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Prime Bas Rutten vs Prime Alistair Overeem

Prime 240 pound Igor with healthy hands would be in contention for the title IMO.

Prime Bas could be too IMO.

In a way I think Overeem is actually a really bad example of how Igor and Bas might do in todays HW division. Him and Stipe are the guys I would pick to win via safe decision, exchanging a bit at long range but quickly taking Igor and Bas down and then riding out a decision with some GnP or maybe a sub win for Allistair.

A lot of the rest of the division would likely just strike with them and with Igor especially I'm not sure Werdum or Mir could get him down easily. Not that I'd pick them to win all of those fights but with Igor I think he would have a good shot in them, Bas would be competitive with the strikers.
 
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HOF for Igor? LOL, For what? the only good win he has was against Kerr, the rest are Enson Inoue, Gary Goodridge, Gilbert Yvel, Valentijn Overeem, Yuki Kondo and like 90 complete unknowns.


For being Igor.



If we talk about prime Fedor or Nogueira or Cro Cop in MMA and Aerts, Hoost, Le Banner in Kickboxing, all would easily be at the top of their divisions today, but the likes of Rutten and Vovchanchyn would not.

We're not talking about Fedor, Nog, CC in mma or Aerts, Hoost, or Le Banner in K-1.

We're talking about Overeem and Bas. Neither guy would be at the top today. But you know what Bas has that Overeem doesn't? A UFC HW champion belt. Bas was at least at the top of mma during his day. Also at the top of Pancrase. Reem was never at the top in mma, and won the K-1 belt after all the K-1 legends had retired. Still impressive though, I'll give him that. And I think he did win ADCC or something similar. So I stand by my matchup. It's not a gimme for either guy. It requires a little thought. And I think that's what's tripping you up. :)
 
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Overeem himself said that he never subbed Bas.

He was afraid to. He knew Bas would lose his shit and knock him out. Like he did to Ricco Rodriguez, simply because Kerr asked him to, for fun. People forget Bas used to not be a lovable old dude...he used to be a crazy bastard that had a hair trigger temper. There was a story in that book No Holds Barred about Bas throwing some fighter through the window of a bar...might've been Paul Varleans idk...but Bas did that simply because Varleans pulled on Bas's shirt in a way Bas didn't like. You don't do that to El Guapo.

Not even joking, watch videos of Reem and Bas together. It's pretty obvious there is a big brother vibe going on, and Bas is the alpha. Whether or not he would win a fight, I really do think Reem has a little fear of Bas ingrained in him. Same way Frank Shamrock was scared shitless of Ken.
 
We really comparing Overeem to Bob fucking Sapp?

Overeem is much bigger, stronger and just as talented, if not more.

Only when hes cheating. He's pretty fucking average off the shit.
 
prime reem was juiced as shit though

Lol I know right. That really does matter in this conversation. Horsemeat Reem never lost and looked unstoppable. But was juiced. So is that technically his prime? Personally I would say so. Juiced or not, that's when he was at his best imo.

I might be biased here, probably am, but I still say iron chin Bas could survive against Horsemeat Reem long enough for Reem to slow down (5 mins tops, right?). And the second he slows down, it's tee off time for Bas. And size advantage or not, Bas Rutten is one of the last people in mma you want to be standing in front of, winded, unable to raise your arms.
 
didn't Bas fail the only test he ever took?

I doubt that's the only one he ever took, but yeah he failed his last fight's test for pain killers that he said he was taking for his knees or neck or something. Not steroids, but still PED's technically.


And on that subject, man I love Bas. Always have, always will. And he has always been extremely vocal against steroid use. And I always believed him. BUT, and I'm not accusing him of anything at all here, but knowing what we've learned about PED's in recent years, when I look back at Bas's build in the early days....I just don't know man.

From what I've seen, fighters that look like that are rarely all natural. Again don't get me wrong, I respect Bas and I'm a fan of his no matter what, and it doesn't matter to me personally because I figure realistically AT LEAST 90% of pro fighters take something. And I'm NOT saying he did steroids....but man go back and look at his prime physique. I'm just saying it wouldn't surprise me to find out he might've taken something.

And I hate to say it but I have the same questions about GSP, too. Not bashing here at all, and not accusing. GSP is one of the most respectable ambassadors this sport has ever had. I'm just saying realistically, for either GSP or Bas to keep that much muscle, while doing such a cardio-centric sport like mma....idk man. I used to think the guys that were really vocal against steroids were probably for real clean. But now we know that being vocal means nothing, and fighter after fighter after fighter have been failing tests lately. Who would've suspected Anderson of all people? I mean wtf?

And GSP rarely fought outside Canada and according to Nick Diaz (who I do believe) they don't test GSP up there. At least not as strict as in Nevada. Nick is known as a lot of things, but he's not known to just make shit up for no reason. Nick is known as the guy that will tell the truth even when the boss doesn't want him to. And Bas fought mostly in Japan and early UFC's, and we all know what the scene was like back then. I guess I'm just more skeptical than I used to be.
 
People will always doubt the exceptional. "There has to be a reason why he is so good"

I cant think of one supremely dominating fighter that hasnt had the accusation thrown at him.
 
People will always doubt the exceptional. "There has to be a reason why he is so good"

I cant think of one supremely dominating fighter that hasnt had the accusation thrown at him.



btw I'm not "doubting" Bas or GSP. I'm just not as trusting as I used to be, even when fighters take a strong anti-steroid stance. Doesn't mean shit anymore. I seriously suspect that at minimum, 90% of pro fighters have taken steroids. There are only a handful of guys that I have zero doubt they never took roids. Nick Diaz is one. BJ I used to have zero doubt about. And I hate to say it, and I never thought I would say this, but in light of recent developments, I can't say I'd be completely shocked to learn even BJ had taken something. I really doubt he ever did, but I'm not 100% completely certain like I used to be. It's just the nature of combat sports. Or most professional sports, really.
 
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In a way I think Overeem is actually a really bad example of how Igor and Bas might do in todays HW division. Him and Stipe are the guys I would pick to win via safe decision, exchanging a bit at long range but quickly taking Igor and Bas down and then riding out a decision with some GnP or maybe a sub win for Allistair.

A lot of the rest of the division would likely just strike with them and with Igor especially I'm not sure Werdum or Mir could get him down easily. Not that I'd pick them to win all of those fights but with Igor I think he would have a good shot in them, Bas would be competitive with the strikers.

I'm sure they would do just fine.
 
And on that subject, man I love Bas. Always have, always will. And he has always been extremely vocal against steroid use. And I always believed him. BUT, and I'm not accusing him of anything at all here, but knowing what we've learned about PED's in recent years, when I look back at Bas's build in the early days....I just don't know man.

The hell? Not saying rutten wasnt on anything but his physique is perfect attainable with out roids

The founder of his karate style he practiced was heavily muscled as well. Alot of kk karate fighers are

MasOyama.jpg
 
Overeem would destroy Bas and it wouldn't even be close.
 
We really comparing Overeem to Bob fucking Sapp?

Overeem is much bigger, stronger and just as talented, if not more.

Well Bob Sapp did beat him (and Fedor) at arm wrestling on that Japanese (of course) TV tournament.

But seriously, I like Bas more than I like Overeem (despite thinking that late Bas does sometimes talks out of his ass and spread unfounded rumors), I would give it to the Steroid Hulk that beat Badr Hari in K1 (the best he's even been IMHO).... 6 or 7 times out of ten.

Bas could win by playing it smart like he likes to do, make Overeem gas by spamming liver kicks and avoiding the big shots as long as he can...

But that wouldn't be a big mismatch.

RF
 
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