Would you say that most of the elite MMA fighters are above average in intelligence?

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brainwash

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Or does it not take intelligence to get to the top. What are some examples?

GSP is obviously somewhat intelligent, same with Cormier. But would you say guys like Jose Aldo and Anderson Silva are intelligent?
 
The only champion that I can safely say is definitely head and shoulders above his peers in terms of intelligence is Cruz. Florian is another that strikes me as smart not just in MMA but in general.

There are however a lot of top ten dudes that seem either dumb as a stump or certainly not above average. At one point Diego Sanchez was one of the most feared LWs on the planet and I don't think there's ever been a time he wasn't legitimately insane.
 
I don’t know why people say GSP is intelligent.

He’s more of a calculated and less impulsive figure but I wouldn’t say he has a massive IQ.

I’d guess mma fighters would score below average compared to the rest of the population in an IQ test.
 
brainwash said:
Or does it not take intelligence to get to the top. What are some examples?

GSP is obviously somewhat intelligent, same with Cormier. But would you say guys like Jose Aldo and Anderson Silva are intelligent?
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GSP (calculated and always aware of the fluctuation of the stockmarket) and Chael are for sure.

Dominick Cruz is the master calculator though.

Can't speak for Tai Tuivasa , Datsik, Julian Lane or Bigfoot.
 
I think Garbrandt drops the average of the UFC to "significantly below average"
 
DanMMAleague said:
I don’t know why people say GSP is intelligent.

He’s more of a calculated and less impulsive figure but I wouldn’t say he has a massive IQ.

I’d guess mma fighters would score below average compared to the rest of the population in an IQ test.
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I'd say Cruz, Conor, Woodley, Bisping, Jones, DJ would all score above 110 on IQ test
 
Rich Franklin was a teacher so I would assume he is pretty intelligent.

I would also assume that just like any profession you have smart people and people that are not all that bright.
 
I always felt like Randy Couture may have possibly been the smartest MMA fighter ever.
 
"intelligence" as a single term does not really exist. obv some are faster to understand certain topics but then they have mental flaws as well.

the key to success as a boss or a coach is finding the strengths in employees. the dude who cannot write a coherent email is able to conceptualize and design a CAD object almost in his head while the employee who gives great reports and presentations might not be able to do any of the underlying work they are presenting even though they understand it to a minute detail.

Or take investments. Warren Buffet is a long term investor. he finds strategic investments and uses massive resources to analyze companies and determine if they are correct fit for his portfolio. Then take a hedge fund trader who trades on technicals. a UFC fighter skillset is more akin to the technical trader over the strategic investor. if both are successful can you really claim one is "more intelligent" than the other?

MMA fighters are likely to be good at reacting on the spot, thinking in live time and willing to listen to their corners and take advice.

if these guys were PhD candidates they probably would not be fighting. but that does not mean they are not intelligent. the world is a massive place and intelligence comes in all shapes and sizes.
 
There's different kinds of smarts.

I doubt any of these guys are very smart in a STEM sort of way... but in PR and body awareness... I suspect there are quite a few that are pretty smart
 
There are some guys that get smarter as they age. Or maybe it's their agressiveness when they were young that dominated and overshadowed their intelligence. Tyson seemed dumb to me, now I like him. Rutten seemed crazy, now looks different. Crocop and Brian Stann the same, as they get older they are more calculated and talk better. Of course there are guys like Ferguson or Huck that will never learn a thing no matter how long they live. I have never heard Ross Pearson, Siver or Gonzaga talk but I would prejudice they're not the smartest men in this game.
 
The absolute best fighters all seem fairly intelligent. I can't tell with the guys that don't speak good English.

Couture, Werdum, Sonnen, GSP, Cormier, Franklin, Connor, Bisping, Machida, S Thompson, F Shamrock, Cruz, Barnett, they all seem bright. I think the Diaz bros are sharp, though obviously not cultured in the least.

Top guys that strike me as "not so bright" tend to have shorter careers as relying more on physical attributes and force of will. Thinking Rampage, BJ, Sylvia, Lesnar, Tito, Rhonda.
 
ring smarts/cunning/adaptability/whatever it is seems a bit distinct from abstract reasoning, like jones is one of the smartest in the first way but doesn't seem blessed in the latter
 
Tferg Nate and Mcnugget are below 100 iq




Combined
 
riitzni said:
The only champion that I can safely say is definitely head and shoulders above his peers in terms of intelligence is Cruz. Florian is another that strikes me as smart not just in MMA but in general.

There are however a lot of top ten dudes that seem either dumb as a stump or certainly not above average. At one point Diego Sanchez was one of the most feared LWs on the planet and I don't think there's ever been a time he wasn't legitimately insane.
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above average isnt a high bar like you make it out to be - it's 49% of the population
 
brainwash said:
Or does it not take intelligence to get to the top. What are some examples?

GSP is obviously somewhat intelligent, same with Cormier. But would you say guys like Jose Aldo and Anderson Silva are intelligent?
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You listed towo dark skinned dudes that don’t speak English.
 
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