How good was Jerry Bohlander? & how would he do in today's MMA?

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Bohlander was considered one of the best under 200 lb. fighters in the world during his time with the UFC.

Height: 5'11"

Weight: 199 lbs.

Style: Submission Fighting

Weight Class: Light-Heavyweight Todays MMA 185 maybe 170

Team: The Lion's Den

UFC Record: 5-2: 4 Submissions, 1 Decision

Superbrawl Record: 2-0

KOTC Record: 1-0

Championships and Accomplishments

Ultimate Fighting Championship
UFC 16 middleweight Superfight Winner
UFC 12 Lightweight Tournament Winner
UFC 8 Tournament Semifinalist

Wrestling Observer Newsletter
Fight of the Year (1998) vs. Kevin Jackson on March 13


List of top wins

Scott Ferrozzo
Kevin Jackson
Brian Foster
 
europe1 said:
Even more intresting, according to wikipedia, it appears that he managed to defeat Brian Foster six years before Brian Foster debuted in MMA!
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Brian Foster is the equivalent of John Smith int the North American MMA world. There are many Brian Fosters. By many I mean 3 or 4.

In response to this thread topic, Bohlander was a fantastic submission grappler at a time when no one really knew about them. Times have changed and MMA has evolved into a legit sport. Based on his fighting style back in the day, I think he'd get mauled badly by modern-day fighters in the big show. Of course, if he was training at a modern day MMA camp with all the advanced techniques and intense cross-training that they bring with them, it's entirely possible he'd be a great lighter weight fighter again (not LHW)... if he wasn't in his 40's and making that cop bank.
 
Seems you already know the answer, sir.


Are those stats you list not good ?
 
For early MMA, Lions Den was pretty much the most successful prototype.
 
TRYHARD 2001 said:
In response to this thread topic, Bohlander was a fantastic submission grappler at a time when no one really knew about them.
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Yeah, guys he beat like Fabio Gurgel and Kevin Jackson certainly wouldn't know anything about submission grappling.
 
He was great for a little guy back in the day, especially when you consider that he was giving up a huge size advantage to most of his early opponents. His fight with Kevin Jackson is a great fight that's been undeservedly forgotten.

How would he do today? Probably not very well, since he's almost 40 and it's been nearly 10 years since his last fight.
 
The Reed said:
Yeah, guys he beat like Fabio Gurgel and Kevin Jackson certainly wouldn't know anything about submission grappling.
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Kevin Jackson didn't know submission grappling. He knew 'rasslin'. That's why Frank and Jerry beat him with subs from their backs. Wrestling is not submission grappling, although I will admit it is a key component.

Fabio Gurgel was a very accomplished BJJ champion back in the day that was never really able to transfer his skillset to MMA. He absolutely was a knowledgeable submission grappler. And he was really the exception to the rule back in the mid-90's. Bohlander beat him, but it was due to his superior overall MMA game, as opposed to his superior grappling.
 
was a lion's den fighter back in the day and good in his time period.. not good.

Those guys come from the era of no rules so take shoes,headbutts,soccer kicks,knees to the head of a grounded opp,and in some cases no rounds or time limits take all that away and lots of the oldschool guys can't play the newschool game because back in the day was as close to a real fight as you can get and now it's a game/sporting event.

I think only a handful of guys if that could adapt.
 
I heard he was really one of the most talented guys of the early era, Dave Meltzer said that they created weightclasses in the UFC because they didn't want Bohlander losing to HW's because of the size disadvantage.
 
He was the first among 3 non-Brazilians to beat top BJJ black belt from Brazil in MMA. Watching him succeed in the cage made Tito decide to quite college and turn pro.
 
He had a win over:

Scott Ferrozzo > Tank Abbott > Wesley Correira > Jason Lambert > Marvin Eastman > Rampage > Wanderlei > Dan Henderson > Fedor.


So yeah... about the best ever.
 
Ruv said:
I heard he was really one of the most talented guys of the early era, Dave Meltzer said that they created weightclasses in the UFC because they didn't want Bohlander losing to HW's because of the size disadvantage.
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meltzer was wrong on that one. they split the classes into two for two reasons, one was to even out the playing field for ALL of the smaller guys, not just bohlander, and the second reason was because of the amount of fighters dropping out of the tournaments due to injury. they just felt that winning 3 fights was too much
 
glennrod said:
meltzer was wrong on that one. they split the classes into two for two reasons, one was to even out the playing field for ALL of the smaller guys, not just bohlander, and the second reason was because of the amount of fighters dropping out of the tournaments due to injury. they just felt that winning 3 fights was too much
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Yeah, Dave said it when he was on Sherdog radio recently, the SEG saw Bohlander and didn't want him and other guys his size to be denied the opportunity of being a champion.
 
emperor said:
He was great for a little guy back in the day, especially when you consider that he was giving up a huge size advantage to most of his early opponents. His fight with Kevin Jackson is a great fight that's been undeservedly forgotten.

How would he do today? Probably not very well, since he's almost 40 and it's been nearly 10 years since his last fight.
Click to expand...

I should of said if he was in his prime.
 
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