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Evolution of MMA GIF Challenge

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6. End of Old Hype

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7. Jon Jones Arrives

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8. Karate is Here to Stay

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9. Enter WMMA

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10. I'm Not Scared

Thanks. I enjoyed your post. I knew we'd see Kimbo at some point.
 
afm171, I like your take on the subject. I'd like to see you fill-in the space between Bonnar vs Griffin and Rousey. Maybe a 9.1, 9.2, etc. I'm sure you'll put Kimbo in there somewhere.

Yeah, there's a lot missing, just wanted to make sure the pioneers got their due.

The world didn't start with Royce...
 
Yeah, there's a lot missing, just wanted to make sure the pioneers got their due.

The world didn't start with Royce...

Much respect for including Kimura and Lebell.

Before there was BJJ there be Judo
 
1. Vale Tudo / Gracie Challenge -subs and open-style challenge matches lay the groundwork for modern MMA and create a small corner of the world which would go on to produce a great fighters who will one day shape, influence and dominate MMA

2. Pancrase - a small corner of the world uses subs, wrestling and striking produce great fighters who will one day shape and influence MMA

3. UFC 1 - Royce Gracie opens everyone's eyes.

4. Dan Severn, Mark Kerr and Mark Coleman show the danger of wrestlers. The sport is no longer BJJ dominated.

5. Mo Smith shows everyone that a striker can beat a wrestler. The sport changes again.

6. Pride 1 - biggest MMA promotion on a global scale and the first MMA promotion to truly have an international mandate in securing fighters. This introduces many notable fighters to the world that would probably never have had a chance to impact MMA if the then-struggling UFC had been the only alternative, including HW GOAT Fedor Emelianenko.

7. Frank Shamrock's victory over Tito Ortiz reveals a new aspect to championship MMA fighting, prompting Ortiz to make conditioning the foundation of his championship reign and igniting a set of training protocols and fighting strategies that are still being experimented with in championship matches today.

8. MMA fighters begin to beat other fighters in their specialty, such as Fedor vs. Nog, Fedor vs. Crocop, Randy vs. Chuck, Randy vs. Vitor and GSP vs. Koschek. The game of MMA has changed into something uniquely it's own.

9. TUF - UFC enters the American mainstream and changes the MMA landscape forever, from elaborate propaganda attacks against fighters and promotions to the growth of paydays and fame that begin to attract the highest calibre of natural athlete. Weight-cutting comes to prominance as another strategy for success.

10. Rousey.
 
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Nice Idea.

Jones becoming Champion..

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Strangely enough, when I saw this fight for the first time, I was thinking "when does Jones start the real punches, instead of this peppering game" - it looked like nothing was full power and shouldn't hurt Shogun. I was amazed when he tapped to strikes.

After rewatching it, my opinion changed completely. What a brutal, one sided beatdown.
 
I wish people would stop quoting walls of gifs, makes the thread very hard to read.
 
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