How would prime GSP, Jones and Silva do in their respective divisions today?

Davidjacksonjones said:
Do you think Jones will ever be surpassed
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Also sorry but I think that thread is so basic, cause I believe there are people that did threads like this, asking about "How the GOATs of their divisions would do in today's divisions"? yes, they'd do well or maybe become champs, but when some fighters surpass them, those fighters, sherbros and the fans won't see that the previous GOATs would beat these new GOATs, like, if Izzy surpasses Silva, fans will say that "prime for prime, Izzy beats Silva" same thing with if Khamzat surpasses GSP at WW, or Ankalaev at LHW with Jon, Sergei or Gane with Fedor at HW...etc.
 
Hima Hamrash said:
Also sorry but I think that thread is so basic, cause I believe there are people that did threads like this, asking about "How the GOATs of their divisions would do in today's divisions"? yes, they'd do well or maybe become champs, but when some fighters surpass them, those fighters, sherbros and the fans won't see that the previous GOATs would beat these new GOATs, like, if Izzy surpasses Silva, fans will say that "prime for prime, Izzy beats Silva" same thing with if Khamzat surpasses GSP at WW, or Ankalaev at LHW with Jon, Sergei or Gane with Fedor at HW...etc.
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Fair point
I got this thread idea from the other thread asking about how Izzy would do in previous MW division, and thinking of all the hypothetical matchups
 
ragreynolds said:
GSP and Jones would be champions. Silva I'm 50/50 on. I'm not sure if he beats Izzy.
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Agreed. Do you see any of them losing to anyone in the top 12? Or would they just be unbeatable and break all sorts of title defense records
I am certain Jones would not lose to any of the LHW fighters in this era
 
ragreynolds said:
GSP and Jones would be champions. Silva I'm 50/50 on. I'm not sure if he beats Izzy.
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Izzy is the fighter that has the chance of surpassing Anderson Silva at MW, and once he does that, fans will discuss that even if the 2 fought prime for prime, Izzy still wins cause Silva wasn't in his prime when he fought Izzy and also Izzy still hasn't hit his prime/best version when he fought Silva.
 
GSP wrecks any WW in mma history. And for the foreseeable future. Well, 50-45 anyway.

The other two.. ASTERISKS.

So I don’t give a fuck.
 
I was expecting to come on here and cut up some people with my rapists wit, but everyone seems to be answering correctly.
 
Izzy will always be one of the tougher matchups for Andy, style-wise.
Jones would dominate.
Usman would have been a tougher fight for Georges than Leon, imo. But Georges would probably still be champ.
 
Silva and Jones reigns supreme. I think GSP too. But if this was 3 years ago, that Usman vs GSP would be fireworks. Jones does Jones things. Silva is a more dynamic Izzy with better power. GSP and pre- head kick Usman is a toss up for me.
 
The biggest issue for all 3 guys is the USADA testing. Drugs/IVs were just part of the sport back then. From the contenders to the champions; I firmly believe majority of the roster was trying to cheat. The company also turned a blind eye since it's the athletic commissions that administered the drug test during fight night. UFC doctors were the ones that birth the notion of TRT for certain fighters. Currently there is still cheating going on but it is definitely not the good old days anymore.

I believe today's division will be tough for GSP. Smaller weight classes tend to improve faster than heavier ones. 170ers nowadays all know how to wrestle and they also know how to get back up. They also use the cage to their advantage now. The guys are banned from using IV but they are rather big nowadays. Dieticians and nutrition got a lot better recently. They rehired professionals that refined the process down to a science. I also believe GSP has a decent fight IQ and will try to improve his skillset using today's advantages.
 
Davidjacksonjones said:
Agreed. Do you see any of them losing to anyone in the top 12? Or would they just be unbeatable and break all sorts of title defense records
I am certain Jones would not lose to any of the LHW fighters in this era
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Im not even a Jones fan like you are but this era right now... it is WAY worse than him beating Shogun, Rampage, Machida, Evans, Vitor, Bader, Gus, Glover, DC Back to back to back...

shit prime DC would be champion today... Shit... Machida would be champion today... Shogun could be champion today... Jon would have no issues with todays top 10 in his prime....
 
Those aren't the only old champs that would be champs today.

I know it is nice to think of today's advantages and assume everyone is now better, but that just doesn't pass the smell test.

They did the same wrestling, kickboxing, BJJ back then. Does new training methods mean fighters are better now? Nope. It means it is advantageous if you are a new MMA fighter and don't know how to train for it. There is a path to get there sooner through standardized training that is specific to the sport which didn't exist then. Back then, you had to find your way or find trainers that understood a new sport. Does that mean older fighters weren't better? Not at all.

What I see with the current sport is that low to medium level guys are better trained and more well rounded. As far as the top 5-10 guys in the division compared to older times? I think the sport has devolved at the top; this is indisputably true at HW and LHW, and you could make a fair argument that it is true in other weight classes. LW has two guys and the rest really suck, so we can't even make a sweeping generalization that lower weights are better in the top 10.
 
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PRIME versions would probably still be champion of their respective divisions.

I don't see guys with the skill set to handle a *prime* GSP. Maybe a prime Usman or Colby are the likeliest threats, but GSP beats both IMHO. Everyone else is too vulnerable to the TD and/or deficient in other areas that GSP would exploit.

Coked up delinquent partier Jones still beat everyone. A prime Jones is without peer...period.

A quick review of 'matrix Silva' highlights should squash most doubts. Silva and Izzy, both in their primes, could be quite a fight
 
Anderson is the only one I'm iffy on and I'd still favor him. He's absolutely better than that field of competition overall, but Izzy is a tough style match up for him. Before anyone starts in on how they've already fought and it was close, I think Izzy is much better today than he was then.

Prime Jones and GSP I'd bet the farm on. GSP would have been a tougher pick when Usman was champ.
 
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