The light heavyweight division exactly 10 years ago

[mkt]

I honestly think the ryan bader of this time would be champion pretty easy

View attachment 1041644

MW was better too, Same with Welterweight.

Bader was likely to chinny. He got finished 5 times during his prime years in the UFC. I'll grant that it's possible, depending on match-ups and circumstances. But he wouldn't hold the belt long if he won it. Poatin, Jiri or someone would find his chin, as always happened.

 

[Pequeño Corey]

lol at couldn't threaten with subs. Am I talking to Stevie Wonder?

View attachment 1041691

Tell you what, lets make a deal. You state out loud here that elevation played no part in Cain losing to Werdum and I'll do the same for Jan, allowing you to win the argument. However, if you can't do that you are a hypocrite.

Look I can do that too



And yes, Cain lost because Werdum was peaking while he was on the downturn. Sea level Cain is a mythical fighter and generally regarded as an epic cope by Cain fans, much in the same way you’re sitting here advocating for sea level Blachowicz as an Alex hater. I hate that I have to explain this, but at sea level, Alex would also be fresher, and he would have more pop on the feet. Sea level Pereira puts Jan’s lights out imo. Jan lost because he wasn’t the better fighter on that night and didn’t have the grappling advantage to execute his game plan. Alex was also tired, man. That altitude Affects both guys equally, unless, of course, you’re from the mountains or do your camp at altitude. Werdum showed up a few weeks early, iirc. But that’s still not quite the same as doing your whole camp there.

 

[Rum that Chimay-Leffe]

On that list I would favor over Pereira:

Jones, Gus, Glover, Davis, Evans, DC, Rumble, Bader, and possibly Chael (past prime MW)

No,

He would have smoked every one of them besides Jon and DC.

Maybe the Gus who went to war against Jones and Cormier would give him a hard fight standing.

 

[Bones The Goat]

Dam Jones beat 10 outta 15 of those fighters could of been more if it wasn't for suspensions

 

[DC23]

That LHW division will still be spoken about in 40 years that’s how good it was.

 

[RockyLockridge]

Bader was likely to chinny. He got finished 5 times during his prime years in the UFC. I'll grant that it's possible, depending on match-ups and circumstances. But he wouldn't hold the belt long if he won it. Poatin, Jiri or someone would find his chin, as always happened.

but by who? The the only bad opponent he lost to was Tito the Rest were champs and contenders.

 

[mkt]

but by who? The the only bad opponent he lost to was Tito the Rest were champs and contenders.

That's immaterial. But yeah, a very washed Tito and a slighly-washed, post-champ Machida who was an average-sized MW both finished him. Plenty of LHWs in recent year hit hard enough to finish him as well.

 

[filthybliss]

How does it stack up to today?

View attachment 1041633

Imo this is the one division I don't think you can argue has improved over time.

waaaaay better than now. any of top 10 guys including Rumble and Vitor would be genuine title contenders today or champions.

a spicier take would be arguing the era of chuck, tito, machida, rampage, etc. was better which I would agree with.

 

[Van Daz]

How does it stack up to today?

View attachment 1041633

Imo this is the one division I don't think you can argue has improved over time.

I think LHW was better back then than it is now & same goes for HW. Heavier weights have gotten worse, whereas the lighter weights appear to be getting better. The women's weights are also getting more skilled. I do miss the older days, but appreciate how things have changed & still love MMA.

 

[Ludwig von Mises]

Which of those names would you bet on Alex to beat?

Almost none

He wouldn't win 3 in a row in that era.

 

[kuroro]

Juiced Jones*

and juiced chael is only #7. your point?

 

[FrappeDuRocma]

The same Jon Jones who arguably lost to Reyes and Santos, in his prime ?

 

[HI SCOTT NEWMAN]

It was so much better at that time, much better fighters. I can barely think of any 2024 LHWs in UFC who would get on that list

 

[blaseblase]

No,

He would have smoked every one of them besides Jon and DC.

Maybe the Gus who went to war against Jones and Cormier would give him a hard fight standing.

Gus wrestlefucked Jan, he would have his way with Pereira. Rumble had high level wrestling as well and was arguably the P4P hardest hitter of all time. Davis has the wrestling and an iron chin. Glover was a better fighter in his mid 30s than the chinny 41 year old version of him that became champion. He's also Pereira's wrestling coach ffs. Bader could easily get KO'd but also could wrestlefuck Pereira if he committed to a ground attack. Hard to tell how that fight would go.

 

[Milenkovic]

This was when the downward slope of the LHW was starting. Not to say it wasn't great, but it wasn't as good as 5 years earlier, which was the peak of LHW

 

[Pequeño Corey]

You're missing Rumble, who must have just arrived at LHW. He'd be a very tough opponent for Alex

Crazy Stat about Rumble at LHW

I posted this elsewhere, but thought it was worth its own thread. Rumble KO'd Glover, prime Gus, Bader and Little Nog (who was coming off wins over Tito and Rashad) in less than 5 minutes if you count all the fights. You could fit all that in a single round. Put another way, that's 4 KO/TKO's...

forums.sherdog.com

That’s a wet dream matchup. I consider Rumble the hardest hitter ever at LHW, but AP is definitely up there. I guess that fight would come down to who lands first.

Maybe an unpopular take but I think late Glover (before his war with Jiri) was better than 2013 Glover.
His offensive wrestling improved a lot and he learned how to use that old man strength he had to his full advantage.

Nothin controversial about that. I think Glover would have been a champ way sooner if it wasn’t the bones era, but yea, he’s a rare cinderella figure.

 

[Pequeño Corey]

Gus wrestlefucked Jan, he would have his way with Pereira. Rumble had high level wrestling as well and was arguably the P4P hardest hitter of all time. Davis has the wrestling and an iron chin. Glover was a better fighter in his mid 30s than the chinny 41 year old version of him that became champion. He's also Pereira's wrestling coach ffs. Bader could easily get KO'd but also could wrestlefuck Pereira if he committed to a ground attack. Hard to tell how that fight would go.

Gus panick wrestled Jan because he was getting pieced up on the feet. DC famously clowned him for it on the MMA hour after Gus called him out. This was very dismissive of Jan, which is why I rejoiced when Jan ko’d DC’s buddy Luke.

 

[Pequeño Corey]

Well that wasn't my claim, both weren't close

Acceptable.

 

[Bones The Goat]

I count it regardless

oh yeah, i was counting just mma
forgot about the submission of dan henderson

 

[blaseblase]

Gus panick wrestled Jan because he was getting pieced up on the feet. DC famously clowned him for it on the MMA hour after Gus called him out. This was very dismissive of Jan, which is why I rejoiced when Jan ko’d DC’s buddy Luke.

Ahh yes, the guy who claims Pereira surviving a rear naked choke attempt from Jan and barely scraping by him means he would have beaten other wrestlers. Jan is a striker who learned how to wrestle. Gus is a striker who learned how to wrestle at a higher level than Jan. And fighters like Jones, DC, Rumble, Glover, Bader, Davis were a level above that.