RavishingRickRudo 0 Report post Posted April 26, 2008 If Royce doesn't make top 3, Randy doesn't. Randys record is not nearly good enough. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RavishingRickRudo 0 Report post Posted April 26, 2008 Royce Gracie being considered a top fighter is not based on anything other than 2 things: Dominance at the time, and Impact on the Sport. You can't really rationalize beyond that. If that is not in your criteria, then Royce doesn't rank. If it is, then Royce has to be ranked high. Fact is, Royce wasn't one of the best in BJJ at the time, let alone MMA, but it doesn't change how he fared in the ring or the influence his dominance had. Yes, Royce had shit opponents, but you can't really go back in time to have him fight GSP or Anderson Silva or Fedor. He beat guys who were strong in their relative sport, which was -at the time- the whole point of UFC. There are different standards today, a different approach taken, and I don't think it is fair to take away Royces' accomplishments because of that difference. You can talk about how Royce didn't evolve with MMA, but Royce also was the one who forced the evolution in MMA. Which do you think is more important, guys who change with the game or guys who change the game? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RavishingRickRudo 0 Report post Posted April 26, 2008 To me, it's either Royce is high up there, or he's not there at all. There are more guys who have more wins over better (ranked) opposition than he did at the time; there are also very few guys who have impacted the sport more. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lt. Al Giardello 0 Report post Posted April 26, 2008 Royce Gracie being considered a top fighter is not based on anything other than 2 things: Dominance at the time, and Impact on the Sport. You can't really rationalize beyond that. If that is not in your criteria, then Royce doesn't rank. If it is, then Royce has to be ranked high. Fact is, Royce wasn't one of the best in BJJ at the time, let alone MMA, but it doesn't change how he fared in the ring or the influence his dominance had. Yes, Royce had shit opponents, but you can't really go back in time to have him fight GSP or Anderson Silva or Fedor. He beat guys who were strong in their relative sport, which was -at the time- the whole point of UFC. There are different standards today, a different approach taken, and I don't think it is fair to take away Royces' accomplishments because of that difference. You can talk about how Royce didn't evolve with MMA, but Royce also was the one who forced the evolution in MMA. Which do you think is more important, guys who change with the game or guys who change the game? I don't like Gracie... But I agree 100% with Rudo here... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RavishingRickRudo 0 Report post Posted April 26, 2008 That makes me wonder something. Who has impacted the sport? We know Royce made submission skills (BJJ for the most part) absolutely essential, but will Anderson Silva be known for making Muay Thai the striking style of tomorrow in MMA? Who was the first guy to just gas people out and show how important cardio is? I couldn't tell you who -on the international scene- did this first, but Maurice Smith vs. Mark Coleman was probably the first fight that I've seen that had cardio as a weapon and strategy against the opponent. Marco Ruas brought leg kicks as an offensive weapon early-on. I wouldn't say Anderson isn't doing anything that others separately have done before - Sakurai was plum fucking Frank Trigg in 2000, and I'm sure at IVC events it was going on as well. What Anderson is doing is forging a legacy on dominance and skill, rather than through innovation. It's hard to change the game at this point, since most options in fighting have been explored. Now it's just a matter of perfecting. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Niggardly King 0 Report post Posted April 26, 2008 Best all around fighter right now between BJ Penn, GSP, and Anderson Silva? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mik 0 Report post Posted April 26, 2008 That's a tough one. Anderson best striking, GSP best takedowns/wrestling, BJ has the best overall ground game. Anderson also has a very good BJJ game, GSP can do everything well, and BJ has serious knockout power. I would rank Anderson as the #1 pound for pound fighter right now but in terms of best all around I would put him 3rd behind those two. So it would come down to BJ vs. GSP and I really feel like they both excel at standing and the ground. BJ has recently rededicated himself to being a world class fighter and GSP has some psychological issues so I give BJ the nod by the thinnest of margins. 1) BJ Penn 2) GSP 3) Anderson Silva Distance between all three picks; very little. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RavishingRickRudo 0 Report post Posted April 26, 2008 BJ hasn't really delivered the wins that GSP and Anderson have. GSP doesn't take punishment as well as BJ or Anderson. Anderson's takedown defense is lacking, and when he gets down to the ground he can get controlled. It's a tough question. Rich Franklin's lastest... Fans often ask me what I think about as I walk towards the octagon and enter. I never really have a good answer. However, this time, in Montreal, I particularly remember what I was thinking. I approached the octagon and acknowledged my wife, Beth. I then automatically looked for my father, who often sat nearby in the front row. But, of course, he wasn’t there. During my Seattle training, I was largely able to keep my mind off my father’s recent passing. While my corner men removed my shirt and warm-ups, and Stitch put Vaseline on my face, the emptiness created by my dad’s death made it difficult for me to focus on my task at hand. Although the training phase helped to keep my mind off of him prior to the fight - it’s those involuntary thoughts that catch you off guard. I hugged my corner men a little tighter than usual. Keep Striving, Rich Franklin Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hawkius Maximus 0 Report post Posted April 26, 2008 I had an original post that I was going to post until I noticed the question wasn't "Best fighter" but "Best overall". The best overall fighter of Silva, Penn & GSP is GSP without a doubt. There's nothing that man cannot do when he puts his mind to it. Penn's right after GSP when he's motivated, but Silva's not too far behind. ...Because I wrote it up, I'll do the original post too! Anderson Silva's the best fighter in the world right now...Atleast until Fedor starts fighting regularly this year and we can gauge his skills once again. He's decimated every person put against him. There's really no one left in his division that he hasn't mauled outside of Okami. Both BJ Penn and GSP still have some people in their divisions. There's almost no one left in the wasteland that is the MW division. I don't think Silva has anything right now he has to "prove". He's killed strikers, he's killed wrestlers, and he's killed submission fighters. He's destroyed every style he's faced. Guy is a god right now. I'd put GSP right below him...I still have a question mark in my head that GSP won't be complacent again having reached the mountain top. If he fights at the level he has for Koscheck, Hughes & Serra, then he could beat Silva for the #1 title. Penn's hard to gauge. Because he's only been fully "motivated" for a couple fights now. He has natural talents above almost anyone else, and he looked like a goddamn murderer against Pulver and Stevenson, so Sherk will be a deciding fight for him. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mik 0 Report post Posted April 26, 2008 Yeah - if we were talking best overall pound for pound I'd probably exactly reverse my three. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mik 0 Report post Posted April 27, 2008 Travis Lutter released by the UFC. One miracle armbar escape away from being back in title contention. Funny how that works. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Youth N Asia 0 Report post Posted April 27, 2008 Lutter needs to fight some smaller shows and get back into fighting shape Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Youth N Asia 0 Report post Posted April 27, 2008 Lutter is only 2-4 or 2-5 in the UFC as it is Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lt. Al Giardello 0 Report post Posted April 28, 2008 But Mike Goldberg said he was the Michael Jordan of BJJ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RavishingRickRudo 0 Report post Posted April 28, 2008 He meant the Michael Jordan of BJJ in Michael Jordan *at the time*, not in terms of legacy or peak or anything. MJ today isn't close to being one of the top basketball players, nor was he when the comment was made. It ain't Goldies fault you be misinterpretin. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lt. Al Giardello 0 Report post Posted April 28, 2008 He meant the Michael Jordan of BJJ in Michael Jordan *at the time*, not in terms of legacy or peak or anything. MJ today isn't close to being one of the top basketball players, nor was he when the comment was made. It ain't Goldies fault you be misinterpretin. Are you stoned? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RavishingRickRudo 0 Report post Posted April 28, 2008 Ironically enough. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lt. Al Giardello 0 Report post Posted April 28, 2008 Back on topic... Lutter has always been an underachiever as Lei Tong has pointed in the past. He should've took his hot mexican wifes advice awhile ago, and quit MMA. Stick to teaching BJJ and grappling tournaments, because as a MMA fighter he cant make it to the top level if he doesn't have the desire to have a gas tank. Or atleast make an effort to become a decent striker. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RavishingRickRudo 0 Report post Posted April 28, 2008 Psh. Lutter just needs to ixnay the ararmbay and continue with GnP. Coulda finished both Silva and Franklin if he didn't take their bait. Truly a Washington Wizards move, ironically. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mik 0 Report post Posted April 29, 2008 It appears as though UFC 87 is going to be co-headlined by Huerta/Florian and Lesnar/Coleman. Sign me up. Meltzer made an offhand comment in an article about Bisping that Franklin/Henderson is scheduled for later in the year. Now that's an interesting bout. My early gut says go with Dan. We all know how over-rated Dan's teammate, Matt Lindland, thinks Rich is and I'm sure Dan agrees. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lord of The Curry 0 Report post Posted April 29, 2008 Fun fights but horrible headliners. UFC is banking on the hometown boys on this one. Come to think of it, those are probably the two worst main and co-main events since UFC 72. Oh, and FUCKING KANG. FUCK. Goddamn it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hawkius Maximus 0 Report post Posted April 29, 2008 So we're not doing spoiler tags for DREAM since it's airing in the US soon? If not, I SHALL GIVE THOUGHTS. If someone wants me to use tags, I will. Missed the first two fights...Aoki beating JZ was a surprise. DONGER IS UNSTOPPABLE~! 4-4 now, on a four fight win streak. The PRIDE theory of throwing fighters in against gods = Clearly working with Donger. Galesic impressed the fuck out of me with his ground skills...Isn't he the guy that Takimoto submitted rather easily once the fight hit the ground? He showed off some skillz here. Ronaldo Jacare was ssssssssssccaaaaary. Poor Ian Murphy. He was just completely overmatched. I don't know who Ian Murphy is...but I wonder who he pissed off to get that fight. Tamura vs Funaki I actually missed most of it. I did see the finish...Tamura finished him with hammer blows. Don't see that all that often. I dunno what the fuck Kang was thinking leaving his head out there like that...Maybe he didn't think Mousasi had good submissions. If so, he was WRONG. Sakuraba/Nakahara was surprisingly good. Sakuraba clearly thought he'd entertain the fans with standing...but then quickly realized that was a BAD IDEA. Sakuraba couldn't get him down, but once he did and got side mount, he eventually got one of the sickest subs I've ever seen. It was like a Rear Naked Neck Crank...It looked like he was going to *KILL HIM*. Overall good show...It being on at 1 AM here on Tuesday was no fun though. Out of the people left in the MW GP, I'm backing Sakuraba, DONGER or Jacare. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lt. Al Giardello 0 Report post Posted April 29, 2008 Fun fights but horrible headliners. UFC is banking on the hometown boys on this one. Come to think of it, those are probably the two worst main and co-main events since UFC 72. Oh, and FUCKING KANG. FUCK. Goddamn it. I can't see those fights being the actual main fights for the card... I'd expect a title fight, they usually make a big deal out of summer PPV's. I think maybe Silva Vs. Okami, Nogueria Vs. Mir(provided they are not the next TUF coaches), or maybe even GSP Vs. Fitch. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lt. Al Giardello 0 Report post Posted April 29, 2008 I knew Mousasi was going to win... I always thought Kang was overrated. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mik 0 Report post Posted April 30, 2008 No need to spoiler tag the DREAM bouts. Only a small % of us here care about the grand prix and I doubt any of us who do were going to make it Monday to Friday without getting something spoiled. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mik 0 Report post Posted April 30, 2008 http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseacti...ideoid=33284462 "You are the boss or you are the bitch." "WHO WANTS TO KNIFEFIGHT ME IN THE AUDIENCE? Cowards!" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lord of The Curry 0 Report post Posted April 30, 2008 Doerkson cut by UFC. No surprise there but he'd be a very solid pickup for EliteXC at the moment. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lord of The Curry 0 Report post Posted May 1, 2008 So, I hate everything Kevin Iole from Yahoo! Sports writes but the article he has on MMA Junkie is about the money UFC makes and pays and he mentions that unless Elite XC pulls a big rating on the debut CBS show they'll be out of business within the year. Anybody else hear this? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hawkius Maximus 0 Report post Posted May 1, 2008 From what I know of the CBS/Elite XC deal, is that CBS bought into the company in some form. They have a vested interest in seeing it pay off, which is why they've been running ALOT of ad's during their main programing. During Big Brother by the end, you were pretty much sure to see one Elite XC ad per episode. Survivor as well of late, so I figure that extends to pretty much every major show they have. I don't think one bad rating will seal the deal for Elite. What will do it, is if they fail to increase or get any further with the deal. If Elite pops a low 2.0 for their first show, but the second one dips to a 1.4? Then they could be in trouble. However, if it goes UP to a higher 2.0 or more? They should be fine. If I had to guess, I'd say Elite will be in the 2 range for their debut. Hardcore's should tune it (Because there's really no reason not to unless you hate anything non UFC), and they SHOULD attract the casuals given how much their putting into it. It's gonna be a test to see how big of a name Kimbo Slice really is, because this show is almost entirely being sold around him. There's not much else on this show, although Lawler/Smith should be fun. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lord of The Curry 0 Report post Posted May 1, 2008 Chuck will lose his shit if this show does well. Keep hatin', turn Kimbo into a monster. Also, I don't see Baroni/Villasenor sucking for some odd reason. Joey usually turns in a good performance win or lose. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites