Nog vs Sergei 18 years ago

[Canned Tuna]

The sad thing is, I can't even tell whether you're serious or not.
Either way I don't care about it enough to argue.

He's a white belt with a goofy Brock Lesnar name. He's obvious troll, bud. Don't waste your efforts trying to have a real conversation.

 

[Busgosu]

yeah, but Derrick Lewis is so funny on instagram bro!

 

[pankrat]

Very good fight, one of the best at the time from a technical standpoint.

Now, if you think that double leg Nog take Sergei down with would even remotely succed vs the much biggeer Francis, or even Gané, you are fooling yourself.

 

[Fioretti]

There's great fights and shitty fights from every era, in every applicable division.

 

[Goatenstein]

It's a good fight, but TBH the stand up looks pretty slow, not a whole lot of switching stances or faints or leg kicks like you see today.

Yeah because switching stances makes you good.

 

[BrockLesnarsTurtleBack]

Yeah because switching stances makes you good.

Just the overall improvement in the game has forced everyone to adapt... has happened in all sports the speed of action is always going up.

 

[Richard Fannin]

Nogueira was a world champion in BJJ at the brown belt level, a black belt in Judo and black belt in BJJ under De La Riva and trained extensively with the Cuban Olymlic Boxing team.

Wait, Rodrigo also trained extensively with the Cuban team? I've always thought that Rogerio was the one who trained with them a lot, and than Rodrigo only accompanied him a couple times...

What I remember the best from that fight was that the consensus in the MMA community was that Big Nog won fair and square, but that he was kinda lucky to have fought a "green" Sergei; and if they were to rematch a year later, Sergei would destroy him.

Of course, that was when Sergei was believed by everyone (me included) to be the next generation top 3 HW...
Nowadays, newer fans look at Sergei's wins over Semmy Schilt, Ninja Rua and Pedro Rizzo, and go "lol can crusher", but back then it was a big deal (especially since Rizzo left the UFC on a winning streak over good opponents and all ).

His win over Werdum has aged very well, but he injured his shoulder in that fight, which cost him the first Overeem bout (that pretty much everyone wrote off as a fluke; if anything, fans were impressed by Kharitonov's resilience)

I guess it was the Aleks loss that started to really make his lose stock, even if once again, there were talks of "flukish win" since he was showboating like Anderson was Weidman 1...

And then the Monson loss sadly sealed his fate.... the Snowman was a huge fan favorite on sherdog, but Sergei was suppose to run through him easily...

Crazy how talented guys like Sergei, who had everything to succeed, a good team, good standup, good sambo... but he couldn't cut it because of a bunch of factors.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

Wait, Rodrigo also trained extensively with the Cuban team? I've always thought that Rogerio was the one who trained with them a lot, and than Rodrigo only accompanied him a couple times...

What I remember the best from that fight was that the consensus in the MMA community was that Big Nog won fair and square, but that he was kinda lucky to have fought a "green" Sergei; and if they were to rematch a year later, Sergei would destroy him.

Of course, that was when Sergei was believed by everyone (me included) to be the next generation top 3 HW...
Nowadays, newer fans look at Sergei's wins over Semmy Schilt, Ninja Rua and Pedro Rizzo, and go "lol can crusher", but back then it was a big deal (especially since Rizzo left the UFC on a winning streak over good opponents and all ).

His win over Werdum has aged very well, but he injured his shoulder in that fight, which cost him the first Overeem bout (that pretty much everyone wrote off as a fluke; if anything, fans were impressed by Kharitonov's resilience)

I guess it was the Aleks loss that started to really make his lose stock, even if once again, there were talks of "flukish win" since he was showboating like Anderson was Weidman 1...

And then the Monson loss sadly sealed his fate.... the Snowman was a huge fan favorite on sherdog, but Sergei was suppose to run through him easily...

Crazy how talented guys like Sergei, who had everything to succeed, a good team, good standup, good sambo... but he couldn't cut it because of a bunch of factors.

I think Sergei could cut it, he just never quite crossed the line into the absolute elite of the division. It's a real shame that the fall out prevented him coming over to the UFC, I'd have been massively interested in a bunch of fights he could have had.

 

[STAY GOLD]

Big Nog
Fedor
Crocop
Sergei
Alex
Josh
Werdum
Herring
Fujita
Hunto/Schilts or Coleman/Randleman

MMA evolution 18 years later, UFC is the best eva! New Breeds!

Ngannou
Stipe
Gane
DERRICK LEWIS
Blaydes
Volkov
Rozenstruik
Daukaus
Shamill
Tybura

Fujita really? There's a ton of modern HW far better than him and a case can be made there's some modern HW that are better than Herring and Aleks.

Overall though, I agree the PRIDE HW division to me was much better than the current UFC HW division.

 

[Yrat]

I think Sergei could cut it, he just never quite crossed the line into the absolute elite of the division. It's a real shame that the fall out prevented him coming over to the UFC, I'd have been massively interested in a bunch of fights he could have had.

IF Sergei would have signed for Ufc the best debute opponent would be Brandon Vera

 

[Richard Fannin]

I think Sergei could cut it, he just never quite crossed the line into the absolute elite of the division. It's a real shame that the fall out prevented him coming over to the UFC, I'd have been massively interested in a bunch of fights he could have had.

I meant it like, he was (still is) a great fighter, but I don't think he ever cracked the top 5?

But, with Fedor, he's obviously the best HW to have never fought in the UFC IMHO.

Back then Sergei vs AA was my dream match, I'm glad we got it in Strikeforce at least.
I would have been really happy to see how Randy Couture would have dealt with him, too.

I see Sergei a bit like Sokoudjou, even if Kharitonov was most consistent and even KO'd Soko in impressive fashion


Soko had a great body (explosive&athletic crew), a great team (Team Quest FTW), a solid background in Judo... but he still couldn't stay at the top.
That really shows what monsters who stay at the top are, if guys like them can't "cut it"

I guess it's easy to say that Sergei should have focused on MMA more, but I really enjoyed his stints at Glory, he fought some good fights and only lost to the elites.
Oh well...

 

[Deleted member 110072]

Very good fight, one of the best at the time from a technical standpoint.

Now, if you think that double leg Nog take Sergei down with would even remotely succed vs the much biggeer Francis, or even Gané, you are fooling yourself.

Honestly I think Nogs explosive double leg is probably the most underrated part of his game, it could look a little ragged sometimes but others it was very effective indeed and is the kind of thing few fighters atempt today.

I don't think thats just because its easy to shut down but rather because a lot of HW's lack the speed/cardio to use that gameplan and indeed are afraid of potentially being reversed is the scamble.

I think a lot of modern fighters really there takedown defence is more about backing up to the cage when someone clinchs of has a single or them or if they are taken down to "just stand up". Fighters able to fight like Mirko did vs Nog really are rare in todays sport IMHO, able to control distance and sprall out of double leg atempts plus of course Nog did get him down in the end.

 

[DayV]

Fujita really? There's a ton of modern HW far better than him

Quality wrestling of national champion / world cup participant level is seriously lacking nowadays in HW MMA.

Rozenstruik, Lewis, Tuivasa, Daukaus ,Mitrione are all winnable fights for Fujita.
Fujita had great chin to survive their shots, and wrestling & cardio to outlast them untill they gass, or to glue them to the floor for entire fight. Fujita had very fast takedowns, explosive, low center of gravity and bull strenght.
Fujita also developed very heavy hands of his own, not very technical, but powerfull. Almost KOd Fedor, KOd huge Thompson, so in fact he was more multidimensional than onedimensional brawlers that are finding success nowadays in modern MMA.

 

[Jewish Lightning]

Very good fight, one of the best at the time from a technical standpoint.

Now, if you think that double leg Nog take Sergei down with would even remotely succed vs the much biggeer Francis, or even Gané, you are fooling yourself.

The French kickboxer Gane would be taken down by Nog just like all the other guys Nog took down who were better grapplers than Gane.

 

[NoSmilez]

Sergei's Olympic boxing credit is sort of bullshit. He just represented a country with barely an Olympic team. If he made it to the Olympics. The boxing team would be just him and a light flyweight. I don't even think the country even had a boxing team for the previous Olympics.

 

[Jewish Lightning]

Sergei's Olympic boxing credit is sort of bullshit. He just represented a country with barely an Olympic team. If he made it to the Olympics. The boxing team would be just him and a light flyweight. I don't even think the country even had a boxing team for the previous Olympics.

It's still impressive.

 

[RightToBareKnuckles]

Sergei's Olympic boxing credit is sort of bullshit. He just represented a country with barely an Olympic team. If he made it to the Olympics. The boxing team would be just him and a light flyweight. I don't even think the country even had a boxing team for the previous Olympics.

which country?

 

[Jewish Lightning]

Waste of energy, IMO

Came here to bitch about bitching and called it "a waste of energy " smh

 

[DayV]

Sergei's Olympic boxing credit is sort of bullshit. He just represented a country with barely an Olympic team. If he made it to the Olympics. The boxing team would be just him and a light flyweight. I don't even think the country even had a boxing team for the previous Olympics.

He still had to reach finals / silver medail on Asian championships representing Tajikistan to qualify for Olympics. Also he was 2nd in Russian boxing championship, so his boxing credentials are pretty high level and legit.

 

[NoSmilez]

He still had to reach finals / silver medail on Asian championships representing Tajikistan to qualify for Olympics. Also he was 2nd in Russian boxing championship, so his boxing credentials are pretty high level and legit.

Central Asian games is bigger BS. I think they only had it 4-5 times in its entire history. Sergey competed in the one that was cancelled the year before. He competed in 2003 and they never had one again until 2021. I think he fought one guy for the medal.

I can't remember the exact country but I think he also fought out of Estonia as a teenager. I am not shitting on his boxing. I am just saying the Olympic credit is a bit meh.