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You know, when you follow MMA, i don't know why, but it's the sport that makes you feel the oldest because everything passes by so fast. I mean look at it now, it feels like a yesterday that Shavkat, Khamzat, DDP, Aspinall were coming in around Covid, and Covid is all gone and these guys at the top of the mountain now.
I do wonder about this from time to time, but I saw Epo-shaw talking about Cody being a good match for Merab, and who can forget how amazing Cody looked in that fight. I feel like Epo-shaw deleted a lot of peoples' careers, and damn him for that, probably Cody and Barao being the biggest victims outside him hurting a guy in training, but it's also true that it's always a race against time for a fighter to keep up that peak state of their careers.
Who were the fighters, and a specific time in their careers, that you point to and say, man, this fighter at that certain time in the world, was as good as any, that we've ever seen and ever will?
For me, if I pick a few, chronologically,
Takanori Gomi, 24-2 record, Dec of 2005, against Sakurai
- Ended the year as PRIDE Bushido LWGP Champ, A fighter of the year on Sherdog along with Shogun, A top pound for pound fighter on Sherdog with Fedor.
GSP, 17-2 record, August of 2008, against Jon Fitch
- In my opinion, the best form that GSP ever was in. Striking fluid which deteriorated over time, and wrestling and grappling as smooth as ever.
Shogun Rua, 18-3 record, Oct of 2009, against Machida
- Machida looked unsolveable as any fighters ever, Shogun showed up and made him look mortal. Shogun looked as technical as ever with that toughness of his on top of it.
Jon Jones, 13-1 record, March of 2011, against Shogun Rua
- The level of athleticism, destructive gnp, wrestling, and diverse striking that he showed, against the best there was in Shogun, were mind-blowing. It was just a start, but I think the fight that Jones looked his best.
Cody Garbrandt, 11-0 record, Dec of 2016, against Cruz
- Outpointed prime Dominic Cruz. What else can you say?
I do wonder about this from time to time, but I saw Epo-shaw talking about Cody being a good match for Merab, and who can forget how amazing Cody looked in that fight. I feel like Epo-shaw deleted a lot of peoples' careers, and damn him for that, probably Cody and Barao being the biggest victims outside him hurting a guy in training, but it's also true that it's always a race against time for a fighter to keep up that peak state of their careers.
Who were the fighters, and a specific time in their careers, that you point to and say, man, this fighter at that certain time in the world, was as good as any, that we've ever seen and ever will?
For me, if I pick a few, chronologically,
Takanori Gomi, 24-2 record, Dec of 2005, against Sakurai
- Ended the year as PRIDE Bushido LWGP Champ, A fighter of the year on Sherdog along with Shogun, A top pound for pound fighter on Sherdog with Fedor.
GSP, 17-2 record, August of 2008, against Jon Fitch
- In my opinion, the best form that GSP ever was in. Striking fluid which deteriorated over time, and wrestling and grappling as smooth as ever.
Shogun Rua, 18-3 record, Oct of 2009, against Machida
- Machida looked unsolveable as any fighters ever, Shogun showed up and made him look mortal. Shogun looked as technical as ever with that toughness of his on top of it.
Jon Jones, 13-1 record, March of 2011, against Shogun Rua
- The level of athleticism, destructive gnp, wrestling, and diverse striking that he showed, against the best there was in Shogun, were mind-blowing. It was just a start, but I think the fight that Jones looked his best.
Cody Garbrandt, 11-0 record, Dec of 2016, against Cruz
- Outpointed prime Dominic Cruz. What else can you say?
