Pre Zuffa Era champions that beat 2024 champions

[Bullitt68]

Randy would have to stick to trying LHW because Aspinall would absolutely cream him.

I don't know about "absolutely cream him." I mean, the fighter who's done the best against him has been an old and faded Arlovski, which doesn't say much for the current crop of HWs. That said, Aspinall actually has some wrestling to go along with his striking, his power, and his overall size. I wouldn't be betting on Randy, but I'd also never bet against him, especially if we're talking about the bulked up 230-pound Randy who took a flush head kick from Gonzaga, picked him up and slammed him, and GNP'd him with a broken arm for the win. That type of toughness and that type of in-your-face style of fighting might suck the life out of Aspinall and allow Randy to grind him down the way he did so many people in his career.

 

[mjfan23]

Tito cant beat Chuck but he can beat Poatan? Hm.

Tito knocked Chuck out

 

[Hellowhosthat]

I don't know about "absolutely cream him." I mean, the fighter who's done the best against him has been an old and faded Arlovski, which doesn't say much for the current crop of HWs. That said, Aspinall actually has some wrestling to go along with his striking, his power, and his overall size. I wouldn't be betting on Randy, but I'd also never bet against him, especially if we're talking about the bulked up 230-pound Randy who took a flush head kick from Gonzaga, picked him up and slammed him, and GNP'd him with a broken arm for the win. That type of toughness and that type of in-your-face style of fighting might suck the life out of Aspinall and allow Randy to grind him down the way he did so many people in his career.

Arlovski didn't do well against him either really, he got trashed it's just Tom had a bit more respect for him it seemed.

The speed and power difference are crazy and I don't think he can take him down. He can try and wear him down against the cage I guess but Tom's movement is pretty good so difficult to see him getting close without having to go through punches to get there.

I'd line Tom as a very big favourite.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

Tito knocked Chuck out

Oh come on that fight doesn't count.

 

[Bullitt68]

Arlovski didn't do well against him either really, he got trashed it's just Tom had a bit more respect for him it seemed.

Arlovski's also the only person who didn't fall as soon as Aspinall cracked him. He hurt him and swarmed him and seemed surprised that Arlovski was still standing. It took him a while to regroup and eventually he decided to try a surprise grappling switch and it paid off.

The speed and power difference are crazy and I don't think he can take him down.

Randy can definitely take him down. People overlook this, but Randy was extremely strong for his size. Fighting at 220-230 for his entire career, he outmuscled everyone from early day gorillas like Tony Halme and Steven Graham to Vitor and Rizzo, plus he locked horns with - and scored a bunch of TDs on - much bigger guys like Josh Barnett, Ricco Rodriguez, Tim Sylvia, and Gonzaga. Hell, if he would've bulked up to 230 and focused on strength rather than slimming down to 220 to focus on speed, he might've been able to score that slam on Brock, who he nearly lifted off his feet.

I'm not saying Randy's a lock - after all, he took Chuck down in their third fight but still got beat up bad and knocked out - but at his best he'd make a hell of a fight out of it. Nobody ever walked through Randy at his best.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

Arlovski's also the only person who didn't fall as soon as Aspinall cracked him. He hurt him and swarmed him and seemed surprised that Arlovski was still standing. It took him a while to regroup and eventually he decided to try a surprise grappling switch and it paid off.



Randy can definitely take him down. People overlook this, but Randy was extremely strong for his size. Fighting at 220-230 for his entire career, he outmuscled everyone from early day gorillas like Tony Halme and Steven Graham to Vitor and Rizzo, plus he locked horns with - and scored a bunch of TDs on - much bigger guys like Josh Barnett, Ricco Rodriguez, Tim Sylvia, and Gonzaga. Hell, if he would've bulked up to 230 and focused on strength rather than slimming down to 220 to focus on speed, he might've been able to score that slam on Brock, who he nearly lifted off his feet.

I'm not saying Randy's a lock - after all, he took Chuck down in their third fight but still got beat up bad and knocked out - but at his best he'd make a hell of a fight out of it. Nobody ever walked through Randy at his best.

Nobody in Randy's day was as big, fast, strong etc as Aspinall either. Fedor hit most of the criteria but we never saw the fight although I tend to believe Fedor would have walked through Randy too

 

[Mike]

I'm not an evolution of the sport guy but pre zuffa is crazy. That's like the stone age of MMA.

 

[Mike]

It's kind of sad that this many people don't know that, lol.

We're approaching the point that the guys we watched when we started following MMA are so old now, that modern fans either don't know.who they are or have only seen them get their ass kicked.

 

[Mike]

Posting the one guy he didn't absolutely murder doesn't really invalidate his point lmao

 

[Striker Fox]

Posting the one guy he didn't absolutely murder doesn't really invalidate his point lmao

tongue in cheek, bud

But then again, Jan is the only guy with somewhat competent wrestling that he's faced at LHW and managed to not get KOd. Coincidence or nah?

 

[Bullitt68]

Nobody in Randy's day was as big, fast, strong etc as Aspinall either.

Ironically, a prime Arlovski would fit that bill - and I think that version of Arlovski could've both stopped any TD attempts from Aspinall and knocked him out - and Randy did train with Arlovski when he came back as a HW in 2007. But you're right, Randy never actually competed against anyone with Aspinall's combination of size, speed, and skill.

Fedor hit most of the criteria but we never saw the fight although I tend to believe Fedor would have walked through Randy too

Well, to be fair to Randy, prime Fedor walks through just about every human ever.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

Ironically, a prime Arlovski would fit that bill - and I think that version of Arlovski could've both stopped any TD attempts from Aspinall and knocked him out - and Randy did train with Arlovski when he came back as a HW in 2007. But you're right, Randy never actually competed against anyone with Aspinall's combination of size, speed, and skill.



Well, to be fair to Randy, prime Fedor walks through just about every human ever.

I think the champ era Andrei was kind of looking great smashing weaker guys for the most part. They were pretty shit times for the heavyweight division in the UFC. I just see Aspinall cracking him too hard at some point.

 

[Mike]

tongue in cheek, bud

But then again, Jan is the only guy with somewhat competent wrestling that he's faced at LHW and managed to not get KOd. Coincidence or nah?

Maybe it's the fact that lhw has next to no good wrestlers lol

 

[JakePaulMMA]

Tito cant beat Chuck but he can beat Poatan? Hm.

Tito knocked the hell out of Chuck in his 4th try.

 

[RonDante]

None of them

 

[muaythaibeast]

Prime Randy on any given night could be 205 or heavyweight champion

He might give Pereira a fight, but he'd be mailed by Aspinall or Jones. He'd have been mauled by the top 205 and heavyweight guys of his own generation if he'd fought in the same organisations.

 

[GOATtalks]

For reference, Pereira got taken down by Andreas Michailidis, a soft blown-up WW! He's been taken down in every org and every division he's ever fought in. If you think that he's stonewalling and effortlessly flatlining a wrestler of Tito's size, strength, and skill then you just don't know what you're talking about.

Lol, a member since 2006, senior moderator, staff member and still a moron.

Pereira was had more fights since Michailidis, than he had before that fight. He’s much better now. Jan Blachowicz went 3/8 on TD’s against Pereira and he’s much bigger and better than Michailidis.

 

[NoBiasJustMMA]

Ortiz would get KO"d hard.

I don't think Alex could stuff his takedowns or get back up. Ortiz had a great chin as well. Alex doesn't have TDD anywhere close to Chucks.

 

[NoSmilez]

Tito's skillset isn't the issue. He had issues with overtraining and injuries. Tito is an old gen fighter. It should be obvious he was an enhanced athlete. I don't know if he can compete in today's sport. Even with Alex you can see a decline in his physique when he entered the testing pool.

 

[Bullitt68]

Pereira was had more fights since Michailidis, than he had before that fight. He’s much better now. Jan Blachowicz went 3/8 on TD’s against Pereira and he’s much bigger and better than Michailidis.

Wait a minute, you mean to tell me Pereira has fought more since 2021? He didn't stop fighting then? Wow, I guess I need to rethink everything with this brand new information that you've given me.

I know Pereira's continued fighting. It's called a precedent. Pereira's been taken down before, and by much smaller people who were much worse at wrestling than Tito, and he's been taken down consistently from the beginning of his career to now. Therefore, it's not out of the realm of possibility that Tito could've taken him down. That's called logic. You should look it up and try it out for yourself sometime.