its a shame Teddy Riner never tried MMA

[MoreKane]

arguably the greatest Judoka ever a man of incredible size too 6f8 280+lb

why did he never try it? anyone know?

 

[JinKazama]

Maybe he’s not very good at striking

 

[MoreKane]

Maybe he’s not very good at striking

do you think he would of transitioned better into MMA compared to say if Karelin in his prime went to mma?

 

[Kforcer]

I would have liked to see a younger Rhadi Ferguson give MMA a try. When I think of judoka I'd have liked to see in MMA that never gave it a shot, he is one guy I think of.

 

[nefti]

Getting punched in the face isn't for everyone.

Btw if someone was truely game, they would go into mma after their career was over like yoshida.

 

[nefti]

do you think he would of transitioned better into MMA compared to say if Karelin in his prime went to mma?

No one knows its all speculation. Aaron Pico (?) Was supposed to be the next great prospect, wrestling prospect and apparently a boxing prospect also. Look at how it worked out for him. Mma is its own thing and just because you are good at the aspects of mma it doesnt mean you will be good in mma.

 

[Bluesbreaker]

I doubt he ever will. The guy makes an absolute mint from judo, even though it's really an amateur sport.

I imagine almost anyone transitioning to MMA from another sport is mostly looking for a payday.

 

[yetanother]

I doubt he ever will. The guy makes an absolute mint from judo, even though it's really an amateur sport.

I imagine almost anyone transitioning to MMA from another sport is mostly looking for a payday.

The only Olympic medalist I know transitioning to untested mma was also super excited about all the roids he could take. So it's not all about the money

 

[Ivaylo Ivanov]

France has 600K registered members of the Judo federation.
Worldwide, there are more than 50 million people doing Judo.

There is zero insensitive for a Judo star to transition to MMA, except for freak shows and superfights in Japan, meant to put against each other two one-dimensional athletes.

 

[Kforcer]

Getting punched in the face isn't for everyone.

Btw if someone was truely game, they would go into mma after their career was over like yoshida.

There aren't many people as game as Yoshida. Maybe nobody. That's a guy who didn't blink when he had something like a two-week notice to fight James Thompson on the Pride New Year's Eve card, finding out about being booked while was he was at home, drinking beers and making plans for the Holiday.

 

[SSgt Dickweed]

A-level athlete has no use for a Reebok 50% off coupons.

 

[kintana]

arguably the greatest Judoka ever a man of incredible size too 6f8 280+lb

why did he never try it? anyone know?

I do not think France Judo likes MMA very much.

I am sure Teddy Riner could have done well but honestly, he probably earns a pretty penny with Judo in France. Last time I went to Nice I saw lots of ads with him on the street.

Though I think prime Karelin would have done better than prime Riner in MMA.

 

[JudokaUK]

Probably 2 main factors:

• He was rumoured to be making somewhere between 800k-1 million Euros a year in an image rights deal with either Reebok or Nike
• That was on top of prize money and other endorsements/image deals and whatever salary the FFJ was paying
• The FFJ don't like MMA and led a concerted campaign to ban it and used Riner as one of their media figureheads. I believe it was successfully banned and may still even be banned in France today. At least for professional fight events. Club training is allowed, I believe.
  
  So yeah earning a boatload of cash doing Judo, far more then the wildest dreams of most Judoka, and not being able to compete in MMA in his home country and having been wheeled out to make comments condemning MMA, whether he believed them or not. Not exactly strong drivers to make him want to switch sports.

 

[nefti]

There aren't many people as game as Yoshida. Maybe nobody. That's a guy who didn't blink when he had something like a two-week notice to fight James Thompson on the Pride New Year's Eve card, finding out about being booked while was he was at home, drinking beers and making plans for the Holiday.

Yoshida is game. Really game, doubt he really did it for the money either. Just has yamato damashi. True warrior

 

[Auspex]

Also, whatever Judo federation would attempt to block it if he was hoping to also continue to compete in Judo.

 

[Grappler111]

See Satoshi Ishii...

 

[HunterAcosta]

I would have liked to see a younger Rhadi Ferguson give MMA a try. When I think of judoka I'd have liked to see in MMA that never gave it a shot, he is one guy I think of.

Rhadi had some mma fights as old man and did well but yeah I wouId have liked to see him as a younger man compete in mma .

 

[Ivaylo Ivanov]

See Satoshi Ishii...

Satoshi Ishii is a different case.

He was one of the youngest Japanese to win Olympic gold and there was a LOT of expectations from the Japanese Judo Federation for at least another decade of dominance on the international Judo scene, same as Inoue, Suzuki and etc.

Unfortunately, he decided to take an offer from an MMA promoter and immediately got expelled from the Judo federation.

He later stated he made a mistake by choosing MMA career, but Judo's doors were already closed for him.

He even tried to compete for USA, but Japanese made it clear this will not end up well (there were several instances he even got DQed for bullshit in Judo comps in USA).

So, he continued with MMA, training with Mirko in Croatia.
Recently getting some noise on the grappling scene as well.

But this is nothing, compared with the life he could have if he stuck with Judo.
His father is also quite high level Judo coach in Osaka and a friend of mine.

 

[Willie]

Last time I heard him mention MMA, he didnt really have nice things to say, to put it lightly. Not every martial artitsts like MMA. His main grief was that there is 'no social values' .

 

[PointyShinyBurn]

The FFJ don't like MMA and I believe it was successfully banned and may still even be banned in France today. At least for professional fight events. Club training is allowed, I believe.

Recently legalised, there's a Bellator event this weekend in Paris that's even going to be on the BBC, believe it or not.