Is Alexander Shlemenko actually this bad?

[JonSnitchPhones]

If he were to fight a known striker in the top 15 he'd be the underdog. Again, fun to watch, but let's not pretend his striking is technical. It's a sloppy hodgepodge of body shots and spinning back fists/kicks.

You sound like the Shertards who thought Cerrone would beat Pettis because he's more technical. Get it thru your heads, flashy is not synonymous non-technical. The spinning shit that you scoff at, Shlemenko hit a pre-injury solid striking Brett Cooper with it over and over again. He hurts opponents with spinning back kicks. There is a design to it, you just aren't educated enough to understand it like he is.

 

[Durruti]

You sound like the Shertards who thought Cerrone would beat Pettis because he's more technical. Get it thru your heads, flashy is not synonymous non-technical. The spinning shit that you scoff at, Shlemenko hit a pre-injury solid striking Brett Cooper with it over and over again. He hurts opponents with spinning back kicks. There is a design to it, you just aren't educated enough to understand it like he is.

Well, of course he has tecnique, but he is far from the most tecnical fighters of the divsision standing. He is not really great at controlling distances or avoiding damage, but of course he know to trade and has a diverse set of strikes.

 

[Baba Ghanoush]

You sound like the Shertards who thought Cerrone would beat Pettis because he's more technical. Get it thru your heads, flashy is not synonymous non-technical. The spinning shit that you scoff at, Shlemenko hit a pre-injury solid striking Brett Cooper with it over and over again. He hurts opponents with spinning back kicks. There is a design to it, you just aren't educated enough to understand it like he is.

Unlike you and 95% of the rest of the Shertards, I've been boxing for ten years and currently work out at a co-located boxing/MMA gym. There is no "design" to his "flashy" strikes. He rarely sets up any of his shots, his footwork is atrocious, and he has no concept of controlling distance.

This is an excellent video right here to show strikers what NOT to do.

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EDIT: And you should be fucking ashamed of yourself of even insinuating Pettis and Shlemenko have a similar style you sheep.

 

[Bigj383]

He is small for a MW and his ground game isn't great. Big wrestlers with good submissions are always going to be a problem for him.

 

[MrHappypants]

Thanks to everybody for their input.

Amazing that a fighter can make it to the top 10 or 15 in this day and age in mma without a ground game. Maybe the sport hasn't evolved as much as some people think it has.

Or.. is it possible that he was able to crack the top 15 because he has been fighting inferior competition.

 

[Ancient Warrior]

He is small for a MW and his ground game isn't great. Big wrestlers with good submissions are always going to be a problem for him.

Halsey looked like a monster next to him.

Maybe he's not cutting enough weight?

 

[Frank23]

His ground game and wrestling are bad.

 

[maestrotaku]

Halsey looked like a monster next to him.

Maybe he's not cutting enough weight?

yes, the most of Bellator fighters dont cut too much...to ask Alvarez

 

[iThrillhouse]

Thanks to everybody for their input.

Amazing that a fighter can make it to the top 10 or 15 in this day and age in mma without a ground game. Maybe the sport hasn't evolved as much as some people think it has.

Or.. is it possible that he was able to crack the top 15 because he has been fighting inferior competition.

no.

He's excelled against strikers because for the most part that's who he's faced while in Bellator, Doug Marshall, Brennan Ward, Brett Cooper, Brian Rogers, Galesic, Falcao, and technically speaking he was better than most of them and thats why he won them in such great fashion. Cooper was his toughest test because Cooper wasn't as raw or wild with his striking!

He was paired against two opponents in a row who did not waste time trying to strike with him, and used their size to bullrush him to the ground and take his back or just try and submit him (ala tito)

he's either gotten too confident or too comfortable with his ability to escape opponents on the ground, (due to being in the fight game so long and generally being pretty good at not getting submitted...last sub pre-Tito/halsey was to Jacare')

 

[iThrillhouse]

hit post too soon and can't edit, but per the top 15 comment, his opponents weren't inferior they were just the exact opponent he needed to excel at beating. and did so convincingly in an exciting way.

its the same thing with Matt Brown who got into the top 10 by facing nothing but strikers who were nowhere NEAR the top 10. But he beat them in absolute barn burners by (t)ko

They're not necesarrily "inferior" competition. just the exact type of opponent that they can beat in a fashion that makes them look unbeatable

 

[samoajoe]

internet warrior, right here.

Can call him whatever you want but he is right Storm is nothing special in the stand up department. He fight with Copper was comical at best for someone that the hardcore fans were saying was a top 10 MW.

Clearly these people need to get there eyes checked and never apply for a talent scout gig.

 

[Steve08]

Can call him whatever you want but he is right Storm is nothing special in the stand up department. He fight with Copper was comical at best for someone that the hardcore fans were saying was a top 10 MW.

Clearly these people need to get there eyes checked and never apply for a talent scout gig.

I'm not sure why these views aren't more widespread. Shlemenko's performance on the feet against Cooper was incredibly pedestrian. I guess people just really like to see spinning shit.

 

[OoopsaDaisey]

Schlemenko has two issues.

1. He's a 170lb or even possibly 155lb fighter fighting at 185lbs. Douglas Lima dwarfs him, for example.

2. He trains in Russia instead of full time in the US. Is there even a single BJJ black belt in Russia?

 

[The_Renaissance]

Always has been extremely over-rated.
Some on this board felt he'd give any top 10 UFC MW a run for their money, haha. He's a natural welterweight, anyway, see how fares if he decides to cut down.

 

[cuban23]

His stand up is actually pretty decent. But his grappling is not. He's always had troubles defending takedowns and it showed in his last fight. As soon as it hit the ground he got submitted.

 

[spikemma]

This is stupid. But let's be real after I say nothing about this.

He massed Tito like on him and he's probably the best outside bellator 185 , but you we're right and he took dudes back as soon as he excuted defense on a logical shot. Storm will contend with anyone in 185 in rematch new fight, but the guy he lost to and is a HUGE challenger in a deck that he beat storm is at at a lower div, can we see many but Lima at 170 winning? Just like 185?

 

[TonyK]

I like Shlemenko, he seems like a cool guy and is always entertaining to watch, but even in the standup, he's pretty slow and doesn't have the best technique.

His best assets are toughness and unpredictability. And he can hit pretty hard too. He's not afraid to to things that most boxing and muay thai trainer would cringe at.

 

[spikemma]

This is stupid. But let's be real after I say nothing about this.

He massed Tito like on him and he's probably the best outside bellator 185 , but you we're right and he took dudes back as soon as he excuted defense on a logical shot. Storm will contend with anyone in 185 in rematch new fight, but the guy he lost to and is a HUGE challenger in a deck that he beat storm is at at a lower div, can we see many but Lima at 170 winning? Just like 185?

Be the first sentence I meant b.h. Btw

 

[Selukrid612]

Let's keep it real, for a champion in a major org. he was pretty bad. He was by far the least skilled champ in Bellator and benefitted greatly from fighting in a terrible division. His toughness is without question his greatest attribute, his skills are very average. Worldwide there are probably 25+ MWs that are better than him and MW is a very top-heavy division.

It is true that he's a small MW, but he's a slow, plodding fighter and I'm far from convinced that dropping to WW would do much for his overall stock.

 

[Amerikuracana]

He could not afford to lose the 5 lbs of muscle he lost becoming a vegan.. Also, look at his record, and then watch some of his fights.. He had/has an incredible will, and even with below average athleticism he beat good athletes and fighters through toughness, determination, and will. I'm still a Schlemenko fan, but I think these losses will set back his his crazy will power which was one of the things that made him an above average MW. Dude always fought like a man. He was just a bit too small, then he stopped eating meat.