First truly well rounded/complete fighter in the UFC.

[Cletus Fertitta]

None of these mongoloids could box lol

I mean yeah, my fat fuck cousin is well rounded in that he’s equally terrible at everything as the average bum off the street.

These guys sucked too. I would have rather watched Hulk Hogan fake smash someone in the head with a chair.

TS a real fight fan though, and I give him props for that.

 

[TankAbbott4Eva]

Candidates:

Don Frye:

Boxing
Wrestling
Judo
Submissions

Marco Ruas:

Superior Kickboxing/Vale Tudo
BJJ
Elite on the feet and on the ground

Frank Shamrock:

Proficient in all areas
Insane Cardio
Master technician


My choice is semi-biased as I was a huge fan but regardless is Ruas. He was much older than his listed age when he joined the UFC but he was already a legend in Brazil and just very fluid in his striking and ground game.

The King of the Streets made it look effortless.

My vote is Ruas, he's before Shamrock who would also be worthy too. Frye had a great style for street fighting though, being able to box and stay on your feet is what you want in a real fight. Plus he looked the part too, cool as fuck

 

[DiazSlap]

My vote is Ruas, he's before Shamrock who would also be worthy too. Frye had a great style for street fighting though, being able to box and stay on your feet is what you want in a real fight. Plus he looked the part too, cool as fuck

Frye was the guy every boy imagines his father is like…

Just a tough-ass SOB, calm AF, a mustache and grin. Agreed, cool as fuck plus the cool (and appropriate) nickname “The Predator”…

 

[Trabaho]

I'd say GSP could kickbox wrestle bjj against anyone in his weight. He didn't have to change the gameplan.

 

[Big Tuppy Hole]

Despite Tank Abbott trying to make his persona all about being a bar brawler, he actually had a good amount of wrestling and boxing experience. One of the first dual threat guys, along with don frye.

People hate the idea of Tank being a prototype to the modern MMA. Boxer/wrestler with Sub defence. He was a head of his time.

Guy Mezger needs a shout out aswell.

Also Mickey Burnett needs some love

 

[MGS]

DJ

 

[autolycus]

Don Frye might have been well rounded, but when he fought Coleman he got taken down and dominated. By only wrestling.


Wrestling laughs at your well roundedness

Don Frye is my all time favorite fighter, but the truth is, he was just kind of good everywhere and just plain tough. In the early days, he was a good enough wrestler to wrestlefuck the pure strikers, and a good enough striker to sprawl and brawl most wrestlers, but the Coleman fight was a good example of how he was not a truly elite wrestler. The Le Banner fight showed the same for his striking. Le Banner was bigger as well, so that didn't help but I think it's obvious Frye would have mightily struggled striking against the likes of Wanderlei, Shogun or Rampage. Good boxer but not great.

 

[joy2day]

Ruas was the first person in the UFC that could reasonably be called well rounded. Before that, you had either totally one-dimensional fighters or fighters that had developed some basic, token level skills outside of their one main skillset. Shamrock's strikes at the time were an example of this.

 

[jsbx45]

And getting subbed by Japanese cans.

Chonan was no can. Why you gotta be like that? Respect the GOAT man.

 

[HHJ]

Chonan was no can. Why you gotta be like that? Respect the GOAT man.

The other guy Anderson got submitted by was a can though.

 

[DiazSlap]

Ruas was the first person in the UFC that could reasonably be called well rounded. Before that, you had either totally one-dimensional fighters or fighters that had developed some basic, token level skills outside of their one main skillset. Shamrock's strikes at the time were an example of this.

Many of the morons in this thread do not seem to understand that in the early UFC days a guy like Ruas was indeed a unicorn.

Seeing answers like “Anderson Silva” and “GSP” is just plain stupid as these guys were MUCH later when most guys were well rounded….

Sherdumb going to Sherdumb tho…

 

[FlowchartRog]

Frye and Ruas are exactly who sprung to mind.

I think to this day Ruas is quite underrated. You have to give Ruas the nod as he debuted (slightly) before Frye.

I guess it's only natural Frye is more well known, as he ultimately had a better/longer career with more high profile fights.

BTW @DiazSlap Ruas was only 34 when he first fought in the UFC. Admittedly younger than I thought, I figured he was pushing 40 too, like about 37/38.

I always remember the quote at the time from the commentators "Brazilian men are like women, they don't want people to know their age"

 

[DiazSlap]

Frye and Ruas are exactly who sprung to mind.

I think to this day Ruas is quite underrated. You have to give Ruas the nod as he debuted (slightly) before Frye.

I guess it's only natural Frye is more well known, as he ultimately had a better/longer career with more high profile fights.

BTW @DiazSlap Ruas was only 34 when he first fought in the UFC. Admittedly younger than I thought, I figured he was pushing 40 too, like about 37/38.

I always remember the quote at the time from the commentators "Brazilian men are like women, they don't want people to know their age"

Yeah brother, listed age for a Brazilian is like listed height for Shane Carwin but inverse.

Ruas was actually probably around 37-38 as you suspected. Which makes him even more impressive IMO.

 

[KungFuCow]

Ruas also introduced the foot stomp which is still used to this day.

 

[DiazSlap]

Ruas also introduced the foot stomp which is still used to this day.

The way Ruas chopped down Big Paul Varelans with legkicks was so legendary…

Rogan still jerks off to highlights of that fight to this day.

 

[Black-Joto]

Frank Shamrock

 

[jsbx45]

The other guy Anderson got submitted by was a can though.

Damn. Why y'all doing MMA math to prove The Spider sucks?

 

[HHJ]

Damn. Why y'all doing MMA math to prove The Spider sucks?

Hahah I never said he sucked. He didnt even suck back then either. But he left chute boxe and strove to get better and became a legend

 

[agibmxmma]

Taktarov, Ruas, Mezger, GSP, DJ, Jones, Pantoja, Islam, Khamzat.. come to mind when thinking of the "most well rounded" fighter.

 

[KungFuCow]

Taktarov, Ruas, Mezger, GSP, DJ, Jones, Pantoja, Islam, Khamzat.. come to mind when thinking of the "most well rounded" fighter.

I wouldn't consider any but the first 3 in this discussion. Maybe GSP too but he came along a little later.