The greatest thing about MMA is, that it's a privilege to be a fan.

If Henderson was a boxer who would he be?

Im thinking Hagler

 

I think we are on the arse end of the 1st 'Golden Age' of MMA. Roughly 01, to 11. Before that you could concieveably call it the NHB days

We are lucky indeed. I look forward to taking my low ****** tolerance to MMA Classic forums in 40 or so years time, telling them bout the good ole days and calling the young whipper snappers ******s

Well...I think Im doing that now

 

Im not as optimistic.

The Golden Age of MMA has already passed. The mere fact that guys like Henderson are still competitive, and even Tito with his win over Bader, Shows quite clearly the gulf in talent and class between the current crop of fighters and fighters from the past.
Almost all of the talent that came in MMA in years gone by came from professional backgrounds and disciplines. They reached the pinnacle of their sport and then made the move into MMA be it Judo BJJ Muay Thai K-1 etc. That is not the case anymore. This has now led to a dilution of the sport.

What we are now seeing is the sport evolve into a new type of martial art. Effectively hybrid wrestling Pancrase style but with full strikes and less subs and none of the pageantry that came with Pancrase. For me the sport has taken a step in the wrong direction. Fights are getting worse to watch. Less exciting fights. Less style match ups. Poor judging. And fighters who now HAVE to win fights by any means for fear of being booted out of the only place they have to make a decent living (UFC).

The stars from yesteryear are getting old. And are not being replaced. Find me a quality heavy of the calibre of Fedor Barnett Nog CC. Even at 205 Rampage Liddell Couture Silva. These men were unique. Their time has passed. But they are not being replaced.

 

I truly believe Hendo would have been a dam good boxer. Chins like that simply don't come around that often. He's like the James Toney of MMA with a chin like that. Hendo has VERY heavy hands. His never been a great striker from a boxiing purist perspective. But apart from may be Baroni Couture and Randleman to lesser degree's he's the only wrestler i can think of that's really blended his wrestling and boxing to meld as one style to such great effect.

 

Had he been put in a boxing gym rather than a wrestling room as a child he probably would have done very well in boxing because he has the two qualities that serve one best in that sport; huge power and a titanium Chin. He's also a hell of an athlete.

 

+1 yea i agree hendo is the man

 

In my opinion this IS the golden age of MMA...

 

Hendo = Ezzard Charles

 

Couldn't agree more.

It's half the reason why I hope Jon Jones continues to do what he does, why I loved watching Anderson sub Sonnen in the closing minutes of the fight, why I hope Cain v JDS lives up to the hype. The amazing things that are happening right now are the things that will be talked about for years to come.

 

You are such a pessimistic mma fan and a buzz kill. The sport off mma is no where near past its prime. There's a guy like hendo in boxing , his name is B-Hop. And as for single discipline theory . What modern fighters are doing is edging out the techniques that are bull**** in an mma fight. Like bobing and weaving. a close grip and wrestling stance , simultaneous leg kicks etc.. gsp is the prototype fighter for what you are talking about. He can box and use a jab . he can kick wrestle (do it all).

And as of late there is a bright future for wrestlers coming into mma. And a new bread of black fighters with wrestling base like these Woodley and overeem's replacement , who competed in the olympics.

 

yea i agree it wasnt me.

 

Im a realist who goes by the facts. Iv been watching MMA long before i arrived on this board and that was 10 years ago. Iv seen MMA blossom. And iv seen the golden age of the sport with the greats who helped make it. Far as im concerned that is gone.
You call GSP a prototype. But where's the GSP from 5 years ago? I want to see that GSP. Not this bull**** Greg Jackson safety first version.

As for new breed of black fighters? Give me a break. Ray Charles wouldn't get excited watching Woodley fight. As for Cormier again big deal. Realistically he's a light heavy with health problems and doesn't really have a style that i find exciting. Id rather watch a janitor mop up **** than watch some of these recent fights in the UFC as they're that boring.

You can be as optimistic as you like. Me il go by the observable evidence. And right now in my opinion it doesn't look good.