UFC Fight Island 7-18-20. Need some picks!

[Blackshirts BLVD]

You’re gonna have me YouTubing old fights.

Some of those are significantly holder than others, but ALL are worth it in my opinion lol.

 

[SteelersPride]

Some of those are significantly holder than others, but ALL are worth it in my opinion lol.

Ha I’ll look A few up later.

 

[CitySushi]

I like GSP. He makes my MMA Mt Rushmore. GSP, Fedor, Anderson Silva.... then either Liddell or Jones. I think Jon Jones is one of the best P4P fighters of all time and he has cleaned the LHW division like none other... including Liddell. BUT, Liddell much like the other fights I mentioned (Fedor excluded) helped bring MMA into the lime light and get mainstream attention and acceptance.

With that said, my fav fighters are/were...

Anderson Silva - admittedly his showboating bothers me, but he paid for it against Weidman.
Rich Franklin - coolest, nicest, classiest guy ever.
Frankie Edgar - dude just has incredible heart and his fights are usually very entertaining.
Gegard Mousasi - to me he was just always an under the radar guy that never got the respect he should have. Unfortunately, my hiatus occurred during his stint in the UFC... now I am back watching consistently and he isn't in the UFC any more lol.

If forced to pick only one, I would have to go with Franklin. So much respect for the nicest guy in MMA.

I'm newer to MMA than most die hards. I only really started watching around 2014 or so and picked up from there so I missed a lot of the classic fights and pretty much all of GSP's. The first UFC fight I ever saw though was Forest Griffin vs. Stephen Bonnar on TUF1. I saw some Chuck Liddell fights here and there and thought he was a beast. But I was the type of casual back then that didn't appreciate a ground game at all so if two guys weren't absolutely swinging for the fences I didn't care.

At what point do you consider Khabib for a Mt. Rushmore position? How many more fights would he need to establish himself up there?

My favorite fighters in no particular order:

Max Holloway - Love the swag and just the fighter mentality. Doesn't have the power, but the accuracy and pace he puts on is ridiculous.
Justin Gaethje - just an exciting guy to watch fight.
Rose Namajunas - So technical with her striking and footwork. It's crazy to watch her move in the octagon.
Dustin Poirier - Just seems like a really good dude and easy to root for.
Khabib Nurmagomedov - most dominant fighter I've ever seen by a landslide.
Conor McGregor - glad he got his money, but it's a shame for the sport he didn't stick to MMA and keep active. peak Conor was an absolute beast. Still, if he fights, I'm watching.

 

[Blackshirts BLVD]

I'm newer to MMA than most die hards. I only really started watching around 2014 or so and picked up from there so I missed a lot of the classic fights and pretty much all of GSP's. The first UFC fight I ever saw though was Forest Griffin vs. Stephen Bonnar on TUF1. I saw some Chuck Liddell fights here and there and thought he was a beast. But I was the type of casual back then that didn't appreciate a ground game at all so if two guys weren't absolutely swinging for the fences I didn't care.

At what point do you consider Khabib for a Mt. Rushmore position? How many more fights would he need to establish himself up there?

My favorite fighters in no particular order:

Max Holloway - Love the swag and just the fighter mentality. Doesn't have the power, but the accuracy and pace he puts on is ridiculous.
Justin Gaethje - just an exciting guy to watch fight.
Rose Namajunas - So technical with her striking and footwork. It's crazy to watch her move in the octagon.
Dustin Poirier - Just seems like a really good dude and easy to root for.
Khabib Nurmagomedov - most dominant fighter I've ever seen by a landslide.
Conor McGregor - glad he got his money, but it's a shame for the sport he didn't stick to MMA and keep active. peak Conor was an absolute beast. Still, if he fights, I'm watching.

Yeah I used to be a big ground game guy. That is actually why I mentioned the Grove vs Herman fight. To me, it was an exciting display of ground game. It was the Forrest/Bonnar of a ground fight lol.

As for Khabib... its tough. It depends on how you think about Mt Rushmore. I personally choose to think about it in terms of the guys that brought the sport to where it is and with that said, Couture should probably make the list as well. I will tie him with Liddell, but just talk about Liddell lol.

So I say, GSP - undeniable WW GOAT. He was the Star Wars of the WW... that is to say he was WELL ahead of his time. In one of Rogans fights he says something to the effect of GSP being the first true MMA fighter, a guy that is good everywhere and Joe was right about that.

Anderson Silva - a truly dominate champion that cleared the MW division like no one had ever seen and is such dominate fashion. You knew Anderson Silva could finish any fight if he really wanted to. He also made jumps to LHW and beat some solid guys there too (Griffin/Bonnar both included). He was the UFCs "finisher" fighter. Silva garnered so much attention and respect that ESPN and other orgs took notice and said 'wow, this dude is killing people'.

Liddell/Couture - There were noticable steps taken that brought mma to the forefront of getting mainstream acceptance. Anderson Silva took it and put it in the center of attention, but Liddell took it from human cock fighting and made people think and wait to pass immediate judgement. Liddell was the step 2 to Silvas step 3. He was also a long running champ that in his time was as dominate as anyone, beating Ortiz twice, Sobral twice, Couture twice... may not seem like it now, but those guys were the cream of the crop at one point and he finished them all twice - all 4 of Liddells title defenses were TKO/KO finishes.

Fedor - I mean the dude is arguably the greatest of all time. A silent assassin. The guy has a dad bod, on the light side of the HW division and he WRECKED everyone. If you take away the doctor stoppage from his first "defeat" then the dude went undefeated for 9 straight years and 32 fights. He was a wolf in sheeps clothing. Very unassuming, but in the end he beat the likes of Randleman, Herring, Sobral, Arona, Big Nog x2 (technically 3 times), Coleman, Cro Cop, Hunt, Lindland, Sylvia, Arlovski, Rizzo, Mir, Sonnen, Rampage.

And those are just the names that most casual viewers may have heard of. He has fought the whos who of the HW division during his time and he did it all while weighing around 230-240, on a 6 foot frame with a 76inch reach. He was so incredible that everyone wanted to see him lose just to know he was human... until he did lose, then it didn't feel right lol. It was like no... no, you were supposed to be invincible. Honestly, just thinking about Fedor in his hey day brings a nostalgic smile to my face. The dude really was living terminator.

If you have not watched Fedor before, I STRONGLY recommend watching the Randleman or the Cro Cop fights. Those fights he is actually put in someone problematic positions lol.



If you choose to think of this in terms of greatest of all times... then of course that lends it to be the more modern fighters - headlined by Jon Jones. My problem with Khabib is that his striking isn't great at all. The dude is a monster on the ground, but since his striking isn't great, I feel like someone can absolutely catch him right now. If Khabib comes out and outstrikes Gaethje, my opinion may change. But I don't see Khabib trying to so that, especially with how Gaethje looked completely otherworldly with his striking against Ferguson. If Gaethje strikes like that against Khabib, we may have a new champ, but he will certainly need to stay off his back. Another thing with Khabib is he has made his name with guys nearly the tail ends of their careers. RDA, Iaquinta, Barboza will not sniff another title shot. Poirier I think is one win away from another shot (maybe 2), but if he loses, Idk how many more chances he will get.

 

[Gatorchip]

A replay of Liddell vs. Jardine on UFC unleashed is what got me to start watching. Two big goofy looking dudes, that can barely walk, just knocking the shit out of each other. Loved it.

Not the best fight, but it's the one that made me start watching.

 

[CitySushi]

Yeah I used to be a big ground game guy. That is actually why I mentioned the Grove vs Herman fight. To me, it was an exciting display of ground game. It was the Forrest/Bonnar of a ground fight lol.

As for Khabib... its tough. It depends on how you think about Mt Rushmore. I personally choose to think about it in terms of the guys that brought the sport to where it is and with that said, Couture should probably make the list as well. I will tie him with Liddell, but just talk about Liddell lol.

So I say, GSP - undeniable WW GOAT. He was the Star Wars of the WW... that is to say he was WELL ahead of his time. In one of Rogans fights he says something to the effect of GSP being the first true MMA fighter, a guy that is good everywhere and Joe was right about that.

Anderson Silva - a truly dominate champion that cleared the MW division like no one had ever seen and is such dominate fashion. You knew Anderson Silva could finish any fight if he really wanted to. He also made jumps to LHW and beat some solid guys there too (Griffin/Bonnar both included). He was the UFCs "finisher" fighter. Silva garnered so much attention and respect that ESPN and other orgs took notice and said 'wow, this dude is killing people'.

Liddell/Couture - There were noticable steps taken that brought mma to the forefront of getting mainstream acceptance. Anderson Silva took it and put it in the center of attention, but Liddell took it from human cock fighting and made people think and wait to pass immediate judgement. Liddell was the step 2 to Silvas step 3. He was also a long running champ that in his time was as dominate as anyone, beating Ortiz twice, Sobral twice, Couture twice... may not seem like it now, but those guys were the cream of the crop at one point and he finished them all twice - all 4 of Liddells title defenses were TKO/KO finishes.

Fedor - I mean the dude is arguably the greatest of all time. A silent assassin. The guy has a dad bod, on the light side of the HW division and he WRECKED everyone. If you take away the doctor stoppage from his first "defeat" then the dude went undefeated for 9 straight years and 32 fights. He was a wolf in sheeps clothing. Very unassuming, but in the end he beat the likes of Randleman, Herring, Sobral, Arona, Big Nog x2 (technically 3 times), Coleman, Cro Cop, Hunt, Lindland, Sylvia, Arlovski, Rizzo, Mir, Sonnen, Rampage.

And those are just the names that most casual viewers may have heard of. He has fought the whos who of the HW division during his time and he did it all while weighing around 230-240, on a 6 foot frame with a 76inch reach. He was so incredible that everyone wanted to see him lose just to know he was human... until he did lose, then it didn't feel right lol. It was like no... no, you were supposed to be invincible. Honestly, just thinking about Fedor in his hey day brings a nostalgic smile to my face. The dude really was living terminator.

If you have not watched Fedor before, I STRONGLY recommend watching the Randleman or the Cro Cop fights. Those fights he is actually put in someone problematic positions lol.



If you choose to think of this in terms of greatest of all times... then of course that lends it to be the more modern fighters - headlined by Jon Jones. My problem with Khabib is that his striking isn't great at all. The dude is a monster on the ground, but since his striking isn't great, I feel like someone can absolutely catch him right now. If Khabib comes out and outstrikes Gaethje, my opinion may change. But I don't see Khabib trying to so that, especially with how Gaethje looked completely otherworldly with his striking against Ferguson. If Gaethje strikes like that against Khabib, we may have a new champ, but he will certainly need to stay off his back. Another thing with Khabib is he has made his name with guys nearly the tail ends of their careers. RDA, Iaquinta, Barboza will not sniff another title shot. Poirier I think is one win away from another shot (maybe 2), but if he loses, Idk how many more chances he will get.

Yeah, I tend to think of Rushmore's as the best and not founders of the sport so to speak. I agree it's always easier to lean with the newer fighters because of recency bias, but also an uptick in just overall skill as well. It's like Basketball when trying to compare past generations to the new ones. It's almost impossible to determine. Matt Hughes kind of paved the wave for wrestlers, and now we're seeing them dominate the sport like Khabib, Usman, Cain, DC, etc.

I've seen Fedor fight, but not prime Fedor obviously. I've seen all of his Bellator fights, which is not the dominant fighter he once was, but I've always heard of him revered as the GOAT HW. I'll try to check out some of those fights. I've heard about the one with Cro Cop, but never have seen it.

I'll try to check out some of the other fights you recommended. Appreciate the knowledge you're dropping here and I'll definitely try to watch as many as I can when I get a chance.

 

[Blackshirts BLVD]

A replay of Liddell vs. Jardine on UFC unleashed is what got me to start watching. Two big goofy looking dudes, that can barely walk, just knocking the shit out of each other. Loved it.

Not the best fight, but it's the one that made me start watching.

Everyone joked about this being Jardine back in the day

Want to see a crazy KO, go watch Keith Jardine vs Houston Alexander. lol

 

[Gatorchip]

Everyone joked about this being Jardine back in the day

Want to see a crazy KO, go watch Keith Jardine vs Houston Alexander. lol

Yeah, I think I've seen most of his fights. I pulled for the guy... not really sure why. He pretty much lost every fight after Liddell, but he was so goofy I wanted him to win.

 

[Blackshirts BLVD]

Yeah, I tend to think of Rushmore's as the best and not founders of the sport so to speak. I agree it's always easier to lean with the newer fighters because of recency bias, but also an uptick in just overall skill as well. It's like Basketball when trying to compare past generations to the new ones. It's almost impossible to determine. Matt Hughes kind of paved the wave for wrestlers, and now we're seeing them dominate the sport like Khabib, Usman, Cain, DC, etc.

I've seen Fedor fight, but not prime Fedor obviously. I've seen all of his Bellator fights, which is not the dominant fighter he once was, but I've always heard of him revered as the GOAT HW. I'll try to check out some of those fights. I've heard about the one with Cro Cop, but never have seen it.

I'll try to check out some of the other fights you recommended. Appreciate the knowledge you're dropping here and I'll definitely try to watch as many as I can when I get a chance.

Jordan > Lebron



Fedor > Miocic
Silva > Adesanya (yes, I know Israel beat him... the older, past his prime Silva)
GSP > Khabib - I know they are different weightclasses, but at this point in the sport, Khabib will need to move up or down to cement a legacy.

Yeah I don't like the "best" method, mostly because it questions too much. It is basically a P4P list and I feel like Mt Rushmore is something that should be more indelible. That isn't to say that Jon Jones or Khabib couldn't make the list in the future, hell I already said that I almost put Jones on mine now.

But yes, Fedor/CroCop is a pretty sweet fight and one of the few times I thought Fedor was actually hurt.

 

[Blackshirts BLVD]

Yeah, I think I've seen most of his fights. I pulled for the guy... not really sure why. He pretty much lost every fight after Liddell, but he was so goofy I wanted him to win.

After getting KO'd by Houston and Wandy, his chin became a big issue. He wasn't able to take as many shots as he could before. He was a gatekeeper to essentially fighting top 10 contenders during his day lol.

 

[CitySushi]

Jordan > Lebron



Fedor > Miocic
Silva > Adesanya (yes, I know Israel beat him... the older, past his prime Silva)
GSP > Khabib - I know they are different weightclasses, but at this point in the sport, Khabib will need to move up or down to cement a legacy.

Yeah I don't like the "best" method, mostly because it questions too much. It is basically a P4P list and I feel like Mt Rushmore is something that should be more indelible. That isn't to say that Jon Jones or Khabib couldn't make the list in the future, hell I already said that I almost put Jones on mine now.

But yes, Fedor/CroCop is a pretty sweet fight and one of the few times I thought Fedor was actually hurt.

100%

I'm not arguing any of those guys were better than the predecessors. And for damn sure Lebron is not better than Jordan. Facts, lol.

I have limited information, but I think based off of everything I've heard from those in the MMA game the top 4 would have to be GSP, Fedor, Silva and Jones.

 

[Blackshirts BLVD]

100%

I'm not arguing any of those guys were better than the predecessors. And for damn sure Lebron is not better than Jordan. Facts, lol.

I have limited information, but I think based off of everything I've heard from those in the MMA game the top 4 would have to be GSP, Fedor, Silva and Jones.

And that is a tough Mt Rushmore to argue against. Jon Jones has done to the LHW division what Silva did to the MW division, only difference is Jones personal troubles and that the sport was pretty well accepted and established by the time he became a big deal. But he is basically undefeated, 1 loss came from illegal elbow DQ from a fight he was already dominating before hand.