Is Pride Cro Cop the most fearsome MMA striker the world has ever seen?

[campbecc]

The first round was pretty much a kickboxing round. Fedor did an excellent job of circling and using low kicks to defend high kicks.

In reality a lot of CroCop's wins happened the same way. MMA fighters at the time kept making the same mistakes. Once the fighters got better and CroCop lost speed he became somewhat ineffective in MMA.

It's been a while since I watched the fight; but it seems like Fedor took him down in the 1st. I could be wrong because it's been a while.

But anyway I thought Cro Cop was winning after round 1 (in a close round). Fedor dominated rounds 2 and 3 I know that much for sure.

 

[gfunkwave]

Probably him or Vovchanchyn....Honorable mentions: Vitor, Tank, Pedro Rizzo, Bas Rutten, Manhoef, Wanderlei

 

[PeterTheGreat]

Bas Rutten

 

[TheScorpionDude]

Absolutely.

Also a big warm LOL to all the Zuffa hype victims putting Rumble's name next to Crocop.

 

[illegalnature]

He may have been. But ubereems final transformation was scary too.

 

[ironfist05]

definitely one of them. I don't think Rumble quite deserves to be in the same conversation, but he's a badass too. I would say that, for my money, Anderson, in his prime, produced the most nervousness when he was standing. It always felt like he was one strike away from ending the fight, or pulling some out of nowhere KO. So I'd probably say Anderson. Definitely some others.

 

[Hagelslag2]

I think it's Manhoef. The guy has next to no ground skills, fought at LHW and HW most of his career while only standing 5ft8 tall. He KO'd Hunt while going backwards when Hunt was considered to have a granite chin and has built his whole MMA career on that KO power alone.

 

[JohnnyTowers]

I don't know about all that, but I do know Kev beat his ass with some savage GNP.

[YT]

 

[Steve08]

In terms of the physical damage that Cro Cop was able to do to his opponents, there are very strikers more scary than him. Guy fractured multiple orbital bones with punches (standing, on his back from the guard, and from top position), fractured the leg of Hidehiko Yoshida with kicks, and completely discolored Wanderlei's ribs with barely 5-6 body kicks. Just blocking his kicks wouldn't be enough because he legitimately had enough power to smash people's bones with kicks. That's fucking scary as shit.

 

[jx820]

Yeah anderson cuts weight to fight smaller opponents. How is he scarier than a heavyweight?

Because he was WAY more likely to put his opponents away.
Because he had an aura of invincibility.
Because he stopped opponents at a higher rate.
Because he has stopped opponents out with punches, kicks, knees, or elbows.
Because he was MUCH harder to hit than CroCop was.
Because he can do all that in a big cage with no corners to #1 contenders in their prime.

I loved Pride era Crocop, but wasn't even the most fearsome striker in the ring for at least 3 of his fights during his prime. His opponents had cause to be afraid, but they also had a reason to think they could win, and even win a striking battle. You can't really say that about Anderson's prime.

 

[Redhawks100]

^ ^

when we talk about legendary strikers in MMA we don't miss the name Cro Cop on the list but to you is he the most fearsome?

No. Sherdog just loves nostalgia.

 

[The Hound]

Anderson was a great striker but he wasn't necessarily the most terrifying.

Sure he will KO you, but it won't be nowhere near as brutal as a CroCop high kick or Rumble overhand. Just one of those will give you terrible permanent brain damage and have your head ringing for days.

I'd much rather get my ass whooped by Anderson than Cro Cop or Rumble.

When you fight Anderson, you're scared of losing. When you fight someone like Rumble, you're scared of being violently beaten down.

 

[xterm11]

He's not going to get much love nowadays but Wand scared the hell out of people back in the day. He was wild and could shut you down with any limb. There was an interview way back when, where Rampage said he was very suprise with how fast Wanderlei was after their first fight

 

[filthynumber1]

JDS before he met
Cain

 

[funksoulbrother]

Schilt had a bit of an aura that intimidated people

 

[GordoBarraBJJ]

In terms of you knew exactly what was coming but could not stop it (LHK). YES.

 

[neverwas]

Gilbert yvel was pretty feared too

especially if you where a ref.

 

[Lemmy]

Rumble?
JDS?

ok, they are 'striker' but hitting hard isn't the same as hitting hard and technical.
Rumble and JDS have a very rudimentary arsenal compared to people like CC.

 

[BoogerDawson]

^ ^

when we talk about legendary strikers in MMA we don't miss the name Cro Cop on the list but to you is he the most fearsome?

That LHK sent him to the WWE.

 

[neverwas]

look at this and remember cro cop kicked mark clean in the head and couldn't stop him.