The athletic ability of current MMA fighters

[J-Dogg]

While watching TUF this season I started to think about MMA in general and the level of athletes that are currently in it.
I read and article about Uriasian Bolt and his record setting sprints, and why has there not been a tall sprinter with such impressive speed in the past?
The author, speculated that the reason we have not, is because of the level of pay, and lack of “dream” to be a world record sprinter.
While Mr. Bolt is winning a hefty pay check on more citizens’ scale, he is poor compared to pro athletes.
How many kids in high school, dream of growing up to be a sprinter? Compared to a NFL wide receiver, a NBA forward, or even a hockey forward, Then compare the pay scale, the scholarship funding.
It made sense, I’m sure there are fast receivers in the NFL, that are currently running the 40 in the low 4 second marks that could only train sprinting, and be as fast as Mr. Bolt. The thing is, they have to work on so many more important aspects of the game, that there actual 40 time is not even close to being the top priority of a top receiver.
Then I thought about TUF, is it weird that the winners of a reality TV show are mostly all ranked in the top 10 MMA fighters in their respective classes after winning the show? And after such few years of training, most TUF contestants are very green.
Skill set is enormously important in MMA, and is more important than your athletic ability. Take Fedor for example, he does not strike you as some physically impressive athlete, but he is devastating in the ring.
At some point though, when you are near the top of the skill set, you have trained to near the skill set of other top fighters, athletic ability comes into play. In MMA athletic ability can take you a long way, GSP comes to mind as someone who uses his physical ability to win. Anderson Silva comes to mind as someone who practices superior skill to win.
So are we honestly seeing the top MMA fighters being the close to the top athletes in the world?
Brock Lesnar comes to mind, he got cut from the Vikings, but is now the 2nd ranked HW in the world?
Could we have a NFL, NBA, NHL version of TUF and have the winner be a ranked player? Or a significant player in each area?
And if you are a top 5% athlete, and you have the option of going into a MMA career and making a few million a year….or making 7 million as a second string defensive end…with a longer career, what do you choose?

[elpropiotorvic]

I choose not to fight

[Brown Ninja]

Great post. Makes perfect sense

[roid_rage]

To be able to run fas, and catch a ball doesnt mean you will have the heart that takes to be a fighter.

Brock lesnar, despite his athletic skills, can fight. You can bring in a whole number of NFL players, even more athletic than Brock, and they will get their asses kick.

Of course athletic ability is important, but in terms of fighting, there are more things to consider than being able to run fast and catch a ball.

[quarry206]

I think that does have a point, I think in some ways it is using extreme examples. I think that learning how to fight MMA and be top level takes a long time of training. Lesner came into MMA with a very strong base of wrestling so he can't be used as an example.. and Usain bolt is so fast I doubt anybody could train to be him. but the theory is true about people naturally training to be an elite sprinter. Bolt himself is actually above the human curve of growth and speed according to scientist.

but it is a good point people train for what they do. and some people can or could handle a different sport or event if they would have spent the same amount of time doing so. . . . think about it, how many people ever try or practice as a young age to be a place kicker in football. I do believe if more people trained to do it that we would have alot more qualities kickers. (just an example)

all and all MMA is a new sport. the UFC the most people know is only 10 years old. and in sports terms that is extremely young. so now that it is main stream you will see more and more younger kids and younger people training to compete in the sport. adding to the level and over all adding to the quality of people in the sport.

[J-Dogg]

I can certainly agree to fight MMA, you need the heart. It's easy to beat a guy, that does not want to be there. You have to have that desire to be there, to want to win. But I also feel, about any sport is like that.

Some people have natural athletic ability, natural strength, naturally faster reflexes. Rampage is a good example, he's stated before, he HATES to train, and that's why he tries to put a whoopin on his opponet. He has some wrestling back ground, but even as a younger fighter, he won off athletic ability and just raw strength, hence all the slams.

The sport is very young, and I'm sure we will see the sport evolve at a fast rate too as more and more young guys dream of being a MMA fighter. But it will always be a tuff career choice.

As far as Mr. Bolt.....Calvin Johnson ran the 40 in like 4.21.....and he's not training to be a sprinter.

Bolt ran the 100 meter in 9.58 I think? The first 40 yards are going to be the slowest I would think, cause of the accelleration. And a meter is .94 yards. So it works out to about 37 meters in 4.21 seconds. I belive Randy Moss and Deion Sanders, along with quite a few other NFL players run the 40 in sub 4.3's. I think those guys could train to sprint a few years and cover the other 63 yards faster than they cover the first 37 yards....that would make them faster than Bolt.

[neuncPlaill]

lol i mean it was freaking horrible, Strikeforce will never make it, i mean fedor has 2 fights and then i think he goes to UFC and fights lesnar and retires, Fedor got heavy butt hands, i think he has a good shot to beat lesnar if he stands up and fights him, lesnar only chance is to smother him and put all his weight on top of them and uses his big butt frame and strenght and athletic ability. It would be the best fight in MMA history and break all the records in MMA history and that fight right there would bring MMA to big time heights.

[J-Dogg]

lol i mean it was freaking horrible, Strikeforce will never make it, i mean fedor has 2 fights and then i think he goes to UFC and fights lesnar and retires, Fedor got heavy butt hands, i think he has a good shot to beat lesnar if he stands up and fights him, lesnar only chance is to smother him and put all his weight on top of them and uses his big butt frame and strenght and athletic ability. It would be the best fight in MMA history and break all the records in MMA history and that fight right there would bring MMA to big time heights.

Sadly, it would probably not be the biggest draw in MMA history.

And what's even worse, is Kimbo/Huston might be a bigger draw.

Lesnar is the biggest draw right now, but Fedor is only marketable to MMA fans and we are rather few.

Some fighters are just REALLY good and not as marketable as other fighters that are NOT as good.

Chuck was marketable, and good in his day, he had a unique mowhawk and head tats. Combined with the KO's, he was really marketable.

Kimbo is, because of his street fighting status on the internet.

Just nothing really unique about Fedor outside of his skill set. A chubby Russian MMA fighter that appears to be very humble, and never looses. A MMA fan is in awe at his ability to win, but a casual fan is not as intrested.

[Brown Ninja]

Let's see how marketable Kimbo is after Houston knocks him out.

[quarry206]

Let's see how marketable Kimbo is after Houston knocks him out.

hell he still is marketable after Seth P knocked him out...

kimbo's fan are die hard and blind about what MMA is...

but for the record I'm not hating on the man, if he is making a killing and with no talent i'm not going to hate on him for making his money.... but damn the dumb ass fans that think he is the next coming of Christ or something.

[yannick35]

Professional inspiring athletes need a back up plan, that is why staying in school is so important.

I used to play hockey in the street with Jocelyn Thibault when i was younger in my teens, Jocelyn was for a while the goaler for the Montreal Canadians, don't know where he has at right now since i am not a hockey fan, but has i do remember he had a back up plan and all he did was play hockey and study. He was good enough to be drafted and given a chance with the Montreal Canadiens, but if is dream of becoming a professional hockey player would not have happened he would have done something else.

That is the mistake most of the people now a days who want to be MMA fighters, pro wrestlers and more, most of them dream a lot, they train a lot too but some of them will never get noticed.

You also have to have some contacts in the biz to at least get a chance.

Lesner got into UPW, he had all the tools to get in there, has Cena, Randy Orton and most of the top guys in WWE today, UPW is the little pond where Vince recruits is new talent. So right there Brock has some contacts, then for the Vickings well most people knew who he was so he got is shot, and has far has MMA goes well he was money in the bank and a sure draw.

[Brown Ninja]

I don't think Kimbo is completely talentless but I do feel like he is super overrated. He seems to be eager to learn and have a great work ethic but I think he is getting in way over his head. Hell, I hope he wins but I see it as highly unlikely

[quarry206]

I don't think Kimbo is completely talentless but I do feel like he is super overrated. He seems to be eager to learn and have a great work ethic but I think he is getting in way over his head. Hell, I hope he wins but I see it as highly unlikely

Well I can't lie I love watching him fight. there is something fun about watching a bar room style fighter....thats why I do defend him when people talk shit about him.

I just think its funny when people were going on and on about him being a great heavy weight MMA fighter, or that he was going to run through TUF..