UFC signs NCAA champ Phil Davis

Do you realize how the small the gap normally is between a guy who is 1st or 2nd in the world and a guy who is 10th or even 20th? VERY SMALL. So small that it really makes no difference when this guy is going into MMA against guys who (obviously other than other top wrestlers) aren't anywhere near that caliber. There are plenty of times that a World Champ will lose to a guy who isn't even ranked... or that a guy will win his way through to a world title by winning every match by 1 or 2 points. Those guys are all World Class. Also, you have to realize that NCAA is Folkstyle (Collegiate) wrestling.... and World Competitions are in Freestyle or Greco-Roman. It isn't always an easy transition. Most Top wrestlers are going into other career paths and don't have the time to devote their lives into training all day every day into Freestyle or Greco... so just because they don't do it... doesn't mean that they aren't world Class talent. It simply means that they are following their other career path... or in this case... going into MMA.

 

Henderson is a multiple time olympian, that is world class; you don't have to win the gold medal to be world class. Joe Warren is world class. Trigg did do a lot of international tournaments.

Lindland didn't get his spot on a technicality, he thought the guy who beat him used an leg technique, the court agreed, Lindland won the rematch. Head to head Henderson did pretty well against Lindland, so it's hard to argue that one is world class and the other isn't.

 

Everything you have written has elements of truth. It also means much more because you were a serious and from what I gather relatively successfull folkstyler. However the crux of your arguements really stinks of sour grapes.

1) There is far more than a 1-2 point difference between the #1 and #10 ranked wrestlers in a given weightclass. Let alone a #1 Internationally ranked wrestler and some guy who could not even make the U.S. traveling squad. Which is the case I am making in this thread.

2) So if International style was American folkstyle, then Josh Koscheck would have went to the Olymics and defeated Bouvasia Satiev.

Please spare me the tiresome and inevitable Brandon Slay reference.

3) According to you American folkstylers take other career paths rather than take on the rigors of day in and day out training in FREESTYLE and GRECO-ROMAN. So that explains why the U.S. is performing so poorly on the International scene.


Americans are pound for pound #1 excuse makers. UNDISPUTED!

 

Henderson was a bad example but when he competed the U.S. had stronger teams.

I never implied that only medalists should be considered elite. However, contrary to what many of you are taking from my posts, there is a large gap between a wrestler who consistantly medals in International competitions and one who may not even be top five in his own Nation.

Again: Linland competed when the U.S. has stronger teams and did earn his spot on the Olympic team by challenging a technicality, just as I suggested.

 

Bottom line.....
MMA fighters with strong base in folkstyle wrestling much more sucessful than fighters purely trained in freestyle wrestling................

 

You aren't putting this in the right frame of mind. A big difference to the top notch wrestlers is one thing... the point is that it is basically NO difference when putting either of the two examples against a guy who is relatively green at wrestling. I think that you are underestimating exactly how great at wrestling you have to be in order to be an NCAA Champion. Take Tommy Rowlands for example. The man is an absolute BEAST and definitely a world Class wrestler... yet falls short in his bid for the Olympic team.

 

I understand your point(s) and do comprehend how good one must be inorder to become an NCAA champion. Rowlands is a prime example. Sure he is a beast, as you suggested. However, I have seen him look more like a perfunctory, throw dummy against guys such as Taymazov.

 

Yeah!!! Because so many Olympic champion freestyle and Greco practitioners go into MMA....atsch

 

A great example of my point as well though. Tommy Rowlands is a very good freestyle wrestler... but will NEVER be as great in Freestyle as he is in Folkstyle. Tommy's biggest strength is his speed, and agility for his big size on his takedown shots. All of that changes in freestyle as you must know. You have to give up on a takedown much quicker, and you can't always commit on penetrating through due to the danger of being scored upon under freestyle rules. Also, escaping becomes much different under freestyle as well, due to the fact that you have to belly down and flatten out on bottom. I think that Folkstyle is a much more practical fighting base than freestyle is. However, I think that Greco is a very good fighting base too.

 

Fair enough!:good

 

Folkstyle emphasizes controlling one's opponent once the match goes to the mat (riding points are awarded in collegiate wrestling) far more so than freestyle or greco....Controlling one's opponent is a great skill to have in MMA...:yep You don't agree with these points?

And do you really think the US wouldn't be a lot stronger in olympic wrestling if they subbed folkstyle for freestyle?