Right.
That power means absolutely nothing if you can't land it.
It's also kind of dumb that you mentioned guys like Cro Cop, Fedor, Big Nog, etc, when those three guys have been fighting for a very, very long time.
Cro Cop started kickboxing in 1996 and is currently still competing. He started MMA in 2001 and recently just fought in August. So what's funny about that is that Cro Cop has been a prize fighter before Mark Hunt ever started, and he's still competing in Kickboxing and also MMA from time to time. And you mentioned Cro Cop in the OP as if he's hung up the gloves or something.
Fedor started MMA in 2000, retired in 2012.
Big Nog started in 1999 and is still competing.
Mark Hunt started Kickboxing in 1999 and hasn't competed since 2008. He started MMA in 2004 and is still competing. He also had two pro boxing bouts, one in '98 and one in 2000.
All of their careers were started pretty close together. So, your thread actually hasn't brought light on anything whatsoever.
Being a power puncher has nothing to do with how long your career is going to play out.
It doesn't matter if you're a power puncher, a pure grappler, a guy who has tons of speed but lacks power, it all depends on what your body can take.
Alistair Overeem has been fighting since 1999 and is still competing as well. He relies mostly on his power over anything else and although he has been fighting for quite a while, his style has gotten him into some trouble and caused some speed bumps throughout his career.
The intelligent fighters are the ones who are going to have the longer careers IMO. The fighters who take very little damage will have the longest careers, but it depends. No fighter is the same, it doesn't matter if you're a power puncher or not, that makes no difference. You can be a power puncher, but if your body has simply taken too much punishment, then that's it. The human body can only take so much.
You can be a power puncher, but more importantly, you need to be smart and know how to use that power.
And I'm sure some people won't understand what this means - but there's more to fighting than actually fighting. The mental aspect is just as important as going into the ring or cage and going to war with an opponent.
The fighters with the longest careers will likely be the fighters who simply love to compete, the ones who love the sport. You can be a great fighter, you can be this amazing 'power puncher,' that you speak of, TS, but if your heart isn't in it, you aren't going to be around for very long.
Dan Severn is basically just a pure wrestler, he isn't a power puncher and he started fighting in 1994 and just recently stopped in 2012. Does this mean pure wrestlers are going to have the longest careers? no, it doesn't. It means nothing. (Even though I'm pretty sure Severn had plenty of fixed fights.)
Kazushi Sakuraba isn't a power puncher, he started in 1996 and stopped in 2011.
That being said - Hunt proved nothing in this sense.
Your thread simply doesn't work, TS.
/rant
. You listed Fedor under all of the other things when he's a power puncher if I've ever seen one. It's not "relying on" if you can list him under all of the categories.
