Ok the PI had me thinking, most of the worlds strongest men competetors show amazing strength, power, endurance and agility. If any of these guys trained for a couple years in MMA, would they end up destroying some of the top guys in the heavyweight divisions of pride or UFC?
I mean sure they would have to get skilled, but many of these guys are god damn monsters who might make bob sapp look like a little girl? I mean sapp is big, but he looks more like a bodybuilder. We know these guys can take pain also as many of thier events not only rely on their physical strength but also thier toughness and will.
Arlofski is what 240lbs, some of these guys come in at 300+ and are just as agil as arlofski is. Plus most of thier heads look like kegs, it would probably take quite a blow to knock them out. Just playing here but what does everyone think?
V
They are monsters because they allocate all their resources to be monsters. If they have to add on some significant MMA training, they wouldn’t be the same anymore. As for agility and how they move, that’s very subjective. You simply don’t know how anybody will “move” or react in a very dynamic situation until they do so.
I’ve seen huge guys who cant fight for anything.
I’ve seen skinny guys who can lay the smack-down on almost anyone that isnt a top fighter.
So what gives? Instinct. It’s not all in the training. Sure, you can surpass average easily with training… but instinct will always win out and play a big roll.
Reaction times and reading the situation plays a big roll.
Keeping your cool no matter what, not caring if you get mashed up… some people have it, some dont. I think there are some things to being a great fighter that you just … cant teach.
I doubt they would be top MMA fighters. It takes a lot of mental attitude to be a fighter - to make fighting your life and to be the best of the best.
But thats just what I think.
Vegita, when I see this I can’t help but thinking about Bob Sapp, Tank Abbot etc., who are extremely strong but (arguably) not very successful in fighting sport. They are often out-skilled before they have a chance to use their strength.
And as oriensus said, you can’t just say a strongman + fighting skill(s) = The best MMA fighter, because this formulae means whatever strongman training they are doing + 1.5-2hrs per day of boxing/wrestling/grappling + specific energy system training for MMA etc., which is not going to happen.
Just my $0.02,
Geek boy
well you could say take a mma fighter and start training them like a strong man. someone who is already a hoss to begin with. then u have someone who was a good fighter who is getting stronger and so on. though i think olympic lifts and one hand variations of it are better for a fighter. but thats my one cent worth [ i dont quite make 2 :P]
if an elite strongman had the skillz of MMA and was able to do their shit before the fight became aerobic, strongman would own all. but that prolly wouldn’t happen.
they would be super awesome supreme incredible football linemen, though.
[quote]Vegita wrote:
Ok the PI had me thinking, most of the worlds strongest men competetors show amazing strength, power, endurance and agility. If any of these guys trained for a couple years in MMA, would they end up destroying some of the top guys in the heavyweight divisions of pride or UFC?
I mean sure they would have to get skilled, but many of these guys are god damn monsters who might make bob sapp look like a little girl? I mean sapp is big, but he looks more like a bodybuilder. We know these guys can take pain also as many of thier events not only rely on their physical strength but also thier toughness and will.
Arlofski is what 240lbs, some of these guys come in at 300+ and are just as agil as arlofski is. Plus most of thier heads look like kegs, it would probably take quite a blow to knock them out. Just playing here but what does everyone think?
V[/quote]
Ron H2O Waterman is a strength athlete and would weight about 275-280lbs. Does al the car lifting and log presses with one of those evangelical groups that travel around and break shit. He is not a bad wrestler, but he is slow and gets winded easily. Same with Dan Bobbish, who is cutting down from 350lbs.
A lot of these guys are hugely strong, but they haven’t trained for speed before. They make good, solid wrestlers, but their striking sucks ass.
It’s cool to be hugely strong, but in MMA, you have to be fast as well. I’m not saying you can’t get a huge fast guy; I’m saying they haven’t trained one properly yet.
[quote]Massif wrote:
Vegita wrote:
Ok the PI had me thinking, most of the worlds strongest men competetors show amazing strength, power, endurance and agility. If any of these guys trained for a couple years in MMA, would they end up destroying some of the top guys in the heavyweight divisions of pride or UFC?
I mean sure they would have to get skilled, but many of these guys are god damn monsters who might make bob sapp look like a little girl? I mean sapp is big, but he looks more like a bodybuilder. We know these guys can take pain also as many of thier events not only rely on their physical strength but also thier toughness and will.
Arlofski is what 240lbs, some of these guys come in at 300+ and are just as agil as arlofski is. Plus most of thier heads look like kegs, it would probably take quite a blow to knock them out. Just playing here but what does everyone think?
V
Ron H2O Waterman is a strength athlete and would weight about 275-280lbs. Does al the car lifting and log presses with one of those evangelical groups that travel around and break shit. He is not a bad wrestler, but he is slow and gets winded easily. Same with Dan Bobbish, who is cutting down from 350lbs.
A lot of these guys are hugely strong, but they haven’t trained for speed before. They make good, solid wrestlers, but their striking sucks ass.
It’s cool to be hugely strong, but in MMA, you have to be fast as well. I’m not saying you can’t get a huge fast guy; I’m saying they haven’t trained one properly yet.[/quote]
Yea, a lot of the strongmen don’t have the total package, but a guy like magnus sammulsen is one who I had in mind.
V
Didn’t they just have some kind of sumo wrestling-push-the-other-guy-out-of-the-ring event in the last World’s Strongest Man?
I’d still put money on a MMA fighter who trained strongman, rather than a strongman who trained for MMA. Though, I do remember a talk I had with a strongman competitor/powerlifter up in Boston. He was grappling, and said his opponent couldn’t get any chokes, because he didn’t have a neck. He ended up tapping out on a pressure point technique.
I’d suspect the fair majority of strongmen are lacking flexibility, which would leave them somewhat easier to arm/leg lock.
On the contrary. There were two guys that could do the splits at britains strongest man contest last year. That’s damn impressive.
In fact, it’s amazing how flexible some of these huge guys are.
You know you’re huge when a guy cant get to your neck without wrestling your traps first :o
Edit: sorry, I misread, you said most 
my bad
To say that Bob Sapp just looks like a body builder is just plain silly. In college the man broke his college pull up record, at a weight of 315lbs. He routinely traims like a true lifter, being able to bench about 545lbs. for reps. The only thing that he lacks are more fighting skills. He can throw a hell of a punch, but his kicking sucks, and he can’t grapple very well. If he works on these he could someday be a champion.