How can we tell if a UFC fighter is in his prime?

[frye666]

I imagine you have to consider the amount of combat fights, injury's, age, and durability. GSP has lost a step a few years ago. Knee injuries. But he hasn't had as bad wear and tear as some other guys. Cain has had less fights but trained dangerous and was injured a lot more. Kid was done after one single injury. The man holding the heavyweight belt is noticeable slower than he ever has been. But that seems to be age. Shogun had such brutal fights he was out of prime by 28. Then there are other fighters that have competed in a bunch of other full contact fights. Crocop has been in over 130 full contact fights. No one can sustain that at the top levels. Same with Fedor and Sambo. You break a bone, tear a tendon or muscle, and none of that shit heals back to 100% usually. Then you have the chin that gets broken down more everytime is is tagged. Overeem has been in a shit ton of fights. But he has lessened a lot of the damage with horse meat. That actually does make your body heal better than nature will. BUT, it won't help that glass chin. Anyhow, I posted Crocops fighting record as a bit of a proof as to why he was out of prime in the UFC. He got ko'd by Hoost in 1996. I bet there are guys younger than this that are going to shit post all over this.



Kickboxing record
Total 31
Wins 23
By knockout 12
Losses 8
By knockout 4
Mixed martial arts record
Total 50
Wins 36
By knockout 27
By submission 6
By decision 3
Losses 11
By knockout 5
By submission 3
By decision 3
Draws 2
No contests 1
Amateur boxing record[3]
Total 56
Wins 48
By knockout 31
Losses 8

 

[YOLOGOGOPLATA]

Prime is only established in hindsight for people like us to talk about on messageboards

 

[HwoarangStyle]

his nipples are bigger than his eyes. thats how you know.

 

[LouisBolanos]

When they're over 35 and they lose a fight, they should fucking retire.
When they're 30-35 and they lose a fight, they're out of their prime.
When they're 25-30 and they lose a fight, they're overrated and the hypetrain has been derailed.
When they're under 25 and they lose a fight, they don't belong in the UFC and should GTFO to regional promotions.

 

[Ron Mexico]

I imagine you have to consider the amount of combat fights, injury's, age, and durability. GSP has lost a step a few years ago. Knee injuries. But he hasn't had as bad wear and tear as some other guys. Cain has had less fights but trained dangerous and was injured a lot more. Kid was done after one single injury. The man holding the heavyweight belt is noticeable slower than he ever has been. But that seems to be age. Shogun had such brutal fights he was out of prime by 28. Then there are other fighters that have competed in a bunch of other full contact fights. Crocop has been in over 130 full contact fights. No one can sustain that at the top levels. Same with Fedor and Sambo. You break a bone, tear a tendon or muscle, and none of that shit heals back to 100% usually. Then you have the chin that gets broken down more everytime is is tagged. Overeem has been in a shit ton of fights. But he has lessened a lot of the damage with horse meat. That actually does make your body heal better than nature will. BUT, it won't help that glass chin. Anyhow, I posted Crocops fighting record as a bit of a proof as to why he was out of prime in the UFC. He got ko'd by Hoost in 1996. I bet there are guys younger than this that are going to shit post all over this.



Kickboxing record
Total 31
Wins 23
By knockout 12
Losses 8
By knockout 4
Mixed martial arts record
Total 50
Wins 36
By knockout 27
By submission 6
By decision 3
Losses 11
By knockout 5
By submission 3
By decision 3
Draws 2
No contests 1
Amateur boxing record[3]
Total 56
Wins 48
By knockout 31
Losses 8

Holy shit
Cliffs mofo

 

[mirko>anyone]

There isn't a simple answer to that question. Prime is contingent upon the things you stated (age, injuries, number of fights, etc) and everyone's body will react differently. It's a case by case scenario.

 

[5 insightful]

You can tell it by looking through a retrospectoscope. Anything else is just guessing.

 

[Kumason]

Just come to Sherdog to find out,it's like 76% of threads lately.

 

[StrikerKing]

Often it's fairly obvious from movement, speed, reflexes, and chin. Take Chuck, he used to have a granite chin and could walk through punches to get the KO and then seemingly over night a stiff breeze would do him

 

[frye666]

Often it's fairly obvious from movement, speed, reflexes, and chin. Take Chuck, he used to have a granite chin and could walk through punches to get the KO and then seemingly over night a stiff breeze would do him

Yeah Chuck fell hard and fast. And I hate the fact that he is coming for another fight.

 

[gono btw]

I imagine you have to consider the amount of combat fights, injury's, age, and durability. GSP has lost a step a few years ago. Knee injuries. But he hasn't had as bad wear and tear as some other guys. Cain has had less fights but trained dangerous and was injured a lot more. Kid was done after one single injury. The man holding the heavyweight belt is noticeable slower than he ever has been. But that seems to be age. Shogun had such brutal fights he was out of prime by 28. Then there are other fighters that have competed in a bunch of other full contact fights. Crocop has been in over 130 full contact fights. No one can sustain that at the top levels. Same with Fedor and Sambo. You break a bone, tear a tendon or muscle, and none of that shit heals back to 100% usually. Then you have the chin that gets broken down more everytime is is tagged. Overeem has been in a shit ton of fights. But he has lessened a lot of the damage with horse meat. That actually does make your body heal better than nature will. BUT, it won't help that glass chin. Anyhow, I posted Crocops fighting record as a bit of a proof as to why he was out of prime in the UFC. He got ko'd by Hoost in 1996. I bet there are guys younger than this that are going to shit post all over this.



Kickboxing record
Total 31
Wins 23
By knockout 12
Losses 8
By knockout 4
Mixed martial arts record
Total 50
Wins 36
By knockout 27
By submission 6
By decision 3
Losses 11
By knockout 5
By submission 3
By decision 3
Draws 2
No contests 1
Amateur boxing record[3]
Total 56
Wins 48
By knockout 31
Losses 8

A prime is not only about age, physical state, or how many fights u had (all sports combined)..

It can be a mental thing, like Frank said after the Cung Le fight, when he said that he no longer had the mental discipline to follow a gameplan.

A prime is also not about winning or losing. U can still be winning and no longer be in your prime: this is called fight IQ & experience, mental warfare too (see the B-Hop case).

Now a physical prime, back in the days (now with so many sophisticated PEDs...), would go up to 34 yrs old maxi.

 

[gono btw]

I imagine you have to consider the amount of combat fights, injury's, age, and durability. GSP has lost a step a few years ago. Knee injuries. But he hasn't had as bad wear and tear as some other guys. Cain has had less fights but trained dangerous and was injured a lot more. Kid was done after one single injury. The man holding the heavyweight belt is noticeable slower than he ever has been. But that seems to be age. Shogun had such brutal fights he was out of prime by 28. Then there are other fighters that have competed in a bunch of other full contact fights. Crocop has been in over 130 full contact fights. No one can sustain that at the top levels. Same with Fedor and Sambo. You break a bone, tear a tendon or muscle, and none of that shit heals back to 100% usually. Then you have the chin that gets broken down more everytime is is tagged. Overeem has been in a shit ton of fights. But he has lessened a lot of the damage with horse meat. That actually does make your body heal better than nature will. BUT, it won't help that glass chin. Anyhow, I posted Crocops fighting record as a bit of a proof as to why he was out of prime in the UFC. He got ko'd by Hoost in 1996. I bet there are guys younger than this that are going to shit post all over this.



Kickboxing record
Total 31
Wins 23
By knockout 12
Losses 8
By knockout 4
Mixed martial arts record
Total 50
Wins 36
By knockout 27
By submission 6
By decision 3
Losses 11
By knockout 5
By submission 3
By decision 3
Draws 2
No contests 1
Amateur boxing record[3]
Total 56
Wins 48
By knockout 31
Losses 8

On a sidenote:

Guy Mezger:

Between kickboxing, boxing, full-contact karate, Pancrase, WFFF, UFC, WPC, and Pride = 146 fights (121 W, 19L,6 D)

 

[Krixes]

When they're no longer in their optimus prime.

 

[buffpants22]

Is the fighter winning?
Yes : Prime
No: Garbage , Can , never really was that good.

 

[Haj01]

When they're like Anderson Silva totally owning everyone then it's safe to say their in their prime or at their peak.

 

[gevoudane]

A lot of it has to do with how well the fighter just keeps himself. Bisping has taken a lot of combat damage, but he's actually been in combat sports longer then most realize. His first fight was a year before the UFC started. But it does seem to be damage that shortens ones prime.

 

[Dertysandal]

When good fighters win and naturally crappy fighters almost win consecutive matches but have fun doing so

 

[jeff7b9]

Is the fighter winning?
Yes : Prime
No: Garbage , Can , never really was that good.

Came to say this.

This is sherdog prime in a nutshell.

No should also read cancrusher, washed up, chin shot

 

[Dmurr90]

I feel like a given fighters "prime" is variable in age and physical and mental prowess. This does not always equal fight IQ. I thought TJ was into his prime against Garbrandt and I thought demonstrated his physical prime by recovering by that big knock down in the first round. Now that TJ is I believe 34 I do think he is approaching a decline and Cody definitely isn't.
Also I feel in smaller weight classss primes stretch for far less time compared to bigger weight classes I.e A. silva, Miocic, compared to say a Holloway or Pettis who blew up and was clearly on fire. I believe this to be true because the weight cut dimishies the fighter in the long term and the smaller cuts are more taxing. Most adult men are not mean to weigh 135 or even 145 lbs.

 

[jeff7b9]

A lot of it has to do with how well the fighter just keeps himself. Bisping has taken a lot of combat damage, but he's actually been in combat sports longer then most realize. His first fight was a year before the UFC started. But it does seem to be damage that shortens ones prime.

Bisping was fighting at 14?
Not MMA I'd have to assume, so amateur boxing?