World's Strongest Men/Top Weightlifters in UFC and Pride?

[Kane]

I've just thinking the other day. What if those men from the World’s Strongest Men competition were to learn martial arts and become a UFC or Pride fighter? One punch, kick, or throw would be able to really hurt anyone in the competition. These guys can haul 6 cars and lift probably close to 1,500 pounds, maybe even more. One World's Strongest Man whether Champ or Chump are probably 10-15 times stronger than a normal man.



What do you think would happen if these strong men learned a little fighting and joined UFC or Pride? Technique is important, but when you have as much brute strength as a Top Weightlifter or World Strongest Man competitors then how can you go wrong in any fight or MMA?

 

[MJS]

I've just thinking the other day. What if those men from the World’s Strongest Men competition were to learn martial arts and become a UFC or Pride fighter? One punch, kick, or throw would be able to really hurt anyone in the competition. These guys can haul 6 cars and lift probably close to 1,500 pounds, maybe even more. One World's Strongest Man whether Champ or Chump are probably 10-15 times stronger than a normal man.

While they are strong, I'm sure that few if any are 'naturaly' strong. I'm sure that there was a little enhancing done.

What do you think would happen if these strong men learned a little fighting and joined UFC or Pride? Technique is important, but when you have as much brute strength as a Top Weightlifter or World Strongest Man competitors then how can you go wrong in any fight or MMA?

Again, while they are quite strong, that is not going to be the deciding factor. Keep in mind that it takes alot to enter an MMA match. Skill will defiantely be a factor. Are they going to be capable of defending against the strikes, kicks, and takedowns of a MMA fighter??

Mike

 

[ppko]

While they are strong, I'm sure that few if any are 'naturaly' strong. I'm sure that there was a little enhancing done.





Again, while they are quite strong, that is not going to be the deciding factor. Keep in mind that it takes alot to enter an MMA match. Skill will defiantely be a factor. Are they going to be capable of defending against the strikes, kicks, and takedowns of a MMA fighter??

Mike

Not only that but you would also have to look at the stamina issue it takes a lot out of a person that has trained for these fights for years I couldn't imagine those guys would be able to keep up there wind

 

[Makalakumu]

Strength matters. Superior strength in one individual will equalize superior technique in another. When I was competing in various tournaments, I fought in some that had weight classes and some that did not. In the ones that did not, very rarely did anyone small win. This is why ever major competition now has weight classes.

Combining superior strength with superior technique creates unstoppable monsters. I wrestled a 6 foot 6 250 lbs man who had acheived a 2nd dan in jujutsu. I am only 5'10" 180. He not only beat me easily despite all of my training (17 years), but he easily could have killed me. Talk about a humbling experience.

Thank God For Smith and Wesson.

upnorthkyosa

 

[Shogun]

I realixe its a hypothetical question, but here are the problems the would run into:

1. they would have to learn to even throw a punch, which to do effectively would take anywhere from 1 yr. min. to 10 years. although some people are born with the ability to punch and kick precisely and strongly, most arent
2. Grappling; once taken down, it takes not just strength to defend but also flexibility.
3.when would they have the time to train?

regards,
KE

 

[Kane]

I'm sure even without any fighting experience a World's Strongest Man or Top Weightlifter can very much be capable enough to take down a good UFC or Pride Fighter. Technique can only take you so far.

I'm sure if one of those World's Strongest Men or Top Weightlifter got their hands on a MMA fighter he can tear them apart in seconds. I think a very FAST kickboxer would have the best chance. If a kickboxer can keep his distance and avoid being grabbed, followed by some kicks to the knees or head they might be able to take them down.

 

[Makalakumu]

So, what if you were a professional body builder and a MMA enthusiast?

 

[Han-Mi]

I've just thinking the other day. What if those men from the World’s Strongest Men competition were to learn martial arts and become a UFC or Pride fighter? One punch, kick, or throw would be able to really hurt anyone in the competition.

They gotta land that technique first. Even the heavyweight guys are pretty fast in MMA matches, the body builders are so big that they would be slowed just by their muscle. Beside the fact that they don't have the speed training. One last thing to think of is this, I train with a guy that has 100 pounds on me, but I usually beat him in any type of match because my technique is better(I've been training longer) and he has less stamina. These guys would last about 30 seconds.

 

[MJS]

I'm sure even without any fighting experience a World's Strongest Man or Top Weightlifter can very much be capable enough to take down a good UFC or Pride Fighter. Technique can only take you so far.

I'm sure if one of those World's Strongest Men or Top Weightlifter got their hands on a MMA fighter he can tear them apart in seconds. I think a very FAST kickboxer would have the best chance. If a kickboxer can keep his distance and avoid being grabbed, followed by some kicks to the knees or head they might be able to take them down.

Again, it takes alot to enter a MMA fight. While strength is a factor, it is a small factor when you add in the other things that are needed to compete like that.

Also keep in mind that the majority of MMA fighters have trained in boxing and kicking to round out their grappling.

Mike

 

[MJS]

Strength matters. Superior strength in one individual will equalize superior technique in another. When I was competing in various tournaments, I fought in some that had weight classes and some that did not. In the ones that did not, very rarely did anyone small win. This is why ever major competition now has weight classes.

Combining superior strength with superior technique creates unstoppable monsters. I wrestled a 6 foot 6 250 lbs man who had acheived a 2nd dan in jujutsu. I am only 5'10" 180. He not only beat me easily despite all of my training (17 years), but he easily could have killed me. Talk about a humbling experience.

Thank God For Smith and Wesson.


upnorthkyosa

I agree that strength is a factor, but as for equalizing it, I'm not so sure. Look at UFC 7 with Ruas and Varleans. Paul was taller and appeared to be stornger than Ruas, but Ruas' tech. was much more superior than Pauls.

What is the secret to Rickson Gracies success in the ring? I mean, I can't believe that he has never fought people bigger and stronger than him, yet he always comes out on top.

Again, I'm not disputing what you're saying, just simply looking at it from a different point. IMO, when you have people close in skill/strength, I would think it would turn into more of a chess game. Who can out think the other.

Mike

 

[MJS]

Not only that but you would also have to look at the stamina issue it takes a lot out of a person that has trained for these fights for years I couldn't imagine those guys would be able to keep up there wind

Another good point!! Stamina is a huge factor. I don't think that the strong men are training their cardio anywhere near a MMA fighter. Those guys seem to go more for a short distance, such as a sprinter, whereas the MMA fighter is going for distance.

Mike

 

[Makalakumu]

I agree that strength is a factor, but as for equalizing it, I'm not so sure. Look at UFC 7 with Ruas and Varleans. Paul was taller and appeared to be stornger than Ruas, but Ruas' tech. was much more superior than Pauls.

What is the secret to Rickson Gracies success in the ring? I mean, I can't believe that he has never fought people bigger and stronger than him, yet he always comes out on top.

Again, I'm not disputing what you're saying, just simply looking at it from a different point. IMO, when you have people close in skill/strength, I would think it would turn into more of a chess game. Who can out think the other.

Mike

I think that the Gracies and the grappling phenomenon took advantage of loopholes in fighters training. Don't get me wrong. I think these guys have awesome technique...and that is the rub! They have awesome technique AND they are able to take advantage of training gaps. With that, I can see really large people going down to smaller ones. Equal out the training and strength will decide.

I like your analogy of chess. Opponents that are equally matched are looking for tiny mistakes. That is why heavy weight greco-roman wrestling is so fascinating to me.

upnorthkyosa

 

[punisher73]

there are ALOT of assumptions concerning this...

1) World's strongest man (WSM) is not only a single bench press like a powerlifter, he has to carry odd objects for as long as possible in some cases.

2) WSM does not train for looks like a bodybuilder and the assumption he is not flexible is just that, an assumption. I think it is Flex Wheeler who used to do full splits in his posing routines and was also trained in MA.

3) Look what has happened in K-1 (Bobb Sapp) with minimal training has beaten some of their best. He has also lost to guys who where strong AND had good technique. Also look at Tank Abbott in the earlier UFC's he dismantled alot of guys through power alone. Again, he has been beaten though by guys who were strong and had good technique or had good enough cardio to outlast him.

A person who was/in WSM comps and then switched to some basic takedown defense skills and boxing skills (along with cardio) could probably do very well if that was their main goal and trained for it specifically. But we are talking about the best of the best in UFC/Pride etc. and I would take a big strong guy like that over the majority of martial artists.

 

[MJS]

3) Look what has happened in K-1 (Bobb Sapp) with minimal training has beaten some of their best. He has also lost to guys who where strong AND had good technique. Also look at Tank Abbott in the earlier UFC's he dismantled alot of guys through power alone. Again, he has been beaten though by guys who were strong and had good technique or had good enough cardio to outlast him.

Do we know exactly how long Sapp has been training? Tank claims many street battles. That being said, that I'm sure helps him in the ring. He definately has lots of power in his punches. Tanks big downfall is his cardio.

A person who was/in WSM comps and then switched to some basic takedown defense skills and boxing skills (along with cardio) could probably do very well if that was their main goal and trained for it specifically. But we are talking about the best of the best in UFC/Pride etc. and I would take a big strong guy like that over the majority of martial artists.

I would think that the person who makes that switch would need to focus a great deal on the defenses and punching/kicking. Again, entering in these fights is not something that you can just walk into and expect to do well. I mean think about it for a minute. You have wrestlers like Mark Kerr and Coleman who are awesome wrestlers. Their takedown skill is fantastic. That being said, I highly doubt that someone can walk in after 4 mo. of training and defend a takedown from Kerr or Coleman.

As I said before, alot of it is a chess game.

Mike

 

[bignick]

i think the biggest thing is the cardio, as people have mentioned previously...but if one of these strongmen were to seriously start training to fight and retain their strength...you better believe they would dominate...

technique only takes you so far and pure strength takes you only so far...but if you combine someone with that kind of strength who is in good shape and has been training for a while...good luck with them in the ring

 

[punisher73]

I mean think about it for a minute. You have wrestlers like Mark Kerr and Coleman who are awesome wrestlers. Their takedown skill is fantastic. That being said, I highly doubt that someone can walk in after 4 mo. of training and defend a takedown from Kerr or Coleman.

-------

Again, reread all of what I wrote....A person who was/in WSM comps and then switched to some basic takedown defense skills and boxing skills (along with cardio) could probably do very well IF THAT WAS THEIR MAIN GOAL AND TRAINED FOR IT SPECIFICALLY. But we are talking about the best of the best in UFC/Pride etc. and I would take a big strong guy like that over the majority of martial artists.

I added a "but" concerning the UFC/Pride which Coleman and Kerr are apart of the best of the best, and added that I would pick them over the majority of MAers, which I still stick by. Ialso never put a time frame on how long their training was, let alone 4 months for a contest like UFC/Pride.

 

[bignick]

the thing is that a lot of martial artists (myself included) aren't in the greatest of shape...yeah...probably in better shape than the majority of the population of america...but not the kind of shape it takes to fight professionally...look and professional/amature boxers and wrestlers...they're in unbelievable shape compared to a lot of martial artists...

 

[MJS]

I mean think about it for a minute. You have wrestlers like Mark Kerr and Coleman who are awesome wrestlers. Their takedown skill is fantastic. That being said, I highly doubt that someone can walk in after 4 mo. of training and defend a takedown from Kerr or Coleman.

-------

Again, reread all of what I wrote....A person who was/in WSM comps and then switched to some basic takedown defense skills and boxing skills (along with cardio) could probably do very well IF THAT WAS THEIR MAIN GOAL AND TRAINED FOR IT SPECIFICALLY. But we are talking about the best of the best in UFC/Pride etc. and I would take a big strong guy like that over the majority of martial artists.

I added a "but" concerning the UFC/Pride which Coleman and Kerr are apart of the best of the best, and added that I would pick them over the majority of MAers, which I still stick by. Ialso never put a time frame on how long their training was, let alone 4 months for a contest like UFC/Pride.

Yes, I realize that there was no time frame, and I used the 4mos. simply as a figure of speech. I was making a ref. to the comment of basic defense and boxing skill. Sure its possible to learn to throw a punch, but to make it effective, its definately going to take a long while. How long does it take??? I guess it all comes down to the person.

As for Sapp, yes, he's definately a big, strong man, and I'd be interested in knowing how long it took him to prep. for these fights. Did he have a prior MA background? If he did, then it would be easier for him to make the transition to MMA.

Mike

 

[Kane]

People, the fighters in the MMA competion who you guys are talking about are only above average strength. These Worlds Strongest Men are 10-15 times the strength of a normal man. If you were to take 10 full grown men and put them in a box, I'm sure these hugely strong men can lift it over his head.


Yes you do need a lot of guts to enter a MMA competion, but these guys are super human. Heck, these guys might be able to take down animals like leopards, pumas, or even jaguars face to face without too much effort.

Just imagine it. One strike, throw, or even submission hold would break any man in half. Technique can only take you so far.

I think the best tatic for anyone is to stay from a good distance and use strikes.

 

[MJS]

People, the fighters in the MMA competion who you guys are talking about are only above average strength. These Worlds Strongest Men are 10-15 times the strength of a normal man. If you were to take 10 full grown men and put them in a box, I'm sure these hugely strong men can lift it over his head.

And if I took steriods, I'd be "super human" too!!! As I said in my first post, there is only so much strength that one can gain by just lifting weights. That extra strength is going to come from enhancement!!!

Yes you do need a lot of guts to enter a MMA competion, but these guys are super human. Heck, these guys might be able to take down animals like leopards, pumas, or even jaguars face to face without too much effort.

Just imagine it. One strike, throw, or even submission hold would break any man in half. Technique can only take you so far.

Oh no...lets not start turning this into another animal thread. First, the one shot one kill is something that should not be relied on. Technique shouldnt be totally underestimated. Look at Rickson. Again, I'm sure that hes fought guys bigger and stronger and he still comes out on top. People train in the arts to give themselves an edge over the untrained person. If all it took to succeed was hitting the 'juice' then there would be no MA schools open. Everybody, big and small has weak spots.

I think the best tatic for anyone is to stay from a good distance and use strikes.

How can you stay at a distance and still reach with strikes??

Mike