The best "athleticism" dependent fighter ever?

[pankrat]

And yet, when gassed, everything falls apart. That said, yes, he’s very skilled, but that timing which is a skill, leaves him once he loses his cardio. Take away that, he has nothing else to really fall back on IMO unlike Tony who can maybe submit you off his back or catch you with a wild elbow etc...

I always felt technique is what is left over when strength, speed and agility are gone.

But obviously, Conor has mastered a particular set-up in his striking, the left hand counter and lead uppercut.

Lets ignore his slips and footwork as well as the fact that he defended Khabib's grappling better than his following tittle challengers. How is that you dont bring them as examples for this thread, but you bring Conor?

 

[Anewt]

Prime Rashad Evans. Had decent skills of course but once he lost his athletic prime he was pretty much done

 

[gotBooched]

Melvin Guillard

freak athlete, had some good wins, overall shitty decisions outside the cage led to his demise

 

[MCS]

So basically a guy who did well without a notable training background. A guy without a base. Well GSP had a Kyokushin Karate background, but no grappling (Karate excluded) or wrestling. Learned them later, when already pro. Maybe it's him.

Or Ngannou, with no training background till he was like 25. Natural power and speed. Rumble had a wrestling background, but his style is less of that and more of bombs, athleticism.

Or Mark Hunt, who started kickboxing late, IIRC. Won the K-1 with not much training compared to peers. Then picked up MMA fast. Bob Sapp had the football. No notable combat sports background. Yet Hoost x2 and others.

 

[Based and White Pilled]

He's a good case, i think even at his fundamentals ( wrestling, striking ) he's a good fighter no doubt, but his style is totally reliable on his athletic abilities. Take away his explosiveness and his fighting carrer is gone

The same could be said of the GOAT (Fedor)

 

[Coconutwater]

Lets ignore his slips and footwork as well as the fact that he defended Khabib's grappling better than his following tittle challengers. How is that you dont bring them as examples for this thread, but you bring Conor?

Slips and footwork? Takedown defense? Good, but like I said, he crumbles when fatigued, Frankie has footwork and better movement pound for pound if you want to go there...

Like I said, Conor mastered his set-up for a counter left hand. He also had a good lead uppercut or rear hand uppercut, but I don’t mistake mastery in that one area as true striking genius. He’s effective, arguably one of the most effective with his one true weapon, but Izzy has a multitude of techniques in his striking game.

I’m not saying Conor doesn’t have technique, he just doesn’t have an equal amount of weapons to take out his opponent, it’s basically his left. In that sense, I don’t consider him to have a deep tool box.

 

[theleerygoose]

Ngannou has to top the list. His flurry against Rosenstriek was hot garbage for technique but it didnt matter at all because he just trucked him.

 

[pankrat]

Slips and footwork? Takedown defense? Good, but like I said, he crumbles when fatigued, Frankie has footwork and better movement pound for pound if you want to go there...

Like I said, Conor mastered his set-up for a counter left hand. He also had a good lead uppercut or rear hand uppercut, but I don’t mistake mastery in that one area as true striking genius. He’s effective, arguably one of the most effected with his one true weapon, but Izzy has a multitude of techniques in his striking game.

I’m not saying Conor doesn’t have technique, he just doesn’t have an equal amount of weapons to take out his opponent, it’s basically his left. In that sense, I don’t consider him to have a deep tool box.

I dont evem get your point other that hate on Conor while hyping up Izzy...neither of them qualify for this thread as both of them are very technical in their own way.

It's your point is that Conor has questionable cardio...yeah, I agree.

 

[Bouboumaster]

GSP lol?!
GSP is about the most complete well/trained fighter ever...


The answer is Brock Lesnar and Randleman

 

[tehMoose]

Randleman

 

[rjmbrd]

Woodley of course

champ at his peak and now he’s lost 15 straight rounds

He's literally fighting the best in the world, one after another. That'll get you some loses when you're pushing 40.

Woodley is extraordinarily skilled and despite his recent skid, has high level fight IQ. Eventually you age out of being an elite athlete, which is whats required to regularly beat top 5 welterweights.

The old fart divisions are 205/265 because the talent pool is a joke. There is no depth so we can shuffle around geriatrics. You cannot do that in competitive divisions.

 

[Mammothman]

Lesnar and Ngannou

 

[SeattleFightFan]

Randleman was a 2x NCAA D1 champ. Athleticism was his strongest area, but the man obviously had skill on the mat, or in the cage.

Well, that's true. And he learned how to strike well enough. But he never pushed his MMA game past that. Little to know sub game (or sub defense game). But he mostly relied on athleticism (and what he learned before starting MMA, a legit caveat.)

The rawest answer is probably Bob Sapp. Still, if you can find a better high level UFC fighter than Randleman, I'd listen. I suppose Ngannou would be my other choice.

 

[Mammothman]

Rumble really?

Rumble is a very very skilled fighter even if you took some of his strength and speed away.

Has to be Lesnar imo, if he was average HW build he wouldn't have gotten anywhere close to a title shot.

I have to agree, people get easily blinded by Rumble legit 1 punch KO power but that motherfucker Is insanely skilled

 

[skylolow]

I'd include a guy like Anderson Silva.

As soon as mother nature caught up to him his athleticism was out the door. Mostly in the form of speed and reflex department. Two almost impossible things to teach. You can improve it slightly with certain training, but overall it's a gift.

 

[Gamer007]

I'd include a guy like Anderson Silva.

As soon as mother nature caught up to him his athleticism was out the door. Mostly in the form of speed and reflex department. Two almost impossible to teach. You can improve is slightly with certain training but overall its a gift.

 

[campbecc]

there’s your pick for most athletic fighter compared to Bj

And Jon Jones couldn't dunk a basketball at 6'4" in his prime. We are talking about athleticism as it relates to fighting, Conor having much greater punching power is more relevant than BJ being able to jump way better. That said overall I'd say BJ was still more gifted, but not because of his jumping ability.

 

[RDUBYA]

Johnathan Ivey.

 

[Prologue]

Gotta say Brock.

The dude had some wrestling, but was overall pretty green in MMA when he came into the UFC and managed to be champ, mostly because he was a juggernaut that could move like a WW.

Sure, it didn't take long for someone close to his athleticism but far more skill came along, but Brock is, to me anyways, the best example of this.

Honorable mention to Bob Sapp. Not so much athletic, but in his prime, was able to beat some of the best on his size and strength. His fights with Hoost are crazy. Gets schooled with technique, but has so much power he's able to rock fighters even when they block. I imagine fighting Sapp in his prime would be like fighting a damn bear.

 

[Kha'bless]

Jones, how did he fair when he fought Gus and Reyes who were around the same height/reach as him opposed to the midgets he towered over and had huge physical advantages over his entire career. Gus1 and Reyes he arguably lost or at the very least had his toughest fights, Gus 2 was there for a pay cheque.

Never understood why so many view the MMA GOAT to be someone who feasts on past prime midgets but oh well.