Do you think an MMA fighter can ever get a 50-0 record?

[jitzmonkey]

In only 4 months (April to August 2008,) JBJ won 7 MMA fights including his UFC debut.

If we start seeing more world class athletes being the norm, then I imagine that eventually some high level wrestler (or something) will fight a similar schedule for 1-2 years.

Might be like 50 years from now, though.

IMO Jones is a horrible example. As soon as he faced a few good guys within a couple of years he slowed down his activity to nearly nothing.

Its taken him 16 years or something to get to 30 fights.

Fedor did 32 in 10yrs having faced roughly the same number of top 10 opponents. In that time

They both started facing top opponents early on.

I think it's a matter of facing weak opponents for many fights in a short span of time and only facing top comp toward the end. Similar to Khabib but extending the easy comp to 30 or 35 fights before facing the top guys.

Fun fact had Fedor retired at 32 fights he'd have a clearly better resume than both Jones and Khabib

Less than focusing on the individual, I’m pointing out that it can be done much like young “up and coming“ boxers do.

Mike Tyson went 19-0 in the first 370(+/-) days of his pro career back in 85-86.

I’m sure that there are many fighters other boxing examples like that.
As MMA becomes more mainstream, I imagine that we’ll see similar scenarios in the future.

 

[Snake Fist]

Not many fighters with a record like Jeremy Horn, man has over 90 wins over a hundred 100 plus fights.

No fighter today is fighting 12 times a year like this guy.

Fighting only 2-3 times a year, you will lose to age before you get close 50- 0.

 

[Tweak896]

Cowboy made it farther than Holland. He beat better competition and earned a title shot.

Your point stands though.

Definitely those were just names that popped up in my head for active fighters. Holland did have his moments, but Cowboy was pretty solid until he eventually just showed up like a punching bag.

 

[Fioretti]

4 years on the regionals isn't 60 pct of his career.

Look at Conor's first 10 - 15 opponents and tell me how different it is.

Khabib only stands out because he never lost and retired early. Other wise it really isn't standing out as being an abnormal career start.

16 fights is 55% of 29.

Our accounts are old enough to drink this year and yours is already drunk, Tommy.

 

[BigOlJeet]

 

[HHJ]

16 fights is 55% of 29.

Our accounts are old enough to drink this year and yours is already drunk, Tommy.

Tyrone you silly fat bastard, the lads can't lift you!

 

[Big Tuppy Hole]

Who honesty thinks “no?” Obviously we have Khabib as an example, 29-0. What if he decided to hang around the regional circuit for 2 more years beating up taxi drivers? 50-0 ain’t so distant. And Renan Barao had a 25-fight streak before he even fought a guy with a wiki page, notwithstanding his early loss. One day, some phenom will have the foresight to gather an obscene amount of jobber scalps before hitting the big leagues. 50-0 is a low bar. You should be asking whether it can be 100-0.

100-0 is never happening.

 

[Sean Chowdhury]

As someone else said, if it was your primary goal to go 50-0, which means fighting random bums and drug addicts from the streets like Khabib did for the majority of his career, than yes it is possible.

But with the goal to move up the global rankings in your weight class and achieve titles, it's not really possible, and the bad judging in MMA is a huge reason why as well.

@JayPettryMMA do you know why this nice fella got banned? I'm curious

 

[JayPettryMMA]

@JayPettryMMA do you know why this nice fella got banned? I'm curious

He said some things he shouldn't have said, and knew it would have been a bad idea to say them.

 

[Feaser]

100-0 is never happening.

Just because you said that, it’s definitely happening.

 

[BowserJr]

In only 4 months (April to August 2008,) JBJ won 7 MMA fights including his UFC debut.

If we start seeing more world class athletes being the norm, then I imagine that eventually some high level wrestler (or something) will fight a similar schedule for 1-2 years.

Might be like 50 years from now, though.

Less than focusing on the individual, I’m pointing out that it can be done much like young “up and coming“ boxers do.

Mike Tyson went 19-0 in the first 370(+/-) days of his pro career back in 85-86.

I’m sure that there are many fighters other boxing examples like that.
As MMA becomes more mainstream, I imagine that we’ll see similar scenarios in the future.

I actually think it's going backwards.

Fighters were way more active early on, especially with tournaments.

The biggest legends in the sport all fought when tournaments were the norm. Fighting 2-3 times in a night. Sometimes up to 5x. Igor Vov fought 50x in 5 years lol

Now at most up and comers fight maybe 3-4x in a year.

Ibdo agree that the boxing way would be the way to do it. Essentially slowly developing them in terms of many low level fights/opponents but having them do many of those fights in a short time

 

[fedoriswar37]

Depends . How many pro fights with janitors can his dad throw in his gyms?

 

[jitzmonkey]

I actually think it's going backwards.

Fighters were way more active early on, especially with tournaments.

The biggest legends in the sport all fought when tournaments were the norm. Fighting 2-3 times in a night. Sometimes up to 5x. Igor Vov fought 50x in 5 years lol

Now at most up and comers fight maybe 3-4x in a year.

Ibdo agree that the boxing way would be the way to do it. Essentially slowly developing them in terms of many low level fights/opponents but having them do many of those fights in a short time

All valid points.
Since boxing has been mainstream for so long though, is it safe to assume (and I don’t have much data here) that the possibility of potential future over saturation might lead to sufficient opportunities as well as the necessity to fight 10-20 times per year?

Keep in mind that I’m talking something like 50 years from now when it’d be more common for kids to be training MMA at 5 or 6 y/o.

It really comes down to whether or not we believe that the sport will evolve in that manner or not.

 

[cburm]

Just fight bums like they do in boxing

Khabibs record says 29 but 16 of those are amateur fights .. the UFC doesn't show every fighters I think gegard has like 53 or 60 fights how far did he go before losing amateur there may actually be someone 50 and 0 already in amateur.. but to go 50 and 0 in the UFC I don't think it's possible.. not unless Jon Jones fights for 10 more years

 

[italiamusica]

I feel like it would only happen now if they were spoon fed favorable match-ups. Like a wrestler going against only strikers with zero takedown defense and zero grappling.

 

[Pierce 34]

Khabibs record says 29 but 16 of those are amateur fights .. the UFC doesn't show every fighters I think gegard has like 53 or 60 fights how far did he go before losing amateur there may actually be someone 50 and 0 already in amateur.. but to go 50 and 0 in the UFC I don't think it's possible.. not unless Jon Jones fights for 10 more years

50 and 0 at the pro level is nuts but I can see like if you're top level talent and you fight guys who started last week looool

 

[markantony20]

I don’t think so.

MMA thankfully hasn’t suffered from the egregious record padding that boxing has its more that a fighter will fight below their level than be put in there with someone who is there to lose.

And in MMA there’s just too many variables unlike in boxing.

That isn’t to rag on boxing in the slightest but in a sport that allows more techniques it’s only natural that there’s more chances to lose.

 

[pick999]

Really should be 28-1

 

[BowserJr]

All valid points.
Since boxing has been mainstream for so long though, is it safe to assume (and I don’t have much data here) that the possibility of potential future over saturation might lead to sufficient opportunities as well as the necessity to fight 10-20 times per year?

Keep in mind that I’m talking something like 50 years from now when it’d be more common for kids to be training MMA at 5 or 6 y/o.

It really comes down to whether or not we believe that the sport will evolve in that manner or not.

Maybe in that time frame. There would have to be no more UFC monopoly and many orgs kind of like before.

Ironically tons of orgs is 1 of the things that ruined boxing

 

[Big Tuppy Hole]

Just because you said that, it’s definitely happening.

The schedule is too much for modern fighters.