Are there any fighters who you think could have reached the top of the tree in MMA but didnt, or did do but didnt stay there as long as you may of expected?

Mark Kerr should have ruled for ever and a day but didnt. Those who've seen the Smashing Machine doc will understand why.

Shogun Rua could maybe have been as dominant as any MMA fighter if it wasnt for his injury setbacks.

Big Nog would have been considered the best Heavyweight of all time, maybe even the best MMA fighter if it wasnt for the introduction of Fedor.

How much better could Pedro Rizzo if he would have had more aggression?

BJ Penn, already a MMA legend. But if he could have kept up his cardio levels all throughout his career who could of touched him?

All these are obviously debatable

Any thoughts? Or any additions?

BJ Penn definitely comes to mind. His camp consists of a group of yes men, who laugh at his lame jokes and don't push him to his limits. If BJ ventured out of Hawaii and went to ATT or XC, he could be great. But as long as he's chilling in Hawaii half-assing his training he's never going to be an elite fighter. I see Florian beating him and in doing so completely ruining his legacy.

Shogun is still young he has a lot of years ahead of him and he just starting to get back in the swing of things. It sucks he's being thrown to Machida so soon. I would've liked to see another tune-up fight. But I'm still going to be rooting for him, I love Shogun.

If Cheick Kongo would have developed his TDD and Ground Game a little earlier, he would be UFC HW Champion by now.

If Matt Hughes could have been a lot more dominant had he had a respectable stand-up game.

For me it's Tom Erikson. He was without doubt the best fighter in the HW division during 96 and 97. The guy was a legit champion wrestler, had vicious hands which could end your night in one blow, and he had a very good submission game as well. But what he suffered from was the fact that knowone wanted to fight him because he was so dangerous. So when that happened he went back to coaching wrestling for 2 years before getting a call from PRIDE in 99 to fight Gary Goodridge. Even though he had won that fight he wasn't the same guy. He'd put on some extra weight which had been detrimental since his athletic ability was what set him apart from other HWs his size. And quite frankly the inactivity is never a good thing and after that fight it would be a year before he would fight again, and then after that another year to the point where he was just too old and not as fit as he once was.

Another would be Vitor Belfort. The Phenom was the perfect name for him because he was seemingly invincible up until Randy Couture got in there with him. Then after that he became tentative and unwilling to engage with anyone who could withstand that initial burst of energy. Then when he seemed to be back on the up and up his sister is kidnapped right before his UFC LHW Title match. Then from this point up until 2007 Vitor was just plagued with inconsistency and steroid use which I think was directly linked with not knowing where his sister was or whether she was even alive. Fortunately for him those responsible have been dealt with and Vitor seems to have got on the right path again. I'm sure Couture taking him under his wing and having him train at XC has helped.

BJ Penn definitely comes to mind. His camp consists of a group of yes men, who laugh at his lame jokes and don't push him to his limits. If BJ ventured out of Hawaii and went to ATT or XC, he could be great. But as long as he's chilling in Hawaii half-assing his training he's never going to be an elite fighter. I see Florian beating him and in doing so completely ruining his legacy.
Shogun is still young he has a lot of years ahead of him and he just starting to get back in the swing of things. It sucks he's being thrown to Machida so soon. I would've liked to see another tune-up fight. But I'm still going to be rooting for him, I love Shogun.

If Cheick Kongo would have developed his TDD and Ground Game a little earlier, he would be UFC HW Champion by now.

If Matt Hughes could have been a lot more dominant had he had a respectable stand-up game.

Thats a good point, you could just picture the scene.

Trainer: Mr BJ Sir, do you fancy doing this 8 mile run if your not too busy?
BJ: Nah i will tap dat ass, did i tell you about the story where i ko'd Uno?

For me it's Tom Erikson. He was without doubt the best fighter in the HW division during 96 and 97. The guy was a legit champion wrestler, had vicious hands which could end your night in one blow, and he had a very good submission game as well. But what he suffered from was the fact that knowone wanted to fight him because he was so dangerous. So when that happened he went back to coaching wrestling for 2 years before getting a call from PRIDE in 99 to fight Gary Goodridge. Even though he had won that fight he wasn't the same guy. He'd put on some extra weight which had been detrimental since his athletic ability was what set him apart from other HWs his size. And quite frankly the inactivity is never a good thing and after that fight it would be a year before he would fight again, and then after that another year to the point where he was just too old and not as fit as he once was.

Another would be Vitor Belfort. The Phenom was the perfect name for him because he was seemingly invincible up until Randy Couture got in there with him. Then after that he became tentative and unwilling to engage with anyone who could withstand that initial burst of energy. Then when he seemed to be back on the up and up his sister is kidnapped right before his UFC LHW Title match. Then from this point up until 2007 Vitor was just plagued with inconsistency and steroid use which I think was directly linked with not knowing where his sister was or whether she was even alive. Fortunately for him those responsible have been dealt with and Vitor seems to have got on the right path again. I'm sure Couture taking him under his wing and having him train at XC has helped.

Two good ones there mate.

I dont now too much about Erikson. But i have seen the Randleman fight and an interview with Goodridge. Goodridge was saying that he was the best MMA fighter out there but for whatever reason, had limited opportunities.

Vitors history with his sister i did not know. As far as his skills go, i thought he was just too reluctant to let his hands go. I think the last time he was at his best was Eastman.

I agree Vitor has always been a mental midget. You never know which Vitor will show up when he fights. It's sad really. He seems to be on the upswing right now, only a matter time before we see him crack in a fight when it's not going his way

For me it's Tom Erikson. He was without doubt the best fighter in the HW division during 96 and 97. The guy was a legit champion wrestler, had vicious hands which could end your night in one blow, and he had a very good submission game as well. But what he suffered from was the fact that knowone wanted to fight him because he was so dangerous. So when that happened he went back to coaching wrestling for 2 years before getting a call from PRIDE in 99 to fight Gary Goodridge. Even though he had won that fight he wasn't the same guy. He'd put on some extra weight which had been detrimental since his athletic ability was what set him apart from other HWs his size. And quite frankly the inactivity is never a good thing and after that fight it would be a year before he would fight again, and then after that another year to the point where he was just too old and not as fit as he once was.

Another would be Vitor Belfort. The Phenom was the perfect name for him because he was seemingly invincible up until Randy Couture got in there with him. Then after that he became tentative and unwilling to engage with anyone who could withstand that initial burst of energy. Then when he seemed to be back on the up and up his sister is kidnapped right before his UFC LHW Title match. Then from this point up until 2007 Vitor was just plagued with inconsistency and steroid use which I think was directly linked with not knowing where his sister was or whether she was even alive. Fortunately for him those responsible have been dealt with and Vitor seems to have got on the right path again. I'm sure Couture taking him under his wing and having him train at XC has helped.

I remember when Erikson almost knocked out Bernardo, STANDING UP. Whenever I think about his fights I really get frustrated, because he must be the most ducked MMA fighter in the history of the sport.

I'm going to have to say that Mirko CroCop should be mentioned. His heart and desire to fight really hindered his career. I remember him saying that he would quit fighting if he didn't earn the championship by defeating Emelianenko. What kind of warrior spirit is that?