Where the GOATS thought of as prospects when they started?

[kflo]

But most ppl weren’t picking him to win, is my point. He wasn’t hyped to the moon going into the Schilt and Herring fight. If you pull up the Fedor-Herring fight on Fight Pass, they show the pre-fight interviews and stuff. Both Bas and Quadros pick Herring to win the fight.

again, it was a relatively pick 'em fight. against a top ranked fighter. in his 12th fight.

beating herring the way he did was a surprise. that he won wasn't exactly completely unexpected.

 

[gono btw]

PRIDE once showed interest in GSP?

No shit? Do you have a source for that?

They actually sent him some shit by mail, about the Company... but they backtracked, didnt consider him really 'marketable'....

 

[Doug Money]

Being a prospect and being a hype train are different things.

My point was kinda convoluted but u get my drift. Dont be that guy lol

 

[IndyCovaHart]

They actually sent him some shit by mail, about the Company... but they backtracked, didnt consider him really 'marketable'....

Wow that’s news to me!

Although it would have been hella interesting to see how he would have fared outside of the 10-point must system!

 

[DerKoenig]

McGregor was seen as a huge prospect and had a lot of hype behind him yeah

He said GOATS.

 

[CPH]

GSP was pretty quickly recognized as ‘the future’.

 

[gono btw]

Wow that’s news to me!

Although it would have been hella interesting to see how he would have fared outside of the 10-point must system!

Broke.

Spoiler

Nuff´Said.

 

[Only Here for Attachments]

Fedor wasn’t really seen as unbeatable in PRIDE. Herring was expected to beat him, Nog was really expected to win, and Cro Cop was expected to outright murder him.

 

[Sweater of AV]

My point was kinda convoluted but u get my drift. Dont be that guy lol

I'm not trying to be that guy. You're using prospect and hype train somewhat interchangeably. I don't think any of the fighters you listed had hype trains before their success but they were definitely solid prospects. Tells you a lot about what happens to most hype trains...

 

[surrealworlds]

Personal perspective:
Jones was known as Rashads training partner until he beat Shogun. He was a talented prospect but i dont think anyone expected him to win the belt.
GSP had a lot of UFC hype around him. He got an early title shot at Hughes and was very humble in defeat. So that gained him a lot of fans. Then he went on a tear that included B.J. Penn and Sean Sherk who were two of the top guys in the division.
Silva was introduced as a Pride veteran and i dont think he had much hype behind him. It was a weird time cause all the old Pride fans were getting to finally see some of the UFC vs Pride matchups they had been wishing for.
Everyone knew Silva was a game fighter and knew Leben was an animal. I dont think many knew Silva would go on the run he did until he made Rich Franklin look like an amateur.

Fedor i cant say much about. I wasnt around for his rise. I started hearing about him after he had already started his run in Pride.

 

[Ares Black]

McGregor was seen as a huge prospect and had a lot of hype behind him yeah

TS was asking about the GOATs...

 

[MCS]

GSP was the new breed of well-rounded fighters. Billed as the next champ. Then-champ Hughes saw him as the future of WW as well, even after beating him. The UFC loved GSP when he was young. Also got Canada behind him. So yes, top prospect.

Anderson was seen as a good striker, but was behind Shogun as a prospect, even though Shogun is younger. Behind Ninja as well. Spider's a late bloomer. He became what he was when Nog took him under his wing, left Chute Boxe. Nog eventually gave him his black belt. Started peaking in Cage Rage. Had some badass fights there against Rivera, Murray and the Fryklund elbow. Wasn't a top prospect when young, but very underrated when he started priming...which Leben and others found out.

Jones got a lot of steam with the Gusmao win, and double that when he tossed Bonnar around. Trained out of his garage back then, so the narrative was getting all his talent to a top camp and watch him eventually become champ. He got the shot against Shogun as a replacement earlier than what was thought to be his path to the title. So his prospect status didn't last long, but it was there, pretty much unanimously.

I don't recall hearing anything of Fedor before he started beating up everyone in Pride. So I'm not sure with him.

 

[ThunderStruck]

They actually sent him some shit by mail, about the Company... but they backtracked, didnt consider him really 'marketable'....

What a fucking load of crock. Proof or GTFO.

My guess is they "backtracked" as soon as the UFC signed him just to save their faces.

 

[Doug Money]

I'm not trying to be that guy. You're using prospect and hype train somewhat interchangeably. I don't think any of the fighters you listed had hype trains before their success but they were definitely solid prospects. Tells you a lot about what happens to most hype trains...

From what ive been reading in the thread it seems GSP had notable hype and got a TS with 7 wins. Other than that u are right, the train never ends well from what we know

 

[ThunderStruck]

Wow that’s news to me!

Although it would have been hella interesting to see how he would have fared outside of the 10-point must system!

With knees to a downed opponent? Pretty damn well.

 

[Doug Money]

So basically all the GOATS have been blue collar types that put the work in before the glory.

 

[Dionysian]

Pretty clear Jon was champ material when he steamrolled Vlad. Same for Gus actually. Both of them I use their Vlad fight as their "wow this guy is elite" moment.

 

[Evangelion]

Im talking about Fedor, Silva, GSP and Jones. I recall Bones beeing seen as a young talent with a bright future but not a lot of hype. Silva wasnt feared when he came to the UFC and in Pride he was seen as a 2nd tier chute box guy. I also remember Fedor surprising Bas and Quadros when he ragdolled Herring. Cant remember anything about St. Pierre.
So did any of the GOATS have a hype train behind them when they started off?

Khabin, i know you didnt list him but he counts imo. Was a mid level prospect.

Aldo was an elite prospect.

 

[gono btw]

What a fucking load of crock. Proof or GTFO.

My guess is they "backtracked" as soon as the UFC signed him just to save their faces.

Holy shhh... ´finally got ya, ThunderSuck ! Payback Day!

Here, Da Proof:

Spoiler: Dont Open, tho... No Rush´tard!...

 

[sampuncher]

Pretty clear Jon was champ material when he steamrolled Vlad. Same for Gus actually. Both of them I use their Vlad fight as their "wow this guy is elite" moment.

I wouldnt say Gus was either "elite" or champ material tbh.