Pride Fighters Over-Rated?

In another thread, Chuck asked me the following question:

Originally Posted by Chuck

Do you think the PRIDE fighters were over rated?

I gave him the following answer:

Originally Posted by billwilliams70

Yeah. I was really thinking that Pride had the superior fighters, but it really seems otherwise.

There isn't a single Pride fighter in the UFC now that has made the impact that anyone thought they would. I think that Rampage has had the most success out of all of them, correct me if I'm wrong.

Later.

I thought it would make for an interesting poll and new thread, since the original thread (that the question/answer was posted in) was about Chuck Liddell.

Your thoughts?

Later.

The only one that have had any real success is rampage.

Nog beat tim and looked horrible against herring and mir

Chonan looked horrible against karo.

Henderson lost to page and anderson then beat palaheras and franklin. And the franklin wasn't too clear he really won.

Herring wasn't really up to par in any of his fights.

[Irish Pride]

Anderson Silva was a Pride and Cage Rage fighter. He's doing just fine.

Originally Posted by Irish Pride

Anderson Silva was a Pride and Cage Rage fighter. He's doing just fine.

Silva's last two fights, prior to signing with the UFC in APR 06 were in Cage Rage.

I don't consider him a Pride fighter that came over when Zuffa acquired Pride in MAR 07.

But, that's just me......and my two lincolns.

Later.

[NateR]

Did they even test for steroids or performance enhancing drugs in Pride? That could explain why so many top Pride fighters seemed to hit a wall as soon as they entered the UFC.

generally speaking, yes

[Llamafighter]

I think Crocop is the only Pridefighter to disappoint me in the UFC.Hendo's first two fights were title fights. I wouldn't consider Anderson a Pride fighter either. he only fought 5 times for them.

Originally Posted by Llamafighter

I think Crocop is the only Pridefighter to disappoint me in the UFC.Hendo's first two fights were title fights. I wouldn't consider Anderson a Pride fighter either. he only fought 5 times for them.

I'd put Nog and Wandy in the disappointing categories as well, I still think Fedor would clean out the HW division, but all the other superstars haven't lived up to there potential except for Rampage, but he wasn't considered on the same level as the shoguns or wandy's back in the pride days...I'd say for the most part: overrated

Originally Posted by Llamafighter

I think Crocop is the only Pridefighter to disappoint me in the UFC.Hendo's first two fights were title fights. I wouldn't consider Anderson a Pride fighter either. he only fought 5 times for them.

5 times is enough to call him a pride fighter. people fight in UFC once and they are called UFC fighters.


what about shogun?

I don't think they were overrated, I just think most of them underestimated the difficulty transitioning from Pride to the UFC. Going from no elbows to elbows allowed, from knees on the ground to no knees on the ground, from stomping a downed opponent to not being able to, etc...

The cardio issue with the majority of Pride fighters is what confused me. They were used to fighting a 10 minute first round and I thought their cardio would be as good or better than UFC fighters.

Of course the game plan for a 10 minute round and a five minute round is another issue that could affect the Pride fighters, not to mention getting used to an Octagon instead of a ring and the referees' predisposition to standing fighters up much sooner in the UFC.

We'll see how they adjust as they go on. I think Shogun is going to get killed by Liddell, he's never seemed to figure out how to work on cardio and he'll gas in the first few minutes. If I were Liddell I'd make Shogun defend takedowns for the entire first round, then take him apart standing in the second.

How's that for an extended way to say that I don't think they're overrated, just having trouble adjusting?