In the old days it was even worse though, there were guys like Art Jimmerson, a cruiserweight boxer who knew nothing about submissions and was tapped out in the first round before he could land a significant blow. Do you remember Tank Abbot? That guy would be hard picked to find guys he would be competitive against today (if we could have a hypothetical prime Abbot vs. these guys). There were only a handful of guys who could fight on the ground as well as today's guys.
I agree that Royce, Severn, and Shamrock would be threats to todays UFC guys but they were the minority in those tournaments. A lot of those guys were sumo wrestlers and traditional martial artists who wouldn't last a round with today's guys.
Still the early UFC's were a lot of fun, especially the second one. I just disagree about the skill level of the fighters. I think there was a handful of guys who were very good but the rest were cannon fodder who offered little more than size, strength, and in some cases, striking power.
I do not see 90% of the early UFC guys hanging with a Tito Ortiz or Lidell. Let's not even get into the Pride guys like Fedor who I think could have crushed even Royce Gracie.
I agree that Royce, Severn, and Shamrock would be threats to todays UFC guys but they were the minority in those tournaments. A lot of those guys were sumo wrestlers and traditional martial artists who wouldn't last a round with today's guys.
Still the early UFC's were a lot of fun, especially the second one. I just disagree about the skill level of the fighters. I think there was a handful of guys who were very good but the rest were cannon fodder who offered little more than size, strength, and in some cases, striking power.
I do not see 90% of the early UFC guys hanging with a Tito Ortiz or Lidell. Let's not even get into the Pride guys like Fedor who I think could have crushed even Royce Gracie.
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