Matt Hughes vs. Fedor Emelianko???

[raleights]

[Von Milash]

As tough as Fedor is, I still think Tyson or Holyfield would win the stand-up exchange.

[VictorCharlie]

the whole boxers equal great strikers thing just doesn't compute....Yes I understand that to train in boxing helps ones striking, but to me the styles used by a professional boxer in a boxing match is completely different than the striking styles used by many of the top MMA strikers not to mention being punched with 12-16 ounce gloves is totally different than being hit with 4 ounces or bare fist.

[Von Milash]

that's true, but stand-up exchanges between mma guys are always so much sloppier than between boxers. A boxer would be far tougher to hit with and would connect far more...with 4oz gloves. MMA guys just flail away aimlessly. Boxers strike with far greater precision and control. Remember, I'm only talking stand-up...

[JT Rock]

the whole boxers equal great strikers thing just doesn't compute....Yes I understand that to train in boxing helps ones striking, but to me the styles used by a professional boxer in a boxing match is completely different than the striking styles used by many of the top MMA strikers not to mention being punched with 12-16 ounce gloves is totally different than being hit with 4 ounces or bare fist.

I agree to the casual fan people think that you can teach a Boxer a Few subs and takedowns and they will be unstoppable...People who are avid fans or people like me who train in it or do it understand its a whole other dynamic.

Remember Boxing Equals Punching with the fist only.

MMA striking by defenition is Punching ,kicking, knees, elbows, headbutts(when allowed)etc..

[Von Milash]

All true, but I'm talking purely stand-up, slug it out.

[raleights]

that's true, but stand-up exchanges between mma guys are always so much sloppier than between boxers. A boxer would be far tougher to hit with and would connect far more...with 4oz gloves. MMA guys just flail away aimlessly. Boxers strike with far greater precision and control. Remember, I'm only talking stand-up...

You said it, it's a standup fight with boxers and they have to defend against your hands. It's not that easy to punch at someone gracefully like Roy Jones when you're constantly having to defend the takedowns, knees, legs, not to mention having to look for all those things yourself. Boxers don't fight the same in the street, they're fuckin fools if they do. Noone will subscribe to the rules of boxing in that situation, granted theres great things about boxing that you can use it just has to be modified. Trust me if it was possible to move and punch like Ali or Roy Jones in mma, someone would of done it by now but obviously it's not possible. Look what happend to Vince Phillips, he went to K1 and got kicked in the face - knocked completely out from what I heard. Even though he was older we're still talking about the guy who TKO'd Kostya Tszyu....

[raleights]

I see what you're saying though standup only

Even in that instance I don't see it being that easy to move like a boxer when the other guy is wearing little to nothing for a glove. The 10 ounce or whatever gloves boxers wear make it a totally different world

[Von Milash]

Did anyone ever see Mitch Greene's eye after Tyson popped him? I'll bet nobody, not even Crocop or Fedor or whoever, could have ducked it. Pretty good striking skills, IMO.

Fedor's flailing hands wouldn't touch Tyson. What can I say? I'm convinced of it. He'd HAVE TO take him down, otherwise he'd eat a 4oz bomb in a hurry.

[VictorCharlie]

call me crazy I'd take Chuck, mirko, Wanderlie, Vitor, franklin and fedor in a stand up slugfest against tyson all day long...these are some of the best strikers in the world today and their striking is by no means sloppy...

[Von Milash]

ok, I will. Crazy. Especially for saying Chuck, Wanderlei and Franklin. Tyson would frikking KILL them. Like boys fighting a man. The only guy with a hope would be Fedor. Tyson was the hardest strikier in the world.

[VictorCharlie]

those guys would pepper him from the outside tie him up on the inside then bomb him out with knees and elbows...Tyson is the most overrated fighter ever

[Von Milash]

Over-rated? Now I've heard averything. lol

Again, croCop and fedor I'd give a chance to simply because they are tough and talented, but the others, Tyson would break his fist on them before they got a shot in.

[Emelianenko]

Fedor = Complete fighter
Tyson = Boxer

Theirs a huge difference between the two.

[VictorCharlie]

Over-rated? Now I've heard averything. lol

Again, croCop and fedor I'd give a chance to simply because they are tough and talented, but the others, Tyson would break his fist on them before they got a shot in.

man it seems like this is discussed weekly. I have very mixed feelings about Tyson's placement in history. Tyson's wins are against mostly average fighters. Not that this is his fault and not that many fighters(marciano, Louis,holmes etc) don't have the same dilemma in regards to their legacy. I think quite often it wasn't who he beat but the electrifying way he did it. I often ask myself if Tyson was a defensive master who out pointed and embarrassed fighters would we feel the same way? If he was the pernell whitaker of the HW era would he have such a fan base? Tyson embodied what we as fans want in our champion. I think people quite often get wrapped up in the sheer entertainment value of Tyson. His wins over Berbick, Smith, Tucker, Ruddock, tubbs, thomas, biggs etc are impressive in that he cleaned out a division and in the manner he did them but the actual opposition is really just slightly better than average. Tyson has two great wins: the destruction of Spinks and Holmes. Although Holmes went on to several more decent wins I don't think anyone will argue that he was the same man who himself had cleaned out a division. And I don't think we will ever know why spinks gave such a sorry performance. The biggest problem with grading Tyson's career is that his "prime" was so short. He didn't face any truly good HW's in their prime until late in his career. Obviously Tyson's management decisions and personal demons had a lot to do with his decline as a fighter, but this is a part of who Tyson was as a fighter. He simply didn't have the dedication and focus of other great HW's. I look at him alot like Bowe. They both had all the skills to be ATG's but couldn't capitalize. I don't judge Tyson's career after the Lewis fighter b/c it was obvious he didn't care. That being said whether or not he came in poorly prepared he was beaten soundly by douglas, holy, and Lewis. Great fighters rise to the occasion and Tyson didn't. When he met fighters who weren't intimidated, were bigger, had a decent jab and could back him up and tie him up he was definately frustrated. Tyson is one of the greatest power punchers ever, and arguably the most exciting fighter ever. He will stand as an icon in boxing of what might of been, but in my personal oppinion not an all time great fighter and hugely overrated. All that being said Chuck turns his lights out...the guy doesn't have the mental makeup to handle a real fighter who isn't afraid of him. KO early in the second if he doesn't quit between rounds