The #2 middleweight all time

[I WILL CUT YOU]

Yoel Romero

Lol no

 

[I WILL CUT YOU]

Izzy is #2.

Hendo's run at 185 wasn't as good.

 

[stacrafty]

For longevity, NEVER point-fighting, challenging and accepting challenges from the best of the best, regardless of size and weight, Dan Henderson.

Far beyond the UFC, his Entire Career is what my comment is based on.

Hahah just you can't even make this stuff up.

Never point fighting?

For along time his nickname was "decision dan"

 

[stacrafty]

You have to compare prime vs prime, or only consider people’s who’s careers are over, because you’re holding post-prime losses against retired fighters while guys like Izzy haven’t hit that decline yet.

Case in point people had Woodley as a top 2 WW at his peak after the Till fight, then he loses 6 in a row and has a raccoon bite his dick off in a movie, now nobody even considers him in a top 5 WW GOAT conversation. Izzy might go on a skid like that when Father Time catches him, so it’s unfair to compare him at his peak vs other guys who got old and lost fights they shouldn’t.

Agree. We need to warp and twist stats to make a case for Anderson.

The only part of his career we will take in to account are his wins. And we will praise his wins and hold them up high because many of are spectacular highlight reel ko's.

But we will overlook these kos came about via baiting hands and chin out. We will celebrate when this worked... but ignore when it failed.

We will never analyze the strength of his opposition - to day he never fought anyone as good as Whirakker is blasphemy, let alone anyone as good as Periera.

And lastly, we will be charmed by his happy go lucky nature and Michael Jackson voice, and totally forget he tested positive for multiple banned substances multiple times.

Forever the MW GOAT... Anderson Silva.

 

[Clark Rogers]

Anderson
Izzy
Hendo/Weidman

I'd root for Hendo any day against Izzy, he's one of my favorites, but I think Izzy has a firm hold on #2 at this point.

 

[NoBiasJustMMA]

Hahah just you can't even make this stuff up.

Never point fighting?

For along time his nickname was "decision dan"

From what I remember that nickname didn't come from going to decisions a lot, it came from winning decisions he shouldn't have.

 

[NoBiasJustMMA]

Fair enough. I wasn’t specific enough in the OP. I’m enjoying seeing people point out that there is a difference between a fighter from MW and a fighter at MW. Peoples understanding of MMA is pleasantly nuanced sometimes, you gotta get it just right



Izzy has the higher fight IQ between the two of them. He’s more crafty and disciplined than ole H Bomb

Not sure Dan wouldn’t be able to get him down though

Dan's MMA wrestling is highly overrated.

 

[stacrafty]

From what I remember that nickname didn't come from going to decisions a lot, it came from winning decisions he shouldn't have.

I'm just trolling by dropping my IQ by 95% to match this forum.

Of course Dan was never going for decisions, thats just the way the fights panned out

Same as Izzy never does, hes trying for the finish each and every time. Hes got so good that guys go into defensive shells - when guys like Cannonier, Romero, Whitakker (2nd time - but not so much defensive he fought very aware of what Izzy did him the first time), Vetorri... then its hard to land. Its hard to get the finish. trust me, Izzy is trying for it.

When guys open up and bring a fight (Rob 1, Gastellum, Alex, Costa) etc, then stuff happens.

 

[ChimRichalds]

Its gotta be Izzy, and it's not particularly close.

 

[nonoob]

Never point fighting? For along time his nickname was "decision dan"

With respect, it's possible you've seen more of Hendo's fights than I have. Even if his nickname was "decision dan", our conception of a point fighter may differ, because I always considered him one to do his best to end fights without "leaving it to the judges".

 

[Wonderfight]

Silva at 1 is fair, but I don’t know in what world is Izzy not a clear cut 2, Hendo just cannot compare in any sense, especially if only MW is concerned. It is not really close, on the contrary, I have like 2-3 people before Hendo.

 

[Brutus.......]

lol at Hendo being number 2.

what’s his MW resume?

Silva, Izzy and Weidman, in that order.

 

[Typrune Goatley]

This. I think he tears Hendo apart worse than Anderson did.

That being said, due to the end of career losses

Peak: Anderson > Izzy
Overall resume: Izzy > Anderson

Anderson had a lot of losses that weren't bad due to who they were against. But between that tailspin at the end and the PED's, Izzy really should be regarded above him.

You want to hold Anderson's losses (when he was in his 40's) against him????

He lost the title to Weidman when he was 38 in like his 38th fight. Everyone's title reign has to end some day. Doesn't erase all his prior accomplishments. He still won like 17 fights in a row. If Anderson retired before he fought Weidman would you think differently? It makes no difference to me. I actually have more respect that he kept on fighting instead of quitting the sport while on top.

Israel is still in his 30's. We will see if he continues fighting until his mid 40's like Anderson did.

 

[Gotosleepho]

I got Izzy over Hendo at 185. Now Henderson obviously was successful at 205 as well so strictly 185 has to be Izzy. Anderson is my clear number 1 though. It will take a lot more to overtake his legacy. But Izzy is well capable of doing it.

 

[Bad Karate]

Putting Izzy anywhere below number 2 is laughable and a clear sign of discrediting a great fighter simply because you don't like the man.

 

[mmainvestigations]

Anderson clear number 2 behind Izzy

 

[Poatan Power]

You want to hold Anderson's losses (when he was in his 40's) against him????

He lost the title to Weidman when he was 38 in like his 38th fight. Everyone's title reign has to end some day. Doesn't erase all his prior accomplishments. He still won like 17 fights in a row. If Anderson retired before he fought Weidman would you think differently? It makes no difference to me. I actually have more respect that he kept on fighting instead of quitting the sport while on top.

Israel is still in his 30's. We will see if he continues fighting until his mid 40's like Anderson did.

That's why I said his peak is higher than Izzy's. Much higher, honestly.

But his overall resume is tainted by PED's and going out on his shield many, many times including Izzy.

 

[stacrafty]

With respect, it's possible you've seen more of Hendo's fights than I have. Even if his nickname was "decision dan", our conception of a point fighter may differ, because I always considered him one to do his best to end fights without "leaving it to the judges".

100% agree. It just shows how clueless people are, even those giving him that nickname. I have no doubt in my mind Dan was always trying to finish. But sometimes it just doesn't happen.

The same way with Izzy, he always tries to finish. If the openings are there it can and does happen. However when an opponent retreats into a defensive shell - like many do - the finish is hard to make happen. But this forum being what it is.... well, refer back to "Decision Dan"

 

[stacrafty]

You want to hold Anderson's losses (when he was in his 40's) against him????

He lost the title to Weidman when he was 38 in like his 38th fight. Everyone's title reign has to end some day. Doesn't erase all his prior accomplishments. He still won like 17 fights in a row. If Anderson retired before he fought Weidman would you think differently? It makes no difference to me. I actually have more respect that he kept on fighting instead of quitting the sport while on top.

Israel is still in his 30's. We will see if he continues fighting until his mid 40's like Anderson did.

Agree, only count his wins, as soon as he started losing he was old and over the hill.

38th fight? lmao

Izzy has had over 120 now, at age 33.

This is the insane levels of cope, bias, cherry picking we have to go through to even make an argument for Anderson to be better

 

[WoozyFailGuy]

While I believe GSP is the GOAT, I'm obviously kidding.
1. Anderson
2. Izzy
3. Mousasi
4. Weidman
5. Whittaker
6. Bisping
7. Hendo
8. Rockhold
9. Franklin
10. Jacare