Cormier on Josh Barnetts Generation

Extremely difficult to prove that going by the results. Silva is still effectively the same guy he was when he turned pro. Werdums is still one dimensional with his subs. And Dan fights the same way he always. Dudes been durable since he turned pro. Don't see how durability represents evolution though when Dan is clearly an extreme case. Either way fighters in the early days were far more tougher than they are now, Dan being one of the last of that era. So if anything fighters in that respect have devolved.

 

But thats what CC did when he left the K-1 to come to PRIDE and he did it better than anyone else from a pure striking discipline. Matter of fact his TDD was as good as Chucks and Chuck had the advantage of his wrestling background. Equally iv seen CC defend many subs on the mat. Bearing in mind CC's only ever been subbed by Nog id say that was some excellent company.
Brock in his first fight in the UFC got knee barred and classically left his leg out which many veterans called prior to the fight even happening. So where's the evolution?

 

I don't see GSP or Jones as the evolution of the sport. Those guys are prototypes. When GSP first came to the UFC i don't recall anyone tripping over themself in the fashion Jones has shook up 205. GSP was humbled by Hughes and only really arrived after he started putting together a great string of wins vs veterans in his division. Then he utterly tooled Hughes in the rematch and his hype took off.
That said GSP is exceptional in that he truly is a multi-faceted athlete. In that respect he's better than Jones head to head. Because Jones has the benefit of height and length as well as almost Sakuraba-esque style with his unorthodoxy. These guys are the exception. Not the rule. So personally i don't agree at all with this whole evolution schtick.

The only guy who has ever truly looked well rounded, invincible, and light years ahead of his peers was Fedor. Whether it was on the ground or standing you were getting ****ed up. And ****ed up bad. He beat a prime CC on his feet. And beat to **** a prime Nog in his guard. That was evolution as no one had ever -prior to Nog- seen a heavy capable of what Fedor did against top competition bearing in mind Fedor physically never looked like much cop, and was almost always at a disadvantage physically.

 

GSP trained in Karate. That was his primary discipline when he came to the UFC. It turned out he picked up wrestling in camp and simply became so good at it that he once wanted to compete in the 2012 Olympics. Only to dispense with the idea because of UFC commitments. Bottom line is GSP was a VERY different fighter when he arrived in the UFC to what he became. Still watching him tool Hughes in their second bout was one of the best fights iv ever watched. Other than BJ Penn which other fighters have shown exceptional ability at picking up one discipline so quickly? Very very few.