Media Tom Aspinall says he was watching cro cop and implies his level of skill and that time period doesn't compare to modern mma, timestamp is 17:59

[Superzorro]

That is one of the dumbest takes I've seen here and that's saying something.

I have nostalgia for those days too but man this thread turned into a bunch of delusional nonsense.

Aspinall's overall skillset would've worked just fine in any era. Would he have dominated? No. Would he have been among the best HW's? Yes.

And saying otherwise exposes you as bitter old crusty bums.

What skillset? He hasn’t even shown anything. By his own admission, in that very same video— there’s no tape on him. This is the theory he proposes in that podcast as to why Jones is “afraid” to fight him.

…You literally can’t make this stuff up.

 

[Rum that Chimay-Leffe]

Yassine has a full B cup, his tiddys jiggle when he moves. No way a dude with a voluptuous bosom beats a prime Cro Cop

So were Mark Hunt and Roy Nelson

 

[RoseHDCovington]

So were Mark Hunt and Roy Nelson

Neither of those guys have jiggling tiddys. Cro Cop was far removed from his prime in the first Roy Nelson fight. Cro Cop arguably beat Hunt in pride and definitely beat him in k1

 

[RoseHDCovington]

What skillset? He hasn’t even shown anything. By his own admission, in that very same video— there’s no tape on him. This is the theory he proposes in that podcast as to why Jones is “afraid” to fight him.

…You literally can’t make this stuff up.

Couldn't agree more. Hard to study a guy when all the tape on him is of him knocking people out in a minute or 2

 

[Nimrod]

There's loads of good heavy weight from the past that COULD give Tom trouble.

Sergi K
Fedor
Alex fedor
Mark Kerr
Coleman
Big Tim
Pedro Rizzo
Josh Barnett
Frank Mir
Tom Erikson
Igor
Heath

All in their prime could have their day.
Big nog
Brock

To be fair any of these top mma fighters in their prime could beat any body on there day.

 

[Rum that Chimay-Leffe]

Neither of those guys have jiggling tiddys. Cro Cop was far removed from his prime in the first Roy Nelson fight. Cro Cop arguably beat Hunt in pride and definitely beat him in k1

Ok, you won, I have to bow in the presence of a fine connoisseur in the men jiggling tiddies department

 

[Hog-train]

Definitely, but for Crocop it wasn't that he just physically slowed down with age or he got less durable etc, it seemed like his skill level went down too.

IMO he was unused to the cage after fighting in rings his whole career.

Champions of today is better than champions of yesterday. Nostaliga aside, its true.

Not always. Belal is not better than GSP. Aspinall is not better than prime Cain.

 

[AndrewGolota48]

IMO he was unused to the cage after fighting in rings his whole career.



Not always. Belal is not better than GSP. Aspinall is not better than prime Cain.

The athletes will tend to get better on average, but there are always past outliers that remain above the majority of or even all of modern athletes. For example Shaq was a rookie damn near 35 years ago and there hasn't been anyone quite like him since. Wilt played over 65 years ago and is still a freak outlier compared to modern players.

 

[KO Shotz]

Prime CroCop, Fedor, Overeem, Big Nog, Rizzo, Mir, Coleman, Igor & even Josh Barnett & Hunto run through the HW division today. Yes, some divisions are better than what it was back in the day, but the HW division has fallen completely off. The HW MMA division today is nowhere near how good it was back in the day.

Jon & Tom would be interesting vs those guys above in their prime years, but the talent in the HW division in todays MMA world is not even in the same convo of how good the MMA HW division was back in the early days of MMA.

 

[RoseHDCovington]

IMO he was unused to the cage after fighting in rings his whole career.



Not always. Belal is not better than GSP. Aspinall is not better than prime Cain.

Unfortunately, 3rd UFC run Cro Cop did learn how to use the cage to his advantage.

 

[mkess101]

What skillset? He hasn’t even shown anything. By his own admission, in that very same video— there’s no tape on him. This is the theory he proposes in that podcast as to why Jones is “afraid” to fight him.

…You literally can’t make this stuff up.

FFS. He's 255 lbs, moves like a middleweight and has faster hands at HW than anyone ever outside maybe prime Fedor. He's easily submitted highly ranked guys like Volkov so his ground game quite obviously is solid.

Use. Your. Eyes. You're right-- you cannot make this stuff up. You guys see things and pretend you don't. Because I refuse to believe you're so dumb as to not see it.

 

[mkess101]

Ngannou isn't my 'guy' lol. I like Tom a lot more than I like Ngannou who seems to be more of a hypocrite and completely washed at this point. He's probably the best hw prospect in a decade and I can see he is special talent.

But everything I did say about him is true. And he should shut up about OGs cuz he ain't half that special.

Haha alright. You can be mad he's speaking his mind, but he absolutely is a special talent. Still has plenty to prove but clearly he's special.

 

[JustOnce]

Haha alright. You can be mad he's speaking his mind, but he absolutely is a special talent. Still has plenty to prove but clearly he's special.

I'm not mad. He is a special talent, but not remotely special enough, literally beat no one worth of note, to talk shit like that.

And I don't think I'm wrong about the guy either.

 

[mkess101]

Couldn't agree more. Hard to study a guy when all the tape on him is of him knocking people out in a minute or 2

He's not all that cuz he's knocking everyone out too quickly!!

--Sherdoggers

(Slaps head)

 

[mkess101]

I'm not mad. He is a special talent, but not remotely special enough, literally beat no one worth of note, to talk shit like that.

And I don't think I'm wrong about the guy either.

I'm pretty sure you don't need to say that you don't think your own opinion is wrong LMAO.

He's KO'd half the top 10. Everyone they're putting in front of him. I'll ask again: what exactly else do you want him to do? Take a DeLorean up to 88 MPH to join the 2005 Pride OWGP? You can only beat who's there and he's ruining everyone in the top 10. Gane refused to fight him. Jones seems to be ducking him so far. Ngannou left. So...what exactly would you like him to do?

 

[KO Shotz]

I'm pretty sure you don't need to say that you don't think your own opinion is wrong LMAO.

He's KO'd half the top 10. Everyone they're putting in front of him. I'll ask again: what exactly else do you want him to do? Take a DeLorean up to 88 MPH to join the 2005 Pride OWGP? You can only beat who's there and he's ruining everyone in the top 10. Gane refused to fight him. Jones seems to be ducking him so far. Ngannou left. So...what exactly would you like him to do?

The point being made is that he said todays MMA talent is better than it was back in the day. In some scenarios that's true, but in his own division it's the furthest thing from true. Tom has beaten up a very weak & shallow division. Back in the day the HW division was a shark tank. In todays world the HW division is a joke compared to what it was.

 

[JustOnce]

I'm pretty sure you don't need to say that you don't think your own opinion is wrong LMAO.

He's KO'd half the top 10. Everyone they're putting in front of him. I'll ask again: what exactly else do you want him to do? Take a DeLorean up to 88 MPH to join the 2005 Pride OWGP? You can only beat who's there and he's ruining everyone in the top 10. Gane refused to fight him. Jones seems to be ducking him so far. Ngannou left. So...what exactly would you like him to do?

It seems you needed some help to understand.

I mean, let me put it this way. Let's say we agree that Tom is a special talent. Let's say we disagree that how Tom stacks up against Ngannou. I mean so many people are Jones nuts right now, but I do favour Tom against Jones too, though I don't know how good Tom's wrestling is. I do think prime Ngannou sends both to a shadow realm easy, but let's also agree to disagree on that count too.

All in all, I said many a times that Tom is a special talent and probably the best hw talent in a decade or so. It's just that we can agree to disagree on his ceiling or limits of what he represents as a fighter. Happy now?

 

[mkess101]

The point being made is that he said todays MMA talent is better than it was back in the day. In some scenarios that's true, but in his own division it's the furthest thing from true. Tom has beaten up a very weak & shallow division. Back in the day the HW division was a shark tank. In todays world the HW division is a joke compared to what it was.

Some truth to that, he's probably a little defensive when people say "But But But who have you beaten?"

There's also some revisionist history that takes place. I pointed it out earlier, but Cro Cop won the 2006 OWGP then headed to the UFC. Beat Eddie Sanchez (LOL) and then in his next fight got flatlined by Gabe Gonzaga. Less than a year after winning the OWGP and now people are like "Cro Cop was washed when he went to the UFC!"

There's a romanticism that happens when some people look back in time. The steroid use and rumors of fight fixing in Pride aside, the gap in the talent pool simply isn't as wide as some like to claim in now vs then.

 

[SuperNerd]

FFS. He's 255 lbs, moves like a middleweight and has faster hands at HW than anyone ever outside maybe prime Fedor. He's easily submitted highly ranked guys like Volkov so his ground game quite obviously is solid.

Use. Your. Eyes. You're right-- you cannot make this stuff up. You guys see things and pretend you don't. Because I refuse to believe you're so dumb as to not see it.

Where on fight finder can I find this info?

Did they add a attribute system? It would really help me understand MMA.

Maybe someone has GIFs?

 

[mkess101]

It seems you needed some help to understand.

I mean, let me put it this way. Let's say we agree that Tom is a special talent. Let's say we disagree that how Tom stacks up against Ngannou. I mean so many people are Jones nuts right now, but I do favour Tom against Jones too, though I don't know how good Tom's wrestling is. I do think prime Ngannou sends both to a shadow realm easy, but let's also agree to disagree on that count too.

All in all, I said many a times that Tom is a special talent and probably the best hw talent in a decade or so. It's just that we can agree to disagree on his ceiling or limits of what he represents as a fighter. Happy now?

Dude I'm happy most of the time. And yes, of course we don't need to be in lockstep on exactly how good he is or can be. I'd have thought that goes without saying LOL.