If Don "The Dragon" Wilson had fought in the early UFC, would he have won?

[Guestx]

As most people here know, Don "The Dragon" Wilson"--actor and professional kickboxer--was a commentator for UFC 7 and other UFC events. I was just taking a look at his Wikipedia page and ran across this sentence: "He stated several times that he would be willing to fight in the UFC himself if enough fans requested it, but it never happened."

So here's the question: Being a successful, high-level pro kickboxer, would he have had what it took to win a UFC event? The real question here is his grappling ability. Wikipedia doesn't list any grappling credentials for him, but it's worth nothing that a lot of martial artists from that time period have at least SOME kind of training in either wrestling or judo.

On the feet, he should dominate easily. But could he keep from getting taken down and either controlled or subbed? What does everyone think?

 

[ib313]

Wrestlebait

 

[chiefwiggum]

All he threw was side kicks
. So yes he would have won.

 

[MayhemMonkey]

can he defend a legkick? I think not

 

[Cooliox]

Maradona would have been p4p GOAT

 

[Guestx]

All he threw was side kicks
. So yes he would have won.

Actually, I thought of him more as a boxer who threw the occasional kick when he could get away with it.

 

[Guestx]

can he defend a legkick? I think not

Neither can BJ Penn.

 

[MayhemMonkey]

Neither can BJ Penn.

BJ Penn is a good boxer and a world champion level BJJ practitioner.... Don is only a good boxer

 

[K1HerosNakamura]

His speculative Judo and wrestling would have dominated. Hypothetical GOAT IMO.

 

[Guestx]

BJ Penn is a good boxer and a world champion level BJJ practitioner.... Don is only a good boxer

BJ's grappling credentials have nothing at all to do with leg kicks.

 

[Guestx]

His speculative Judo and wrestling would have dominated. Hypothetical GOAT IMO.

Hey, I'm just saying it's worth researching whether or not he has any grappling training. I'm not gonna do it. But someone should.

 

[MayhemMonkey]

BJ's grappling credentials have nothing at all to do with leg kicks.

they have a lot to do with him being succesful in the UFC though

 

[tenniswhiz]

LOL
Listen to Don's commentary after Gracie/Ichihara.

 

[Damianj]

He might've done ok in the super early UFC days but any half ass wrestler would've butt fucked him hard.

 

[Cubo de Sangre]

I forgot about The Dragon. I liked his movies for awhile.

 

[K1HerosNakamura]

Hey, I'm just saying it's worth researching whether or not he has any grappling training. I'm not gonna do it. But someone should.

I am going to go ahead and assume you would be good at researching martial arts credentials anyways for the sake of speculation and discussion.

The real question is...would TS have been the best at martial arts research 20 years ago? I say yes.

 

[sabretitan]

He was was a very smart commentator. Also, bulshitted a few times about entering one of the early UFC's. He was smart enough not to. The rules, the ground had passed him by, and he knew it. That's absolutely no fault to him. If he, and a lot of other standup fighters had time to evolve into an mm artist, he probably would have did good.

 

[Big Nasty Edison]

No, at the time Don was too one dimensional, and I am a big fan of old school kickboxers.

I however legit wonder if Bill Superfoot Wallace was younger at the time if he could have done well. He was a world level kickboxer, and was a judoka and wrestled in highschool. He wouldn't have had the ground fighting to beat Royce, but I think he would have handled most the other guys easily.

 

[chiefwiggum]

Actually, I thought of him more as a boxer who threw the occasional kick when he could get away with it.

You probably saw more of his fights. I always watched him on ESPN and there were fights were that's pretty much all he threw
It worked for him.

 

[OingoBoingo]

As most people here know, Don "The Dragon" Wilson"--actor and professional kickboxer--was a commentator for UFC 7 and other UFC events. I was just taking a look at his Wikipedia page and ran across this sentence: "He stated several times that he would be willing to fight in the UFC himself if enough fans requested it, but it never happened."

So here's the question: Being a successful, high-level pro kickboxer, would he have had what it took to win a UFC event? The real question here is his grappling ability. Wikipedia doesn't list any grappling credentials for him, but it's worth nothing that a lot of martial artists from that time period have at least SOME kind of training in either wrestling or judo.

On the feet, he should dominate easily. But could he keep from getting taken down and either controlled or subbed? What does everyone think?

I think he would of done quite well.
Having said that, I remember working at a video rental back in the days and this guy was cranking low budget movies like they were going out of style.