What happens when a fighter loses is edge?

[yannick35]

I was just watching the Pride Absolute Open Weight GP, and Cro Cop was a beast.

He defeated all of is opponent in brutal fashion.

I really don't know what happened when he came to UFC, some people will say he did not train in a cage? but what difference does it make.

I mean he had such an amazing takedown defense, yet in is last UFC fight he got taken down so easy by Schoulb. (sorry for mis spelling is name).

I wonder what happend to many of theses fighters, like Wandy, Crop Cop and even Fedor who seemed to have lost there edge over the years?

Looking back Crocop was king in 2006, but what could have happened in such a short period of time for him to lose everything like this?

Watching is fight against Minowa is like watching a different Crocop, like the one in UFC sparring with Frank Mir?

[Hunter]

By the time pride was absorbed by the ufc lots of pride fighters were past there prime. Strikers like wand and crocop have a limited life span, grapplers tend to take less damage and have longer fighter careers.

Fedor is getting old and you couple that with his m-1 managment who keeps him on the shelf for to long and you get a rusty fighter.

Sometimes a single fight can change a fighter. Silva was never the same fighter after that brutal ko by mirko. Herring was never the same post mirko. Even Gsp isnt the same fighter after Serra beat him. For some fighters it makes them a better fighter and for others it doesn't

[yannick35]

Well i didn't feel Fedor lost any of is edge, he did everything right in all is last fights, even both ones he lost, he was still very fast. When Crocop entered the UFC is was a totally different fighter then when he fought in Pride OWGP, in the OWGP he went at it full blast with no hesitation on is part.

[The Rock!]

I don't think a fighter ever really loses his "edge", I think a fighter can be sidetracked and even put off by new coaches, new environments and even the results of his last fight.

I suffered a horrible knockout once (my coaches said that they actually thought that I was dead!) but I trained harder and for my next 6 fights I went undefeated (the 7th I lost on points). I took the loss and refocused myself, I found my weaknesses and my strengths. Now, put my in the actual UFC with the lights and 30,000 screaming fans well then I may be a different fighter. I might be in "awe" of where I am. No matter what you read or hear someone say, its totally different when you're actually out there competing compared to being a 'beast on the mats' in your school. Some people can't adjust! Think of fighter who do well in Japan, but suck once they hit US soil.

[yannick35]

I hear ya The rock i competed in kyokushin karate and tae kwon do when younger, a loss in any kind of way can be devastating, a knockout even worst.

I competed for fun, good thing and never took things to seriously.

[MastaMan]

i think brain damage can make a fighter less coordinated in his attacks and less intelligent in the way he fights which could lead to the impression that he has "lost his edge."

[MIKE_XXL]

He hangs out with Chuck and Ken....

[xavierlafleur]

I lost my "edge" when my first son was born and I realized there are more important things in life. This happens to a lot of fighters.

[stang]

time to retire or pick a new sport