Who Was The Greatest MMA Fighter Of The 90's ?

[MMAlover123]

The thing with the 90s is the sport was evolving literally with each event. The guys in the late 90s were so much better than Royce.

It's almost unfair to compare them.

Truth !!.

 

[strawberry]

If you're willing to consider Pancrase as MMA with its strange rule set, then it kinda' has to be Bas.

Otherwise, I'd say Frank Shamrock.

 

[NoBiasJustMMA]

Agreed, but the same could be said about the 2000s. 2009 Jones sleeps 2003 Liddell.

I don't think that's true at all. Not that Jones couldn't beat Liddell or that he wouldn't be favored but the top guys at 205 back in the early to mid 2000s would be top guys today. Hell some of them still are in the top 10 while being shadows of their former selves.

 

[MMAlover123]

If you're willing to consider Pancrase as MMA with its strange rule set, then it kinda' has to be Bas.

Otherwise, I'd say Frank Shamrock.

The differences where palm strikes and no G and P i think ... i don't know any other rules , but i think Bas imo. Bas vs Igor would of been immense.

 

[K1MMA]

Vovchanchyn.

 

[Dalyinx]

It has to be Ice Cold. He ended 2000 with a record of 45-3.

 

[MMAlover123]

Sakuraba

Saku was really in his prime around the early 2000's

 

[strawberry]

The differences where palm strikes and no G and P i think ... i don't know any other rules , but i think Bas imo. Bas vs Igor would of been immense.

Pancrase also had rope escapes from subs. And we know that there were a bunch of worked fights. Even still, my vote goes to Bas. I think he was the best all around fighter in the 90's. I could understand if someone didn't want to consider him due to Pnacrase's rule set and shady history, though.

 

[JCMT1212]

Renzo Gracie was also undefeated in the 90's and fought some very well established 90's fighters including Oleg Taktarov, Akira Shoji, and Maurice Smith. Just not near the same number of fights as Igor though.

 

[Kaffebaggel]

The fanboy in me wants to say Rickson but it's hard to argue with Bas and Igor.

EDIT: Frank's up there too

 

[NoBiasJustMMA]

Pancrase also had rope escapes from subs. And we know that there were a bunch of worked fights. Even still, my vote goes to Bas. I think he was the best all around fighter in the 90's. I could understand if someone didn't want to consider him due to Pnacrase's rule set and shady history, though.

Do you think Bas would have beaten Igor? I'm just kind of curious as to why you are picking Bas over him. I think he's up there for this discussion but it's really hard to pick anyone over Igor for this.

 

[sonhow]

Frank Shamrock perhaps by skill even if I think he would have lost if Tito was in his prime when they fought. Royce Gracie had big impact.

Honestly I must say that I'm pretty skeptic of Igor's record in the 90's. But Goodridge seems like a solid win for that time.

 

[Gravy_Gecko]

Igor Vov had a run like no other, especially when you consider that he would fight 2 - 3 opponents a night and often fight his 2nd or 3rd opponent after breaking his hands on the first one.

Obviously the level of competition was subpar, but that was MMA back then.

 

[BreadnButter]

Igor. Dude was a savage.

 

[ZoSo]

Igor ice cold!

 

[MMAn]

Saku was really in his prime around the early 2000's

I think he was more on the decline after 2000.

 

[Credo]

Well throw Tito and Matt Hughes in there too, late 90

 

[MMAlover123]

Pancrase also had rope escapes from subs. And we know that there were a bunch of worked fights. Even still, my vote goes to Bas. I think he was the best all around fighter in the 90's. I could understand if someone didn't want to consider him due to Pnacrase's rule set and shady history, though.

Agh yeah forgot about that , cheers for the reminder.

 

[Xuh]

Marco Ruas is another option

Why, though? His outstanding achievement of the 90s was to win the weakest of the first 10 UFCs - a tourney which had no good fighters in it (other than him). I would pick every other winner of an early UFC over him (apart from Steve Jennum obviously).

Yeah he looked great chopping down the almighty PAUL VARELANS in the final with those kicks, but people get too hung up on how pretty strikes look sometimes. He was basically beating on a bag.

The stories about him drawing with or beating Rickson were BS made up by his manager, and he requested special rules for his first fight with Oleg because he was scurred (and still lost). Then he went on to lose to Otsuka...

 

[MMAlover123]

Rickson Gracie was a beast , but he never compiled a winning streak worth noting him to consider him as one the GOAT of the 90's imo.