Prime vs Prime arguments are idiotic

[Dagestanaev]

Every time I see people trying to make these "pound-for-pound across eras" comparisons, it just shows they don’t understand what they’re talking about. You can’t seriously compare GSP with today’s welterweights like Shavkat or Islam. The sport evolved, the training evolved, the information evolved. If GSP were active today, he’d also evolve with it. That’s how elite athletes work.

Same with BJ Penn. People laugh now, but BJ was a prodigy for his time, BJJ world champion, great boxing, heart of a lion. You can’t compare him directly to Khabib or Topuria. Of course a modern-day BJ Penn would know how to deal with Dagestani-style wrestling, because that style is mainstream now. Back then, it didn’t even exist in MMA the way it does today.

And don’t even start with the Ken Shamrock comparisons. Guys say “Khamzat would smash Ken in one round.” Sure, the 1990s Ken didn’t have access to twenty years of evolution in wrestling, cage control, sports science, and recovery. But Ken helped invent this sport. He was one of the original mixed martial artists who laid the foundation for what we have now. Without guys like him, there’s no Khamzat, no Cormier, no modern MMA. And no Shettards.

Comparing eras pound-for-pound is just idiotic lazy thinking, very Sherdogger. The sport doesn’t stay static. Fighters adapt to their environment. GSP, BJ, Ken, they were products and pioneers of their time. If they were born later, they’d be learning the same techniques everyone praises today. Context matters.

Kudos to the real pioneers: Shamrocks, Gracies, Ruas, Funaki, Suzuki, Bas, Igor, Saku, Coleman, Severn, Frye, Kerr, Wanderlei, Vitor

 

[rear naked ankle pick]

Welcome back rear naked ankle pick

 

[ArtardFiesta]

i can confidently say the HW in mma today are trash.

If you are an avg fat guy and train 2 years as hobby you can make the UFC HW division.

it's a far cry from the peak of MMA HW which happened under pride.

Hell it doesn't even have to be pride, you can look at UFC HW during the same time period. I have already proven that Tim Sylvia was a better HW fighter with greater legacy then Tom Aspinall.

 

[Luthien]

2008/s Brock would destroy most current HW/S

 

[humdizzle]

yes this is true

but we are bored alphas and need something to talk about. what else am i going to do while waiting on the runway for my private jet to take off?

 

[jitzmonkey]

Welcome back rear naked ankle pick

When'd he get banned?

 

[Bork Neslar]

Yeah. Context matters.

 

[wwkirk]

Welcome back rear naked ankle pick

Is that the same as L-man?

 

[Davidjacksonjones]

Head to head I can understand your point

but can definitely compare things like longevity, resume, quality of opponents, title defenses, top wins etc.

 

[Strijfy]

GSP is till better than the 2 that you mentioned. He was just so far ahead of the pack. Your argument is idiotic.Go to bed.

 

[ThaiSexPills]

i can confidently say the HW in mma today are trash.

If you are an avg fat guy and train 2 years as hobby you can make the UFC HW division.

it's a far cry from the peak of MMA HW which happened under pride.

Hell it doesn't even have to be pride, you can look at UFC HW during the same time period. I have already proven that Tim Sylvia was a better HW fighter with greater legacy then Tom Aspinall.

Nah bro it’s hard to train and still be a fat fuck. That’s actually impressive tbh. Just training to play hockey again has gotten me from 300 to 220. I don’t get how these dudes can train a full camp and still be morbidly obese but it’s impressive.

 

[Prazeres]

Not every elite athlete improves who reaches the top adapts their game to stay amongst the best. Take Anthony Pettis, great athlete who became champion at only 26 years, once he started fighting fighters who could exploits the holes in his games, he didn't fix them and kept being a win won lose one fighters for years afterward.
Also Shavkat isn't a great exemple of a guy that's at the cutting edge of the MMA meta, he's over reliant on body locks takedowns which aren't the most effective to impose his grappling and he's got very poor head mouvement.

 

[DapperDave]

The prime Mir thread from about ten years ago totally smeshes the prime Wandy thread from twenty years ago.

Totally.

This thread will never be prime.

 

[Natural Order]

HW MMA is devolving.

This much is known.

 

[TeenageMutantLesnarTurtle]

You can’t seriously compare GSP with today’s welterweights like Shavkat or Islam.

Yes you can, he'd likely beat them both. WW was better at the tail end of his era than it is now.

 

[Dr Fong]

This 'constant evolution of MMA' is highly exaggerated. There have obviously been improvements in MMA training and there have been strategic innovations. There is a more diverse global talent pool.

But this needs to be balanced against some ways in which MMA has actually gone backwards.

Japan has nearly collapsed as a market, and so has its MMA talent. Kickboxing has all but collapsed as a sport and it is fundamental to MMA. Far fewer US wrestlers are going into MMA because they can earn money elsewhere.

Lower level UFC fighters are paid LESS now than they used to be due to the loss of personal sponsors. Adjusted for inflation, performance bonuses are almost half what they used to be. And the UFC has further monopolized the sport, leaving less opportunities to make money.

Basically, it is still glorified bum fights and the talent pool reflects that.

If MMA is in a process of constant evolution, why the fuck were Andrei Arlovski and one trick pony Oleinik, who both debuted in the 90s, still in the top 10 well into their 40s only a few years ago?

How the fuck did Glover Texeira win a belt well into his 40s when he couldn't do it in his 30s?

It really hasn't advanced as much as people claim.

 

[Dagestanaev]

Welcome back rear naked ankle pick

Rear naked ankle PICKLE

 

[Dagestanaev]

When'd he get banned?

I still need to give back some change to your grandma

 

[Dagestanaev]

GSP is till better than the 2 that you mentioned. He was just so far ahead of the pack. Your argument is idiotic.Go to bed.

You are way too dumby to get the whole picture

 

[MrCoffee]

That is a lot of typing/complaining/time/commitment for something you view as idiotic.

Maybe focus on things you find challenging?