Out of these retired fighters with 5+ title wins, who would be elite today?

[Doctor Grudge]

Randy Courture would be really good still and on the top. He'd likely get the belt at one point or another at LHW. Not sure how he'd do at HW, probably not that great, but he could be ranked for sure.

I don't think Chuck would do well. He has a stylistic good match up against Glover, but the other contenders in the division are strikers and could give him an inconsistent run.

 

[Paolo Delutis]

BJ Penn, Tim Sylvia, Pat Miletich, Chuck Liddell, Frank Shamrock, Tito Ortiz, Randy Couture, Matt Hughes.
I think prime BJ would be top 3 of either LW or WW, he was inconsistent but always dangerous

Prime BJ, Couture and Shamrock...and maybe Hughes if he can survive on the feet and get a clinch

 

[STAY GOLD]

Couture at HW could be a problem if he was in his prime now.

 

[cburm]

BJ Penn, Tim Sylvia, Pat Miletich, Chuck Liddell, Frank Shamrock, Tito Ortiz, Randy Couture, Matt Hughes.
I think prime BJ would be top 3 of either LW or WW, he was inconsistent but always dangerous

Penn frank chuck

 

[Sickbro69420]

Randy and Frank shamrock in their weight classes because of their size and fight IQ. Maybe some of the others in different weight classes

 

[Yungrich]

Motivated bj penn becomes the first 3 division champ at 155,170 and 205

 

[SG123]

BJ Penn, Tim Sylvia, Pat Miletich, Chuck Liddell, Frank Shamrock, Tito Ortiz, Randy Couture, Matt Hughes.
I think prime BJ would be top 3 of either LW or WW, he was inconsistent but always dangerous

Just BJ

 

[RageQuitLord]

None, you are all delusional about BJ. His record is who he is.

What have you acheived in your life tough tony I would really love to know.

 

[Megatronlee]

BJ Penn, Tim Sylvia, Pat Miletich, Chuck Liddell, Frank Shamrock, Tito Ortiz, Randy Couture, Matt Hughes.
I think prime BJ would be top 3 of either LW or WW, he was inconsistent but always dangerous

Iceman. He could def beat jan

 

[TheNinja]

People might crap on Hughes, but I believe he'd still be a beast. Not many guys could handle his pressure and ground game.

You gonna tell me he can't hang with Leon Edwards or Jorge Masvidal???


The more I think about it....Glover (who I really like) is the current LHW champ. No reason to think prime Chuck wouldn't be able to hang with that top of that division.

 

[Glove]

Frank Shamrock

 

[Deleted member 110072]

People might crap on Hughes, but I believe he'd still be a beast. Not many guys could handle his pressure and ground game.

You gonna tell me he can't hang with Leon Edwards or Jorge Masvidal???.

Hughes is a bit unique in that he's a wrestler who did actually devolp pretty good sub offence, I could see that causing problems to some "just stand up" kind of fighters today.

 

[pankrat]

People might crap on Hughes, but I believe he'd still be a beast. Not many guys could handle his pressure and ground game.

You gonna tell me he can't hang with Leon Edwards or Jorge Masvidal???


The more I think about it....Glover (who I really like) is the current LHW champ. No reason to think prime Chuck wouldn't be able to hang with that top of that division.

Maia had lot of problems to outhrapple Masvidal, arguably lost the fight. Maia is a much, much more advanced grappler than Hughes.

So yeah, I don't think he would have much of a chance

 

[BowserJr]

All except Pat

 

[DesiredUserName]

If we put them in their primes, probably Randy.

If he fought in his athletic prime, perhaps. If he fought in his MMA "prime", well, did he really have one?

 

[Clark Rogers]

I think the things that made them elite in their eras could have the same effect today.

if you just transplant then from their place in time, training the way they trained, etc, maybe not. but coming up in this era, training with current teams, current strategies, etc, I think they'd see similar success.

 

[tuckermaclain]

Hate to say it, but Bones at 205 it probably the closest. He’s retired, but just doesn’t believe it yet.

 

[tenniswhiz]

BJ Penn, Tim Sylvia, Pat Miletich, Chuck Liddell, Frank Shamrock, Tito Ortiz, Randy Couture, Matt Hughes.
I think prime BJ would be top 3 of either LW or WW, he was inconsistent but always dangerous

Frank Shamrock, training at a modern gym, cutting weight (he was weigh too small for LHW-or MW as they called it back then, he showed up weighing 195 without dieting or cutting), he could possibly fight at WW.

 

[JSF]

All of them.

Would not dispute the talent pool is DEEPER today. More mainstream = more fighters entering the sport.

However top level talent from yesterday - if born today - would STILL excel having access to the knowledge/training methods/science/nutrition/PEDs/partners/etc... of today.

The bell-curve is STILL a bell-curve, and even though the population has increased in size, the outliers will STILL be outliers because of their own genetics/work ethic/natural talent/etc...

The fallacy in believing they would not excel, is based on the false assumption they would not take advantage of what’s available today, not use their today’s peers as benchmarks, etc and somehow be oblivious or flat out ignore what’s current.

 

[Mayonnaiseandjelly]

BJ Penn, Tim Sylvia, Pat Miletich, Chuck Liddell, Frank Shamrock, Tito Ortiz, Randy Couture, Matt Hughes.
I think prime BJ would be top 3 of either LW or WW, he was inconsistent but always dangerous

Bj would have nothing for current top lw roster.