Top 4 from 15 years ago vs Top 4 from now

[JustOnce]

They say MMA is always evolving and talking about how much better everyone's now.

If you look at the top 4 from maybe 15 years ago, it would look like Buakaw, Masato, Sower, and maybe Petrosyan.

Now maybe it's Sitthichai, Superbon, Petrosyan, and maybe Marat.

Did they really get better?

 

[Blazeblack]

No, the top guys today are roughly the same quality if not less than the top K-1 max fighters were.

 

[Snubnoze707]

You really only see a noticeable difference when you go to the very early K-1's, but even those guys evolved in their own careers. Not much has changed since the K-1 MAX times though.

MMA has more variables so it's easier to introduce new things, and Kickboxing has a lot longer connected lineage so there isn't much new stuff to discover.

 

[Deleted member 576123]

I still find kickboxing and Muay Thai way more exciting than MMA. MMA is an ideal, to strive towards to be the perfect combat practitioner but as far as mastering an art is concerned, then 8 limbs or kickboxing is "easier", for want of a better word.

Kickboxing is on a downtrend though, isn't it?

 

[SuperLuigi]

I still find kickboxing and Muay Thai way more exciting than MMA. MMA is an ideal, to strive towards to be the perfect combat practitioner but as far as mastering an art is concerned, then 8 limbs or kickboxing is "easier", for want of a better word.

Kickboxing is on a downtrend though, isn't it?

Pretty sure all fight sports are on a downtrend.

 

[Kanka]

I think it's just the competition was more intense back then so more difficult so more difficult to have a winning streak. Nowadays the level is probably more or less the same at least in 70 kg but the competition is not very intense

 

[tru3f4n]

Kickboxing is on a downtrend though, isn't it?

the down fall of K-1 left too much other orgs take over so feeder shows turned into the top shows with top fighters spread out all over the place . Plus Glory wasted too much time and money in trying to build their USA shows they should stick to Europe and Asia. I think it's on a downtread but that could be due to me not following as much as I use to.