Prime Cain vs. today's crop

[Lionheart7167]

Fun little fantasy matchmaking.

Assuming Cain fought healthy, and in his prime, how do you think he would have fared against today's bunch?

I think he would easily handle guys like Gane and Volkov (tall, kickboxer friendly), and basic brawlers like Tuivasa and Lewis

I still think he would have had a tough time with Ngannou, who he lost to, and I think Aspinall would probably smash him, unless he closed the distance.

 

[milliniar]

Prime Cain would still be top 3 UFC HW today.

 

[JustBleed69]

He beats most of them, maybe even all of them, but i would favour Aspinall & Ngannou for sure.

The Jones one would be interesting. Cain easily double legged Lesnar who is substantially bigger than Jones, I'm wondering if he could stick Jon against the fence, get his hands locked, take him down, & wear Jon out. It's not like Jones is a huge KO artist, he would basically have to win a decision to get it done against Cain.

 

[TeenageMutantLesnarTurtle]

Jones and Aspinall are the only ones who would have had a shot imo.

 

[OldBoy91]

Beats everybody except for Ngannou and Aspinall imo.

At sea level, the only guys who gave him trouble were power punchers that could time him recklessly closing the distance.

Kongo cracked him, JDS finished him that way etc. Ngannou DID do it once already against a past prime Cain.

Jones could beat him I suppose, but I'd like to hear from people picking him how he'd do it. Maybe a guillotine if Cain went for a td? He isn't finishing Cain with strikes (he can't bust a grape) and I don't see him outwrestling him and finishing with GnP either.

 

[Prologue]

Sea Level Cain beats everybody, Jones and Aspinall included. Too strong, too fast, too good.

Maybe he gets caught like he did against JDS, especially against someone like Ngannou (god damn what an awful send off fight), but I think in his prime, he could do what Stipe did the first time around but worse.

 

[OldBoy91]

Sea Level Cain beats everybody, Jones and Aspinall included. Too strong, too fast, too good.

Maybe he gets caught like he did against JDS, especially against someone like Ngannou (god damn what an awful send off fight), but I think in his prime, he could do what Stipe did the first time around but worse.

Too fast? Cain had decently fast hands but otherwise he was slow as fuck. Half the stuff he did looked like he was moving in slow motion.

Ever see him throw a head kick?

 

[Pitier of Fools]

People seem to forget Werdum taking him to school on the feet and on the ground.

 

[OldBoy91]

People seem to forget Werdum taking him to school on the feet and on the ground.

I don't think anybody forgot.

Hence why people are saying sea level Cain.

I also don't think there's anybody currently at HW with Werdum's skillset that would be able to replicate what he did to Cain.

There are guys who could beat Cain up on the feet, and there might be one or two that could sub him if he were sufficiently hurt or tired on the ground. I don't think there's a guy right now that could beat him up badly enough to make him shoot, and then catch him in something when he does.

 

[joy2day]

Cain went downhill badly toward the end of his career; a lot of this MMAth doesn't take that into account. When he was at his best, he would beat everyone in today's game except Tom.

 

[Lionheart7167]

I'

People seem to forget Werdum taking him to school on the feet and on the ground.

Fully aware I'm making an excuse here, but I think this was already Cain past his prime and on his way out. He hadn't fought in almost 2 years and didn't seem like his old self. Moved weird. Gassed out. I just don't think he could hang anymore.
He only won one fight after that, smashing an obviously overmatched Travis Browne

 

[KhabibPink]

Fun little fantasy matchmaking.

Assuming Cain fought healthy, and in his prime, how do you think he would have fared against today's bunch?

I think he would easily handle guys like Gane and Volkov (tall, kickboxer friendly), and basic brawlers like Tuivasa and Lewis

I still think he would have had a tough time with Ngannou, who he lost to, and I think Aspinall would probably smash him, unless he closed the distance.

The best people Cain beat and even sometimes lost to during his prime are nowhere near the top heavyweights of today, what basis is there to act like he’s good enough to beat guys like Blaydes, Volkov, Pavlovich, Gane, Ngannou, Almeida and Aspinall.

He’s the same age as Stipe Miocic and was younger than Stipe when he faced off against Ngannou in their rematch and even an older lighter Stipe managed to not get slept in 26 seconds like cain did.

 

[Pitier of Fools]

I'

Fully aware I'm making an excuse here, but I think this was already Cain past his prime and on his way out. He hadn't fought in almost 2 years and didn't seem like his old self. Moved weird. Gassed out. I just don't think he could hang anymore.
He only won one fight after that, smashing an obviously overmatched Travis Browne

I don't think he was past his prime. At the time, people were blaming the altitude.

 

[TR1]

The best people Cain beat and even sometimes lost to during his prime are nowhere near the top heavyweights of today, what basis is there to act like he’s good enough to beat guys like Blaydes, Volkov, Pavlovich, Gane, Ngannou, Almeida and Aspinall.

He’s the same age as Stipe Miocic and was younger than Stipe when he faced off against Ngannou in their rematch and even an older lighter Stipe managed to not get slept in 26 seconds like cain did.

This is a noob post.

 

[KhabibPink]

This is a noob post.

Cheers

 

[Subline]

Pavlovich, Volkov, Gane, Blaydes all get GNP'd into oblivion. I'm not sure what to make of Aspinall's takedown defense yet, he hasn't faced a wrestler like Cain, not sure about that one. Beats Jones by decision, I don't think this older + fatter HW version of Jones will hold up against Cain's cardio, I don't think he's dangerous enough on the feet anymore for a finish over Prime Cain to be fathomable either.

 

[iwannabeadored]

Too fast? Cain had decently fast hands but otherwise he was slow as fuck. Half the stuff he did looked like he was moving in slow motion.

Ever see him throw a head kick?

Yeah he koed Travis Browne into Ronda’s arms

 

[iwannabeadored]

I don't think he was past his prime. At the time, people were blaming the altitude.

To be fair tho after the jds fight he was barely fighting. And I do think altitude fucked him up