How can anyone look at '04 Hughes, '10 Shields and '19 Colby/Usman and say the sport has evolved?

[Versace]

What was his one dimension ? He was a great wrestler and the arm bar he hit on GSP was a thing of beauty .... you’re a bit harsh

Got choked out by a FW in his prime lol

 

[r-harper-1]

Got choked out by a FW in his prime lol

Point?

 

[Ryeboi]

The blueprint is still same:

• Have an extensive background in wrestling
• Learn sub skills along the way
• Have superb cardio
• Learn enough striking to defend yourself standing while learning to how use your striking to get the fight to the mat

Everyone talks about how the game has changed and evolved. Maybe. Maybe not. I think Hughes was ahead of the curb because he was with MFS with a real team and real coaches with extensive cross training in disciplines but now that's the standard.

I think the overall talent pool has evolved where before you might have a accomplished kickboxer at 26 start to learn the ground game so they could compete in mma now you have a 16 year old who's been wrestling for 4 year now would want to learn every aspect of fighting before he even started competing.

But it seems to the guys at the top the blueprint hasn't changed.

Hell Khabib falls into the same category. Mastered grappling then learned enough striking to complement it while having great cardio.

What does Sherdog think? Has the blueprint changed?

First off EVERY FIGHTER tries to:
A. Master one martial art
B. Learn another martial arts along the way
C. Develop superb cardio
D. And learn how to defend their weakness.
This is par for the course.

So sure.

But you specifically think wrestling is the blueprint, which implies, it was that way from the beginning and everyone uses it.
Except UFC 1 was won by Royce Gracie and he had no wrestling, just jiujitsu and poor striking.
And there aren't only four fighters in the sport.

Conor is primarily a boxer with wrestling and jiujitsu defense.
Israel and Anderson silva are primarily kickboxers with wrestling and jiujitsu defense.
Lyoto Machida Karate, Shogun Kickboxer.
Yoel is one of the sports MOST decorated wrestler that uses his knockout power instead of ground and pound.
Henry Cejudo didn't become champion until he started learning Karate.
DC loves to let his hand loose.
Aldo was a jits guy with kickboxing.
BJ penn and the Diaz brothers are jits guy with boxing.
Jon Jones started with wrestling but uses his kickboxing to win fights.

..the list goes on an on. you're wrong. the sport has evolved.

 

[fortheo]

Covington and Usman are both far superior athletes compared to Hughes your point sucks.

Covington and usman are modern day Fitch and Koscheck. The evolution in this sport is drastically overstated.

 

[Hotora86]

The blueprint is still same:

• Have an extensive background in wrestling
• Learn sub skills along the way
• Have superb cardio
• Learn enough striking to defend yourself standing while learning to how use your striking to get the fight to the mat

Everyone talks about how the game has changed and evolved. Maybe. Maybe not. I think Hughes was ahead of the curb because he was with MFS with a real team and real coaches with extensive cross training in disciplines but now that's the standard.

I think the overall talent pool has evolved where before you might have a accomplished kickboxer at 26 start to learn the ground game so they could compete in mma now you have a 16 year old who's been wrestling for 4 year now would want to learn every aspect of fighting before he even started competing.

But it seems to the guys at the top the blueprint hasn't changed.

Hell Khabib falls into the same category. Mastered grappling then learned enough striking to complement it while having great cardio.

What does Sherdog think? Has the blueprint changed?

I kinda agree but I think the blueprint can be broader:
"be good at everything and expert at something"

Of course many current champs are good at everything and experts in wrestling as you correctly point out - but there are exceptions like Izzy, who is expert in kickboxing.

 

[Versace]

Point?

He would've had zero chance against Usman, Colby, Woodley etc.

 

[Mamou]

The exact same thing can be said about Hughes. He used his punches to set up his wrestling and did it for years. I've seen Hughes have flashes of good striking to. He rocked Almeida. And his punches hurt and do damage when they land. So by your parameters Hughes has good striking too.

I'll even grant you that Colby probably has better striking fundamentals and definitely has better kicks but to call his striking A1? Come on Sherbro. If Colby's striking is A1 what's Wonderboy Thompson's striking? A1+++?

Lmao no your haven't. The left hook he landed on Almeida is the best standing strike he's ever landed. His wrestling/grappling was fantastic but his striking wasn't even average, maybe not even below average.

 

[r-harper-1]

He would've had zero chance against Usman, Colby, Woodley etc.

I agree with that .....just think his submission skills means he’s not one dimensional

 

[NoSmilez]

The sport has evolved a lot. Hughes wouldn't even make top five in today's 170 fighting and testing. Hughes would be considered a short undersized WW with poor striking. He wouldn't even make it past Maia for a title shot. People would be making threads about how he should cut to 155.

 

[KONG-D'SNT-TAP]

Out of the 3 Shields grappling would be the worst for Hughes.

Prime Hughes isn’t getting out grappled by Colby or Usman

 

[grimballer]

How can anybody look at them n say it didn’t evolve?

Colby n usman are obviously much better strikers. They are better conditioned n are facing much better competition.

Stats prove it as well.

Colby n usman land way more than Hughes n shields

they also get way more td n they themselves don’t get td as easily as Hughes n shields

basically they do everything Hughes n shields did, do it better n do things Hughes n shields didn’t do

 

[pankrat]

The blueprint is still same:

• Have an extensive background in wrestling
• Learn sub skills along the way
• Have superb cardio
• Learn enough striking to defend yourself standing while learning to how use your striking to get the fight to the mat

Everyone talks about how the game has changed and evolved. Maybe. Maybe not. I think Hughes was ahead of the curb because he was with MFS with a real team and real coaches with extensive cross training in disciplines but now that's the standard.

I think the overall talent pool has evolved where before you might have a accomplished kickboxer at 26 start to learn the ground game so they could compete in mma now you have a 16 year old who's been wrestling for 4 year now would want to learn every aspect of fighting before he even started competing.

But it seems to the guys at the top the blueprint hasn't changed.

Hell Khabib falls into the same category. Mastered grappling then learned enough striking to complement it while having great cardio.

What does Sherdog think? Has the blueprint changed?

Wait you was the guy saying Tanner and Loiseau coullb be top contenders in 2016.
Now you admit that you don't acknowledge the evolution of the spot, somehing every pro fighter and coach do; or anyone with functional eyes who trains or understand the sport. lol what a turd

 

[grimballer]

Out of the 3 Shields grappling would be the worst for Hughes.

Prime Hughes isn’t getting out grappled by Colby or Usman

They wouldn’t grapple with him. They would literally pick him apart standing n he couldn’t do nothing about it

 

[Ramon Antonio]

The training methods have definitely evolved.

On second thought.. Maybe not..

Spoiler

 

[Croton]

Hughes was a Pioneer but christ he would struggle to even crack top 10 today with his skill set.

 

[green giant]

Prime Hughes would be a good fight for either one. A young strong body and sharp mind are underestimated.

 

[Twixt]

You presented no objective reasoning to support your statement, so I'm going to assume that you're probably a retard and therefore par for the course around here.

They are both clearly far superior fighters which is why his comparison was retarded (just like you).

 

[bjpenngoat]

2004 Matt would be good today but these guys have much better striking and more importantly adequate striking defense, aside from when they actually fought eachother (colby and usman).

 

[r-harper-1]

Out of the 3 Shields grappling would be the worst for Hughes.

Prime Hughes isn’t getting out grappled by Colby or Usman

Usman would rag doll him imo .....but likely keep it standing because Hughes isn’t a threat standing

 

[r-harper-1]

Hughes was a huge WW. Well over 200 pounds. Colby could fight at 155. He's said multiple times that he fights at 170 to avoid the weight cut and have a better gas tank.

Hughes in 04 is bigger and stronger than Colby in 19. That shouldn't be questioned.


This colby literally saying 170-180 pounds is his natural weight. He doesn't cut weight. He eats down to 170.

Hughes walked around at 200+ pounds and cut to 170. (Different era. Easier to rehydrate with IVs)

Hmmm Hughes never looked anywhere close to 200 lbs .... maybe someone was exaggerating lol