How would prime Rumble Johnson do in today’s LHW division?

[mkt]

Depends on which Rumble shows up... but on point Rumble sparks all of them ... or loses by a decision / submission

Rumble never lost a decision. He either won (usually by vicious KO) or gassed due to a weight cut, showed poor Fight IQ and got RNC'd. However, prime Cormier was the only guy who could do that to him at LHW, where he didn't have weight cutting issues. I think prime Jones would've beat him as well, but I give Rumble a good chance of beating every other LHW, past and present.

 

[mkt]

Nobody did what Rumble did to other good LHWs. I made a post about it.

Thread 'Crazy Stat about Rumble at LHW'

Apr 27, 2024

I posted this elsewhere, but thought it was worth its own thread.

Rumble KO'd Glover, prime Gus, Bader and Little Nog (who was coming off wins over Tito and Rashad) in less than 5 minutes if you count all the fights. You could fit all that in a single round. Put another way, that's 4 KO/TKO's with an average fight length of just over 1 minute. With the possible exception of Little Nog (who was stilll good at the time), they were all very solid/contender-level LHWs.

He also finished Manuwa seconds into the 2nd round.

• mkt
• Replies: 54
• Forum: UFC Discussion

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He'd destroy guys like Jiri and Hill. He and Poatan would be kind of a toss up and could go either way. Unlike Ank, Rumble could actually take him down, though.

Besides Poatan, Ank is the only guy who might have the gameplanning, well-rounded skillset and durability to take Rumble into deep waters and wear him down. But considering how Ank struggled mightily with a 40-year old Jan, I'm not sure about that. It would probably look more like Rumble's fight with Phil Davis, where Rumble kept it standing and battered him, but didn't finish him cause Davis has an iron chin.

Bottom line: If prime Rumble had been at LHW from 2020-2025, he'd absolutely have won the belt and defended it. He might have lost (and possibly regained) it at some point, as he did have a few holes in his game. But he'd mostly be knocking guys out right and left.

 

[Black Blood]

You need at least slightly above average striking and some top tier wrestling/grappling to handle Rumble at LHW. So... not a whole lot of LHWs fit the bill nowadays.

Alex could likely handle him on the feet. Ank might not have the physicality to deal with him, but Rumble has been known to make mistakes/fight dumb. Jiri is probably too open.

 

[Scythe]

The Crumble narrative is so goofy when you look at the end of his career. 13 wins in a row interrupted specifically by DC, an all-time great and clear nightmare for him. Prime Jan got iced by Santos and overrun by Glover but somehow Rumble caves to him because again… he lost to DC? Is Ankalaev really going to threaten Rumble on the floor based on what we saw in his championship win? LHW Rumble feasted on lesser wrestlers when they threatened the shot.

Poatan and Ank would need to outstrike Rumble to win and they’re both hittable.

 

[mkt]

The Crumble narrative is so goofy when you look at the end of his career. 13 wins in a row interrupted specifically by DC, an all-time great and clear nightmare for him. Prime Jan got iced by Santos and overrun by Glover but somehow Rumble caves to him because again… he lost to DC? Is Ankalaev really going to threaten Rumble on the floor based on what we saw in his championship win? LHW Rumble feasted on lesser wrestlers when they threatened the shot.

Poatan and Ank would need to outstrike Rumble to win and they’re both hittable.

If you mention Gilbert Burns getting KO'd by Dan Hooker at LW, everyone here will say Burns was in the wrong weight class and didn't cut weight well at 155.

But somehow Rumble (who cut a lot more weight than Burns) losing a few times at WW and MW is supposed to be incredibly relevant at LHW. Even though Rumble went through Glover (a future champ), prime Gus, Phil Davis, Bader and others like butter at LHW.

Make it make sense, Sherdog.

 

[Sean Chowdhury]

probably beats all of them, his speed and power would be too much for guys like Jan and Jiri, I think he'd find the ko on alex who isn't exactly hard to hit. Ankalaev would be an interesting fight and could go either way due to his defensive skills and good counters

 

[Robbocop]

Impossible to know but he Anthony Rumble Johnson had some exciting KO power. It's a shame he passed so young.

He also would have been very exciting to see in one of the bare knuckle boxing promotions. Imagine taking one of those Rumble uppercuts or haymakers to the chin with no glove, shieeet forget about it.

 

[Hannibal Lector]

Honestly he would dominate.

 

[Typrune Goatley]

Possibly champ, or top 3 at worst

It's possible Rumble knocks them all out but I would personally bet on Poatan to out strike him more often than not. Rumble would be better off looking for takedowns against Poatan.

Ankalaev also has a very well rounded game and could possibly beat Rumble, especially if he holds Rumble against the fence for several minutes like he did Poatan. That would be a great tactic to sap the energy of the explosive Rumble.

Jiri does get hit a lot but he is also very dangerous himself. It's not a guarantee Rumble beats him. I give Rumble like a 65% chance to hurt and finish Jiri, but Jiri could always land something like the devastating elbow he did against Reyes.

 

[Area809]

He’d get wrestled down by Ank if it goes past the 2nd round. If Ank survives early, Rumble’s cardio would probably betray him. Rumble and Alex would be a crap shoop in the early rounds.

 

[pick999]

Ank is only guy that might put up a fight

 

[meast]

Top 5, I could see him losing to Jan, Big Ank, Pereira. Weirdly I think Pereira would be his toughest matchup

 

[Natural Order]

Champ, easy.

 

[Natural Order]

Rumble was all over the place lol. Peak Rumble stiffens Poatan but gets wrestled to exhaustion by Jan. He stiffens Hill and Juri. Ank crumbles him due to wrestler weakness

Yeah that 15 minute wrestling dominance over Phil Davis would certainly make you think that Jan would gas him lol

Rumble had legit wrestling skills. It’s when he went to the ground the RNC became a problem.

 

[Mind Mine]

Yeah that 15 minute wrestling dominance over Phil Davis would certainly make you think that Jan would gas him lol

Rumble had legit wrestling skills. It’s when he went to the ground the RNC became a problem.

I would say Jan gives him a run due to the fact he might interrupt the flow of Rumble trying to take a head off and I think Ank clearly beats him is my honest betting take and no I would not have put money on Jan but would have on Ank vs Rumble. My heart says Rumble all day but when Rumble’s intense violence got taken into deep waters he was too unpredictable for me to place over a FEW people comfortably

 

[Mind Mine]

Yeah that 15 minute wrestling dominance over Phil Davis would certainly make you think that Jan would gas him lol

Rumble had legit wrestling skills. It’s when he went to the ground the RNC became a problem.

Also to be fair I have Jan and Ank over Mr. Blunderful

 

[Natural Order]

I would say Jan gives him a run due to the fact he might interrupt the flow of Rumble trying to take a head off and I think Ank clearly beats him is my honest betting take and no I would not have put money on Jan but would have on Ank vs Rumble. My heart says Rumble all day but when Rumble’s intense violence got taken into deep waters he was too unpredictable for me to place over a FEW people comfortably

That's fair.

Reality is that he should have always been fighting at LHW. In fact I'm going on a limb and saying those 50 lb cuts probably had something to do with his early demise. Sad stuff, guy was easily my most favourite modern fighter. Rest easy knowing he sits in unison with the Just Bleed God at the alter of violence in the afterlife.