And Im a big country fan for life i called him winning the show after literally the first episode but this redraft is about what theyve done since
Well I guess my entire argument revolves around two things:
1. Roy Nelson's earlier UFC career. The fact that he fought much better competition than Mitrione and had more success.
2. Not really weighing or counting the Bellator runs of either guy that much, or the "washed up" phase of Nelson.
Nelson's early UFC career consisted of: Wins of Schaub and Struve, immediately facing JDS who he went to decision with (prime JDS). Then the loss to Mir wsan't great no, but Mir wasn't completely washed up at this point either. Beat a semi-washed up Cro Cop, lost to Werdum another top tier HW, beat Herman/Mitrione/Kongo in a row.
At this point he was 6-3 in the UFC. I recall Dana White hating Nelson as well, vividly...for being fat or something lol? Ok well his next two opponents are Stipe MIocic and Daniel Cormier (lol) literally the best two HWs on planet earth right now. Loses to both, decision each time. KOs Big Nog who was washed at this point. 7-5 record now.
Then he hits a skid but is still fighting top notch competition in Hunt, Overeem, steroid Barnett. beats Rosholt, loses to Derrick Lewis, knocks out Bigfoot who's probably washed at this point. Loses to Volkov, goes to Bellator where he's been bad. Also everyone else has been clearly on TRT/steroids and it's all old man cripple fights that shouldn't really count for much (Mir, Rampage, Fedor, Mitrione, Nelson, Cro Cop et all).
Nelson's only losses in the UFC came against:
Prime JDS, "still" ~Prime Mir, Werdum, Stipe, DC, Hunt, Pre-USADA Overeem, steroid Barnett. Lewis, Volkov.
Mitrione's best
competition in general: Travis Browne (loss), Ben Rothwell (loss), green Derrick Lewis, Gonzaga (not sure prime or washed).
^ That is my argument. Mitrione might have a "better record" in the UFC but he faced a ton of fringe UFC fighters, cans, and mediocre at best competition, where as Roy Nelson was fighting literally the best of the best.
Swap opponents. Roy Nelson probably goes undefeated during his UFC run and never loses once, or he maybe loses to Travis Browne or 1-2 fights maximum. Mitrione ended his UFC career at 9-5. Nelson ended his UFC career at 9-10. Those records aren't created equal.
Again, if the opponents were swapped I bet Mitrione goes something like 5-14 and Nelson goes 13-2, maybe 14-1. So you can't just look at record. And I haven't addressed Bellator, it counts for something, but does it? I really don't think it should count for much. Does Tito's win over Sonnen matter at all for either's legacy? I'd say definitely not, no, and Sonnen was closer to his "prime" than Fedor for example.
Mitrione beat two bums and a completely washed up Fedor in Bellator, majority decision over a washed up Nelson and hasn't won a fight since. So I think based off the "strength of schedule" to use a football term, Roy Nelson wins this easily. Big Country was the better fighter.