- dean lister invited to adcc; looking for fedor

[Palma]

Tuesday, March 17, 2009 - by Damon Martin - MMAWeekly.com

After requesting a release from the UFC earlier this year, middleweight Dean Lister will look to go back to his roots. The California native has been invited to compete in this year's Abu Dhabi grappling tournament as confirmed to MMAWeekly.com by the fighter's management team at Haymaker's Empire.

Lister is a former Abu Dhabi champion, winning the Absolute Divisional championship in 2003 and then returning to the tournament to win super fights in 2003 and 2005.

While it has not been decided which weight class Lister will compete in, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and former U.S. Sambo champion is considering a move to the weight class that will be occupied by top MMA heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko, who is expected in the tournament this year.

Lister commented to MMAWeekly.com that he sees Fedor as "a great challenge and would jump at the opportunity to compete against him."

The former Abu Dhabi and King of the Cage champion will also stay in consideration for a super fight if any of this year's competitors are unable to compete.

While nothing has been signed, Lister is also still fielding several offers to continue his MMA career. "The Boogeyman" has stated that he's simply focused on training and improving for MMA, while working on his goal of winning the Abu Dhabi tournament this year.

Currently Lister is in Japan helping his friend, Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal, prepare for his upcoming bout in Sengoku, before returning home to focus on his next step in the MMA or grappling world.

[jakkups]

I'd be interested to see Fedor compete at ADCC. His submissions are very basic yet effective in MMA much like Nogueira's. I wonder how he would hold up against some real submission wizards.

[Move BRICKS™]

I'd be interested to see Fedor compete at ADCC. His submissions are very basic yet effective in MMA much like Nogueira's. I wonder how he would hold up against some real submission wizards.

I think he'd get pretty far in the tournament. Pretty pumped to see him compete, I think he could take the cake.

[Palma]

I think Fedor will do very well. I would not shocked if he won his division. His submission skills are underrated big time.

[Move BRICKS™]

Fedor's hips are ridiculous. What he can do from the bottom is unheard of, especially from a heavyweight.

[jakkups]

Yeah but that is in MMA. Completely different set of circumstances in pure grappling. I mean look at Nog/Ricco in Pride, compared to when Ricco tapped Nog at the ADCC.

Tapping guys like Mark Coleman and Mark Hunt, even Hong Man Choi doesn't prove much to me. I still think that if he faced guys like Drysdale, Roger Gracie, Jacare, Lister, even Maia should he choose to go would all be able to take Fedor in a pure grappling scenario. Their skills in pure grappling are pretty much untouchable and among them have ruled the roost for a fair few years now.

[Move BRICKS™]

Yeah but that is in MMA. Completely different set of circumstances in pure grappling. I mean look at Nog/Ricco in Pride, compared to when Ricco tapped Nog at the ADCC.

Tapping guys like Mark Coleman and Mark Hunt, even Hong Man Choi doesn't prove much to me. I still think that if he faced guys like Drysdale, Roger Gracie, Jacare, Lister, even Maia should he choose to go would all be able to take Fedor in a pure grappling scenario. Their skills in pure grappling are pretty much untouchable and among them have ruled the roost for a fair few years now.

I think that Sambo should count.

[jakkups]

He did Combat Sambo which included strikes, which is more like MMA than pure grappling.

[Move BRICKS™]

He did Combat Sambo which included strikes, which is more like MMA than pure grappling.

But the grappling is on a higher plane than MMA. Fedor out-submits almost every fighter in the UFC, Affliction and DREAM. Only the pure submission fighters can surpass Fedor. I think he can do very well in ADCC.

[jakkups]

But the grappling is on a higher plane than MMA. Fedor out-submits almost every fighter in the UFC, Affliction and DREAM. Only the pure submission fighters can surpass Fedor. I think he can do very well in ADCC.

I think he'll do well too, but grappling in MMA still includes strikes. Take it away and you take away a very valuble weapon of Fedors. Put him up against the seasoned grapplers of the ADCC and Mundials in a pure grappling scenario and he'll look very human. Those guys deal with that sort of grappler day in day out. His MMA endeavours have nothing to do with his pure grappling ability.