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Karelin is one of the baddest genetic freaks ever.
Seriously, they don't even make em like Karelin today. Guys that are 6.4 300lbs are not supposed to be athletic BUT Karelin was.
Plus he had boxing and sambo experience.
For a taste of how good Karelin "could" of been just take a look at another genetic stud in Brock, then consider that Brock was not the technical marvel that Karelin was.
Here is the scoop, if Karelin had a good jaw and could develop decent stand up whereby he could hold his own he could of been possibly the best ever. His stand up wouldn't have to be top notched, as long as he could defend top notched stand up he would be very hard to beat.
This is where it fails IMO. As incredible as the 6'4" monster was physically, it was always talked about at the time his wingspan. Many of his opponents remarked at the most surprising thing they found facing Karelin was his inhuman reach, not strength.
He easily has a MINIMUM two inch reach advantage on Bones and Struve, and it only gets MUCH WORSE for the entire remainder of the UFC roster.
Everyone knows I'm a Bone dog! I can't honestly say that my boy Jon has "superior" striking. His reach keeps him well protected so his "chin" isn't constantly tested.
It is absolute fact. Karelin had top 1% strength at distance from the body of the Human Race. He puts his hand(s) that made Brock's look like a new born baby on his opponents forehead (like Bones does effectively) and no man on Earth hits him clean. No conjecture here.
Now a second point. It is the biggest misunderstanding here on Sherdog about Brock Lesnar chin. Brock actually has one of the best chin's in the HW division history. Not having even a basic striking defense, he took MANY MANY clean shots to the jaw that would have KO'd the vast majority of MMA HW fighters. He NEVER got KO'!
What he had was one of the most iron jaws in the history of the sport, and one of the worst mental reactions to being hit any of us longterm MMA fans have EVER seen in the sport.
Stop EVEN acting like Karelin DID NOT have an iron chin. The only question you need to ask is how he would "react" to being hit, NOT IF HE CAN TAKE A PUNCH!!!!
He can take FAR MORE ABUSE than ANY current UFC HW fighter. Sorry to be a realist.
Only two REAL questions to ask about this fantasy having Karelin as MMA GOAT:
1. How he react's to getting hit.
2. How well he can adapt the longest strongest arms in the history of MMA into virtually impenetrable defensive shields.:redface: