Volkov, UFC HW on 3 fight win streak lost 2x in Bellator

[Squall10]

To Kongo and Johnson. All of this is recent history, past 3 years. The question is obvious Sherbros, just how strong is this much vaunted HW division that Stipe is reigning atop of?

How does a guy lose twice in Bellator and then run thru the UFC, beat former champ Werdum to become a top contender?

 

[SKITZADACTYL]

it's almost like guys can improve eh?

 

[RiotWyatt]

Duh, being a UFC fighter automatically gives +10 to all his stats.

 

[DarkneT]

Volkan too

 

[sirmorbach]

It's been three years, and he's still young. Hell, he's very young considering the division he's in.

Do I see him beating Stipe? I don't, but he's pretty good and there's still room for improvement.

 

[RiotWyatt]

it's almost like guys can improve eh?

Just like Pride fighters declining in the UFC. They aren’t bad, they’ve just declined.

However, HW really IS weak now but UFC still has the best of them.

 

[DS66]

It's not like his UFC wins are that great. He barely beat Tim Johnson (who was cut and just signed with Bellator), beat the ghost of Roy Nelson (now in Bellator), beat Struve (the definition of mediocre), and beat old man Werdum (which is a solid win).

But yeah, I don't think anyone says the UFC HW division is that great. It might be the worst division depth-wise in the UFC, certainly bottom 2. That doesn't mean Stipe isn't great though.

 

[Squall10]

it's almost like guys can improve eh?

Could it be that Minakov is the baddest man on the planet? Whodathunkit.

 

[Workaholic]

Well if you watched those fights you would already know that 1. he's an improved fighter since then and 2. he is, always has been and probably always will be a very matchup dependant fighter, and one who has happened to get the type of matchups he needs in order to win in the UFC. Werdum was a winnable fight for him. Blaydes for example, is not.

 

[mirror45]

He improved

 

[Ruthless_swag]

Volkan too

Volkan lost once. Thats it. He is legit. Always has been.

 

[HI SCOTT NEWMAN]

Well he got beat by the best HW in MMA Vitaly Minakov, no shame in that at all, he would beat any guy on UFC roster.

Volkov improved of course, but the division is so bad in UFC and full of old age pensioners, the champ in a part time fighter. I'm calling it now Greg Hardy will be a number 1 contender in 18 months time and smash through everyone with ease.

 

[Hotora86]

Volkov used to be very average but he's improving.

 

[DarkneT]

Volkan lost once. Thats it. He is legit. Always has been.

 

[stinkynecklace]

He also got knocked out by Minakov. I think he’s improved, but will still be vulnerable to the wrestlefuck. Tim Johnson made him look pretty bad in his debut and it really could have gone either way.

 

[SeattleFightFan]

Well if you watched those fights you would already know that 1. he's an improved fighter since then and 2. he is, always has been and probably always will be a very matchup dependant fighter, and one who has happened to get the type of matchups he needs in order to win in the UFC. Werdum was a winnable fight for him. Blaydes for example, is not.

good post.

 

[executionermma]

UFC's heavyweight division sucks, these guys are not the 15 best in the world. Stipe is probably the only one ranked where he belongs.

 

[eiyuu]

To Kongo and Johnson. All of this is recent history, past 3 years. The question is obvious Sherbros, just how strong is this much vaunted HW division that Stipe is reigning atop of?

How does a guy lose twice in Bellator and then run thru the UFC, beat former champ Werdum to become a top contender?

He went 6-3 in Bellator one of those losses to their undefeated champ, Minakov.

You make it sound like he went 0-2 there.

 

[ClosetVitorFan]

A long time ago Stipe, the reigning champion was Tko'd by Stefan Struve...People improve.

 

[SeattleFightFan]

Just like Pride fighters declining in the UFC. They aren’t bad, they’ve just declined.

However, HW really IS weak now but UFC still has the best of them.

the "Pride fighters sucked in the UFC" is a classic example of cherry picking. Rampage won a belt. Shogun won a belt. Nog won an interim and beat the best (or 1 of the best 2) UFC HW of the mid-00's. Barnett has done about the same everywhere for the last 20 years. Hunt has had a very solid decade.

whereas CC, Wandy, and Gomi didn't do great. and some so-called mma-fans think "ha! CroCop and Gomi lost, Pride fighters suck!".

and of course they never recognize that most good UFC fighters from 00-05 didn't do well in the UFC from 07 on either.

i suppose stupid debates just bring out the stupid.