Where do you place KZ on GOAT Asian fighters list?

[JustOnce]

You know, KZ had an amazing run. Having followed KZ before his UFC run, since 08 or 09, I guess you could say, if you consider KZ a legend, I had an opportunity to follow the legend pretty closely throughout. the majority of his career.

KZ is a bit of a wierd case in a way that, he's one of those rare prospects that end up being bigger than he actually was or is as a fighter. He's a great fighter no doubt, but if you think about it, he only fought 12 times in the UFC, I mean even the corpse of Gomi fought more inside UFC, and you could argue that KZ's best win is Dan Ige.

Now, I was a big fan of KZ before a lot of KZ fans now, if not the majority of them, around here even first heard of him, in case if I sound critical, but that is really just what it is if you think about it. He does have a win over FW Poirier and another corpse of Edgar, though as washed up as Edgar may have been, he wasn't as far gone as Gomi was.

People have discussed before this plenty, but with the curtain falling on KZ's career, I wonder what Sherbros think about it at the end of it.

You see, there wasn't a great hype behind KZ either entering UFC. He did get ktfo into another orbit by Roop not that long before his UFC transition, nor was he undefeated before that. There was much greater hype behind Doo Ho Choi for example, though obviously there were some hype for KZ, I mean he was a solid, exciting prospect regardless, probably more than there were for Dong Hyun Kim.

So, KZ's fame and popularity was entirely him, not from being helped by cherry picking opponents, nor the UFC hype machine, though obviously they caught on eventually.

He was a hell of a fighter, and he had a hell of a career, but just based on how his career played out, it's just difficult to place the guy near the top, I'd think.

1. Saku
2. Gomi
3. Kid
4. Sakurai - Former WW number 1 in the world.
5. Horiguchi
6. Dong Hyun Kim
7. KZ
8. Fujiita
9. Misaki
10. Yoshida

War Korean Zombie.

 

[Benoitthegr8]

Right behind Takanori

 

[Bobby Boulders]

Idk where he stands among Asian fighters, but he's a HOFer to me. He doesn't have the accolades that tend to go with that status, but he is for sure the kind of fighter I'm here to watch perform his craft. Kill or be killed.

We were blessed to have had him.

 

[WhiteMousse]

*Glares at you in Pride

 

[Megatronlee]

Are we counting bj penn and machida?

Also Robbie lawlor is part Filipino.
Does he count?

 

[WildShrimper]

It's a shame he lost a big portion of his prime, as most Korean fighters do. He was absolutely one of the top fighters like ten years ago.

 

[bartleby929]

#1

To OP, there was hype for Doo Ho Choi because of Korean Zombie, and what he had done in the UFC... also how can Stun Gun be ahead of Zombie lmao

KZ was/is a pioneer

 

[guesswhoseback]

Are we counting bj penn and machida?

Also Robbie lawlor is part Filipino.
Does he count?

Yea weird question a lot of people alos only think of asian fighters as in chinese/Jappanese/Koreans.

what about middle easterns, they are asians as well do fighters like Merab count or do you mean asian fighters as in Chinese,Jappanese,and koreans

 

[Neck&Neck]

Also Petr Yan, the whitest Asian man

Are we counting bj penn and machida?

Also Robbie lawlor is part Filipino.
Does he count?

 

[Megatronlee]

Yea weird question a lot of people alos only think of asian fighters as in chinese/Jappanese/Koreans.

what about middle easterns, they are asians as well do fighters like Merab count or do you mean asian fighters as in Chinese,Jappanese,and koreans

Yeah I feel like we can really open that up a bit

 

[Megatronlee]

Also Petr Yan, the whitest Asian man

That’s a very good point as well.

 

[Bobby Boulders]

It's a shame he lost a big portion of his prime, as most Korean fighters do. He was absolutely one of the top fighters like ten years ago.

His trajectory certainly changed bc of those 3 or 4 years away. He left as a prime contender (although he was rushed into the Aldo fight), and was capable of magic (RE: Poirier fight). He was still a bit with it when he came back, up until the last second of the Yair fight. I feel like a lot was left on the table with KZ bc of those years away. Idk that he'd ever have actually won the belt, but I feel like he'd have been way closer to it had he not had to leave.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

He's got to be up there. Great longevity in one of the toughest divisions in the sport and managed to have two title shots in the UFC. I think other than him only Uno has managed to get a shot at the belt twice of Asian fighters and that was in a very shallow division at the time.

 

[Noraaq]

Idk but Saku, Gomi, and Sakurai are head and shoulders above him.

 

[Reach Finesse]

Benson Henderson is the GOAT Asian fighter

 

[Reach Finesse]

Idk but Saku, Gomi, and Sakurai are head and shoulders above him.

They would have never sniffed a UFC championship...Gomi got exposed in his UFC career

 

[Okajima]

You know, KZ had an amazing run. Having followed KZ before his UFC run, since 08 or 09, I guess you could say, if you consider KZ a legend, I had an opportunity to follow the legend pretty closely throughout. the majority of his career.

KZ is a bit of a wierd case in a way that, he's one of those rare prospects that end up being bigger than he actually was or is as a fighter. He's a great fighter no doubt, but if you think about it, he only fought 12 times in the UFC, I mean even the corpse of Gomi fought more inside UFC, and you could argue that KZ's best win is Dan Ige.

Now, I was a big fan of KZ before a lot of KZ fans now, if not the majority of them, around here even first heard of him, in case if I sound critical, but that is really just what it is if you think about it. He does have a win over FW Poirier and another corpse of Edgar, though as washed up as Edgar may have been, he wasn't as far gone as Gomi was.

People have discussed before this plenty, but with the curtain falling on KZ's career, I wonder what Sherbros think about it at the end of it.

You see, there wasn't a great hype behind KZ either entering UFC. He did get ktfo into another orbit by Roop not that long before his UFC transition, nor was he undefeated before that. There was much greater hype behind Doo Ho Choi for example, though obviously there were some hype for KZ, I mean he was a solid, exciting prospect regardless, probably more than there were for Dong Hyun Kim.

So, KZ's fame and popularity was entirely him, not from being helped by cherry picking opponents, nor the UFC hype machine, though obviously they caught on eventually.

He was a hell of a fighter, and he had a hell of a career, but just based on how his career played out, it's just difficult to place the guy near the top, I'd think.

1. Saku
2. Gomi
3. Kid
4. Sakurai - Former WW number 1 in the world.
5. Horiguchi
6. Dong Hyun Kim
7. KZ
8. Fujiita
9. Misaki
10. Yoshida

War Korean Zombie.

I’d have Aoki in there. He’s got a great resume of solid wins.

 

[blaseblase]

I'd definitely put him over the Dong since he's a 2 time title contender. Also Megumi Fujii getting shafted as usual.

 

[JustOnce]

I’d have Aoki in there. He’s got a great resume of solid wins.

Aoki crossed my mind. Aoki had a very good career but, I don't know, does he beat out Fujita, Misaki who beat Hendo, or Yoshida?

Not sure.

 

[Pequeño Corey]

Why is gooch ahead of him? Don’t disagree, necessarily, just wondering.