys who are not legit WWs (BJ back then, RDA now), or 'incomplete' well-rounded skill sets (like Nick back then, perhaps Woods today)..

Some interesting [potentially] well-rounded skill sets today, though:
Rory
Koreshkov

Myths....all myths. You are debunking them.

I mean, hats off for a guy who they all knew what he was going to do, and imposed it on them right? Also....their own incompetence to prevent it from happening.

But current day WW has no place for this approach.

The problem are the fanatics creating false narratives.

But good citations. And yeah....some boring fights.

 

[dawzz]

Myths....all myths. You are debunking them.

I mean, hats off for a guy who they all knew what he was going to do, and imposed it on them right? Also....their own incompetence to prevent it from happening.

But current day WW has no place for this approach.

The problem are the fanatics creating false narratives.

But good citations. And yeah....some boring fights.

A not well rounded guy who only has a right hand and good tdd is champ today what are you talking about ? Also division is filled full of one dimensional fighters.

 

[gono btw]

A not well rounded guy who only has a right hand and good tdd is champ today what are you talking about ? Also division is filled full of one dimensional fighters.

Some opinions for those willin´ to put things into perspective:

Ivan Flores, Gracie Technics:

I think for the most part what I’ve noticed this past year is more of a mainstream trend of camps practicing “anti” arts. What I mean by that is instead of really learning the actual art or craft, guys are just practicing ways of neutralizing opposing arts/techniques.
On one side, it’s a smart way to achieve a certain amount of success without the huge time investment. The downfall to that is more fighters and coaches are seeing that as a long-term answer, and are undervaluing the details of the craft, which is limiting growth. As a result, MMA is getting a lot more all-around guys, but not quite as many specialists in comparison. I think that’s why a lot more fighters are roaming around trying to manage their own camps in search of missing pieces to the puzzle.

Another really big thing that stands out to me when I watch fights is massive gaps in defensive fundamentals. I really believe that it’s a byproduct of the point I discussed above. There’s a lot of people treating MMA like it’s an art, and forgetting that it’s a sport. Don’t get me wrong, like I said, you can achieve a certain amount of success. However, the holes that are left will also stunt the growth of your fight IQ’s potential.

It’s still been an exciting year in MMA watching the evolution continue to shift. It’s kinda crazy how quick camps are now at applying a technique they see someone do just the prior week. It’s like the calf kick. It’s an effective low kick that’s a lot more difficult to defend than the traditional roundhouse kick to the thigh. Damages the leg quickly and isn’t as easy to run a takedown on. Once that technique was performed well in a fight, it caught on fire with everyone.

Andre Pederneiras, Nova Uniao:

In my opinion, the strategic aspect is what has evolved the most in MMA. An athlete that doesn’t follow a strategic plan today has little chances of victory, considering that, if his opponent has done his homework — studying and watching his weak points and doing everything he can to explore those weak points — the odds of someone who hasn’t done (that) and has a strategy ready to actually win are very slim.

Dan Hardy, MMA analyst:

In the past few years, since the majority of fighters stepping into the Octagon have been mixed martial artists as opposed to purists and specialists, I see stages of whittling down. At the moment, I think we are in the end of a shedding phase with the grappling arts, where many gyms and fighters are focusing on sequences to high percentage submissions (like RNC and head and arm variations in men's MMA and armbars in women's), instead of an all-encompassing submission offensive and defensive game.
Much like a few years back when GSP just learned the wrestling needed to take people down and smash them, instead of the whole collegiate syllabus.

Adversely, I think the striking arts are still very elementary, and people are able to exploit one powerful weapon and build a whole game around it. The nuances of planning and timing, understanding how to set traps, etc. is only really used by the very high-level guys.

I'm also noticing that weight cutting and physical size advantages in the middle weight classes is no longer appearing as beneficial. RDA, Masvidal, Cowboy, Covington, Perry, etc. at welterweight. Whittaker, Gastelum, GSP, etc. at 185.

It's almost like the 'goldilocks zone' for fighters around 170-200lbs has shifted, and giving up a little size makes no real difference to the fight as long as there isn't a huge technical deficit.

 

[HHJ]

The talk was that the avg mma athlete would all eventually be as well rounded as gsp and guys like Rory McDonald would come in and win everything. I never subscribed to that theory. Gsps dont grow on trees,and a specialist can still cancel out a guy whose ok at everything.

 

[Congo66]

GSP hasn't fought at WW since 2013 so he shouldn't even be on the 2018 WW list.

Are any of the 2007 fighters well rounded? GSP sort of but he's a wrestler who takes people down and keeps them there. In 2007 he was KTFO standing up with a BJJ guy.

Matt Hughes, Sanchez, Fitch, Shields and Koscheck were all college wrestlers. Parysian a judo guy who wasn't really that well rounded. Akira Kikuchi I don't remember but if he lost to Aoki in 2006 he probably shouldn't be on the list at all. So that leaves Dias who couldn't and still can't wrestle and. BJ Penn who is fairly well rounded but can't really wrestle either.

The 2018 list most of them are fairly well rounded. Even the wrestlers like Covington and Usman have a fairly decent skill set, their striking and BJJ isn't terrible.

Skill set for skill set 2018 is way out in front, as you'd expect but that doesn't mean that being well rounded is better. Being very good at one thing can make you almost unbeatable in MMA.

 

[gono btw]

GSP hasn't fought at WW since 2013 so he shouldn't even be on the 2018 WW list.

Are any of the 2007 fighters well rounded? GSP sort of but he's a wrestler who takes people down and keeps them there. In 2007 he was KTFO standing up with a BJJ guy.

Matt Hughes, Sanchez, Fitch, Shields and Koscheck were all college wrestlers. Parysian a judo guy who wasn't really that well rounded. Akira Kikuchi I don't remember but if he lost to Aoki in 2006 he probably shouldn't be on the list at all. So that leaves Dias who couldn't and still can't wrestle and. BJ Penn who is fairly well rounded but can't really wrestle either.

The 2018 list most of them are fairly well rounded. Even the wrestlers like Covington and Usman have a fairly decent skill set, their striking and BJJ isn't terrible.

Skill set for skill set 2018 is way out in front, as you'd expect but that doesn't mean that being well rounded is better. Being very good at one thing can make you almost unbeatable in MMA.

I decided to include him coz even though his run @ MW was a joke, he might still be competitive @ WW.
He´s kindah retired/not retired, but he´s still a player somehow...

Akira Kikuchi was ranked top 10 back then.