If Alexander Karelin entered UFC 1

[Title Fight Productions]

I dont think karelin would have trained in other russian styles. If he had entered UFC 1 he probably wouldnt have scouted his opponents. Shamrock said he didnt care about Royce or his jiu jitsu and thought he didnt look dangerous. I dont think Karelin would have scouted anyone in UFC 1.

Karelin might have done well but he probably didnt know what he was getting himself into.

You don't think Karelin scouted his wrestling opponents? You don't think he would of had all of mother Russia's intelligence agencies behind him?

 

[kintana]

You don't think Karelin scouted his wrestling opponents? You don't think he would of had all of mother Russia's intelligence agencies behind him?

I think karelin scouted his wrestling opponents. I dont think he would scout his UFC opponents.

I seriously doubt there was much info on Royce Gracie, Pat Smith back in the early 90s. I am sure most people in russia at that time never heard of gracie jiu jitsu. Ad it wasn't like he could pop in a video. I doubt karelin would have access to GIA tape.

Maybe he could scout ken shamrock and gordeau but most of the UFC 1 fighters werent really famous.

I just dont think Karelin would have wasted his time scouting these guys. And considering he was the biggest thing in russia he might not have gone to fight for $50,000 dollars in the US. If he did he probably thought the UFC was like a pro wrestling match.

I read in a magazine I think it was blackbelt magazine that some of the people who heard or received info/invitation on the UFC back then didn't really take it seriously.

 

[SBJ]

Same result, Royce wins submission (triangle).

 

[Human Bass]

There is a guy who only train one martial art that would do better than Karelin.

He is 2.05m tall, much taller than Karelin and could thai plum anyone, knows about submissions what we are not as sure in the case of the russian experiment and specially knows how to utilize the opponents gi in his favor. He would be nightmare matchup for Royce.

 

[Jeff Goldblum69]

How exactly would any Gracie get Karelin to the ground when the very best 280lbs+ wrestlers in the world could not? Someone enlighten me on this please.

He wouldn't have... If anything Karelian takes Royce down, Royce hangs on for dear life...Karelian with wrestling only mentality (as this is style v style 1993) gets careless with an arm and either gets armbared or triangled by Royce...

See Severn v gracie

 

[carebear**]

I can't believe all the people thinking Royce or Rickson would beat a prime Karelin..
Do you understand how strong this man was in his prime??
Also lol at people thinking that nobody else in 1993 knew what submission was...
People did train in Judo and sambo back then too.
And I am pretty sure I seen pics of Karelin at a sambo seminar.
And I found this about a UK going to Russia to train Sambo
"SFUKED: I heard Alexandre Karelin was going to be there. Did you have the chance to train with him?
Matthew Clempner: No, unfortunately, he was not there. A very close friend of mine, Konstantin Tinovitsky, Honorary coach of Russia for Sambo, said he was injured. "

So it looks like he do /did train sambo..

Also when Fedor and Alex kids are naughty they scare them with Karelin..
Try story

 

[Title Fight Productions]

See Severn v gracie

or............ See Kimo vs Royce, except Karelin has about 80lbs more muscle, actual has a skill set and doesn't have a ponytail.:icon_surp

 

[BJJ_Rage]

karelin wouldve beat royce, for him to get beaten rickson or someone like mario sperry wouldve need to be representing bjj... too much size and power for royce to deal with.

 

[Thrawn33]

No disrespect to Severn, but he was an ant to an elephant when you compare his wrestling skill and power to Karelin.

I have no doubt he would have won.

 

[Jonas g33k]

There is a guy who only train one martial art that would do better than Karelin.

He is 2.05m tall, much taller than Karelin and could thai plum anyone, knows about submissions what we are not as sure in the case of the russian experiment and specially knows how to utilize the opponents gi in his favor. He would be nightmare matchup for Royce.

Rinner was too young, but in the 90's we had David Douillet (4 times world champion, 2 times olympic champion, weight 276lbs)... He's the same kind of matchup except that he knew how to defend leg attacks

if you want to know more about him http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Douillet

 

[Happy Boy]

Rinner was too young, but in the 90's we had David Douillet (4 times world champion, 2 times olympic champion, weight 276lbs)... He's the same kind of matchup except that he knew how to defend leg attacks

if you want to know more about him http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Douillet

That photo still makes me sad.

Shinichi Shinohara>>>>>>>>David Douillet.

Great misjudgement in sport's history.

 

[User9992]

Karelin never trained striking, BJJ, Sambo or even Judo

 

[StonedLemur]

Karelin never trained striking, BJJ, Sambo or even Judo

You really bumped a 10 year old thread to say that sir?

 

[kintana]

Well this is a "What If" but I think Royce Subs him. Not because I think Gracie Jiu Jitsu or Royce is better than the Experiment. But simply because I am sure karelin has no idea what to expect. Maybe he had sambo training but I am sure he would have gotten surprised by a little skinny guy. So I will do the unpopular choice and say Royce wins

 

[CinemaKingdom]

This was a dumb thread. It's like people didn't learn anything about style vs style back in the day. Being big and strong didn't mean that much. Royce would have won, even quicker if Karelin was aggressive. Ken Shamrock didn't even last 1 minute against Royce the first time and he knew about subs.

 

[Highway99]

If he started cranking on him in guard like this? lol:

Gracie's head would have popped off like a bottle cap..

 

[mattemate]

*fires up the time machine*

 

[Patrick Jane]

Nice Necro. Rickson Gracie got dropped by Nobuhiko Takada during an upper body clinch. He was not exactly a force to be reckoned with in that department.

 

[Smato_rules]

Didn’t mark Shultz get rickson in a cradle for like a half hour? Rickson said that was one of his hardest rolls ever and Shultz only trained wrestling, was not as dominate as Alex, and that was against rickson who by all accounts was much better than Royce.

 

[SandisLL]

Rickson would have killed Alexander Karelin.

Ha ha ha..
Karelin was A level athlete and large for Ricson.
Maybe even was enough skilled how to punch properly....

Karelin in good shape vs Canelo or Floyd or Bet...
It is...Karelin....

It is like you put someone ws unusually disciplined during all year in row Fury...
Ofc with Fury it will not happen.
And under grappling rules Karelin had with 0 doubts devastated .....Fury....Usyk..Canelo...Bet.. etc