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Do fighters ever fully recover after a very brutal beatdown?

Barteh

Barteh

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Examples I'm thinking about:

Velasquez vs. Dos Santos 1 and 2
Gaethje vs. Ferguson
Lawler vs. McDonald

I honestly can't think of a single example where somebody lost is such a brutal fashion and they ever reached their old top level or went on a serious title run. Can you guys think of any examples?
 
Frankie after Maynard 2 and 3

edit: You said lost, guess a draw isn’t a loss but the damage Frankie took in those fights is similar to the fights in your OP and it didn’t derail Edgar

Frank Bless
 
Michael bisping comes to mind, knocked out horribly with a follow up shot that probably lessened his career. Then went on to fight with some ups and downs eventually avenging his loss to rockhold and hendo along with beating silva
 
Yungrich said:
Michael bisping comes to mind, knocked out horribly with a follow up shot that probably lessened his career. Then went on to fight with some ups and downs eventually avenging his loss to rockhold and hendo along with beating silva
Click to expand...
I don't think a big ko takes as much off as a sustained besting does. Ping wasn't beaten down then ko'ed.
 
Depends on the fighter. Sometimes when they change camps it gives them a new life
 
I mean it's a good question...

But i'm guessing youre talking about Ferguson and that's a bad example, aint it? because his entire career is beatdowns and comebacks.Same with Nog.

You have a limited amount of wars. and a limited amount of age. There's guys like Couture and Rutten who were fine being old and fighting because not many wars. Crocop has a lengthy as fuck career but was not beaten down much.

I mean there was also Lauzon. He's been in a shitload of wars but sure put out a solid number of career fights.
 
Hitto said:
Frankie after Maynard 2 and 3

edit: You said lost, guess a draw isn’t a loss but the damage Frankie took in those fights is similar to the fights in your OP and it didn’t derail Edgar

Frank Bless
Click to expand...

He did take a lot of damage in those fights, that's true. But they weren't beatdowns for sure. Still a decent example of a fighter taking excessive damage in 1-2 fights and going on to have a succesful career.

Fossor said:
Hooker after Barboza fight
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True, but that damage was taken to the body which is a different story imo. Damage to the body taken in a fight (injuries are a different beast) isn't usually permanent.
 
Barteh said:
Examples I'm thinking about:

Velasquez vs. Dos Santos 1 and 2
Gaethje vs. Ferguson
Lawler vs. McDonald

I honestly can't think of a single example where somebody lost is such a brutal fashion and they ever reached their old top level or went on a serious title run. Can you guys think of any examples?
Click to expand...
Rory went on to hold a major promotional title
 
BigTruck said:
I don't think a big ko takes as much off as a sustained besting does. Ping wasn't beaten down then ko'ed.
Click to expand...

Yeah that's the point I'm trying to make. These beatings where fighters really take prolonged and excessive damage seems to really take something out of them.

Tomas said:
Stipe taking long breaks after the 1st Cormier fight was a blessing for him. His head went from glass to stone in the span of a year.
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That was just a quick ko though. I don't think he ever had a glass jaw. HWs just hit hard and in the right spot sometimes.
 
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