Would Bas Rutten and Chuck Liddell survive against the top 10 current UFC MW or LHW champions?

As well as John L. Sullivan would do against modern heavyweights.

Pioneers are best left to fantasy match-ups versus other pioneers.

 

Idk. LHW is not exactly a talent stacked division, neither is HW for that matter. I'm not sure the L Sullivan comparison is apt here tbh IB. The current LHW champ arguably lost to a blown up MW in Thiago Santos and the HW top 10 has none other than Derrick Lewis in it. I think prime Bas and Chuck would hold their own today but probably fall short against the elite.

 

I admittedly don't have deep knowledge (more like barely any) of today's scene at either weight in MMA - but yeah I was thinking either against Cormier, which...nah. With the skillsets they had they wouldn't be nearly as evolved as they'd need to be.

Now, give Chuck or Bas a medalling NCAA division I, freestyle and Greco-Roman pedigree, and...that changes things.

(I know Iceman dabbled in college, but...not the same)

 

I think both would crack the top 10 of their respective divisions. But yeah. Especially in the case of Bas get steamrolled by the elite. So it's not totally hopeless for them h2h but they would have a much tougher time.

 

It's impossible to say as they wouldn't be the same fighters if they existed in the modern MMA landscape due to the evolution of the sport.

Bas Rutten was pretty much crocked by the time he was a UFC fighter anyhow and he still made it.

Chuck could only hit and kick hard, really. If he came up somewhere like A.T.T nowadays, I don't see why he wouldn't be a more rounded fighter.

But, if I invent a time machine and travel back and borrow prime Lidell and prime Rutten and take those versions to Fight Island they are getting submitted in minutes.

 

Bas I think would do better, saying that, Chuck fought men that were more well rounded than himself and still knocked them out. I think they’d struggle but if they come around later they’d have more to their game and more than likely be the top boys at some stage,

 

Liddell had exceptional takedown defense, if he could keep it standing I dont see why he couldnt make the top 5.

 

I think they'd both do very well. Rutten at his best had both exceptional and clean striking, and quite an evolved ground game. His only real problem was getting taken down rather easily. Liddell was on the other hand quite hard to take down and had very heavy hands for his size. There has been no major evolution in the last 10-15 years in MMA that would invalidate their skillsets.

 

As has been said, Chuck had solid takedown defense.... and if he can keep it standing he is a live dog with anyone.