The A-Level is upon us

[rjmbrd]

The goal should be high level athletes of an appropriate age start training - as opposed to washing up on MMA's shore after being cast out of another athletic career.

The state of heavyweight MMA is so poor that guys near 30 can start training and still potentially make something happen. It would be virtually impossible in divisions with depth, eg 155/170 has twice the guys under contract in the UFC compared with 205/265.

So long as the starting pay to get your head punched-in is 12k at the highest level of the sport, we're not going to see young, elite athletes who have the potential to get signed in other professional sports take MMA as a first option.

We're hardly even attracting heavyweight All American Division I wrestlers, and there are 8 of them crowned every year. Many of them are teaching high school gym for 50k plus benefits - thats how bad the risk -vs- reward is in the UFC right now.

 

[g*r*b]

So...would he only be able to be booked on events he could travel to by train and/or car? (No way the company would splurge on a cruise ticket to send him overseas). That sounds like something that won't endear him to the matchmakers.

 

[moogie101]

Oh God, not this "A-Level Athlete" BS again?

Didn't we go through all this with Greg Hardy, how idiots were saying that with a day's training he'd be UFC champion. Instead he's gone 2-2-1 against low level opponents, apart from Volkov obviously.

Athleticism is great obviously, but in MMA there are so many skills you need to succeed as there are so many variables & so many ways you can lose, plus being a great athlete doesn't mean he's got a great chin or the willingness to continue fighting once he's been hurt.

 

[spamburger]

hoyce white vs greg hardy. book it dana

 

[TheOneAboveAll3]

Royce White was the 16th overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft. Was drafted low, and eventually considered a "bust" because of extreme anxiety that didn't allow him to travel by plane. So get on the train while there's room.

https://sports.yahoo.com/inspired-b...am-to-be-ufc-heavyweight-champ-225807655.html

“It’s humorous to say this, but it’s a very real thing: We’re in the participation medal era. I said on Twitter the other day that I’m grateful that I grew up in an era where we threw away all our second-place trophies and medals. Kobe was of that same cloth and I was shaped by that, the way he approached it. There is no second place.”



Royce White

6'8"
260 pounds

Skip to 48 seconds for him throwing the medicine ball through the wall.







Will this be the man to dethrone Greg Hardy?

LOL at being a man and having anxiety flying on a plane. I would understand Helicopters but not planes.

 

[storeybuckle]

Erm... did you not see the official Athleticism Chart in post 18? I didn't make that chart, some scientist did. If I'd made it Jon would've been D-level (see: dunk fail gif)

A-level Fanboy pyjamas

 

[D 1 Wrestler]

Holy shit, he punched a hole through...drywall. He beats the low tier hw bums but gets fucked up by anyone in the top 8

He could beat derrick lewis

 

[D 1 Wrestler]

LOL at being a man and having anxiety flying on a plane. I would understand Helicopters but not planes.

ikr? I know "men" who are scared of spiders and snakes and driving over bridges. buncha pussies

 

[D 1 Wrestler]

1 step dunk is not easy

 

[AlanGregson]

He could beat derrick lewis

Yeah... Sure

 

[Deleted member 448575]

Oh he was good at a ball sport? UFC champ with 6 weeks of MMA training then.*





* Please note that this only applies to ball sports which are popular in the US.

 

[D 1 Wrestler]

Yeah... Sure

derrick lewis is basically the case for this guy and all other A-level athletes. Derrick Lewis has no ground game, no wrestling, no BJJ, openly says he doesn't train them, and yet fought for a title thanks to nothing but punching power. He is not athletic, has bad cardio, but has power. and fought for a title. LOL. Heavyweight is trash

 

[AlanGregson]

derrick lewis is basically the case for this guy and all other A-level athletes. Derrick Lewis has no ground game, no wrestling, no BJJ, openly says he doesn't train them, and yet fought for a title thanks to nothing but punching power. He is not athletic, has bad cardio, but has power. and fought for a title. LOL. Heavyweight is trash

He for sure has more power than this dude, so by your logic he can ko him easy. Also derick lewis throws jumping kicks quite often, for somone that had to cut to 265, i would say that he's pretty athletic

 

[D 1 Wrestler]

He for sure has more power than this dude, so by your logic he can ko him easy. Also derick lewis throws jumping kicks quite often, for somone that had to cut to 265, i would say that he's pretty athletic

well yea he's pretty athletic he played college football on scholarship

 

[Congo66]

If only there were any transferable skills from basketball to MMA but there aren't.
The UFC should sign him, book him on a fight in Australia and then cut him when he refused to fly there.

 

[KlLLEmAll]

Looks slow and stiff throwing strikes. No footwork

You Americans love to fall for the "a level athlete" hype. News flash, jumping, sprinting and bench press numbers mean very little in MMA.

 

[wwkirk]

His MMA debut is this Friday.
Ex-NBA First Round Pick Royce White to Make MMA Debut at Legacy Fighting Alliance 120