Steve Mocco to enter MMA

[TheOracle]

My bad...I don't think GSP was a college wrestler but he has some of the best wrestling in MMA...and can be rather boring to watch at times but he use to be very exciting.

[Dominate]

With Mocco's background in Judo I think he'll be able to make the adjustment and be fairly competitive.

[SheagleHawk]

Jon Jones, GSP, Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, Frankie Edgar, Gray Maynard, Rash Evans, Rampage. All college wrestler.

All good strikers with very mediocre/sub-par submission games. I see your point though.

[Hawksd]

With Mocco's background in Judo I think he'll be able to make the adjustment and be fairly competitive.

And Roth trains boxing, would he have a shot against Mocco in MMA?

[TheOracle]

Jon Jones, GSP, Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, Frankie Edgar, Gray Maynard, Rash Evans, Rampage. All college wrestler.

All good strikers with very mediocre/sub-par submission games. I see your point though.

All have good sub D and all use the wrestling to dictate where the fight takes place.

[SamBrownlee48]

Umm where did GSP wrestle in college?

Also, the state of MMA right now is that everyone needs to have a wrestling base, but wrestling alone will not get it done anymore at the top levels. Too many fighters have learned how to stop a takedown, especially against the fence. Without something to threaten with on the feet, a wrestler is dead in the water in modern high-level mma.

Watch Chad Mendes vs. Jose Aldo for an example.

[pumpdog20]

Umm where did GSP wrestle in college?

Also, the state of MMA right now is that everyone needs to have a wrestling base, but wrestling alone will not get it done anymore at the top levels. Too many fighters have learned how to stop a takedown, especially against the fence. Without something to threaten with on the feet, a wrestler is dead in the water in modern high-level mma.

Watch Chad Mendes vs. Jose Aldo for an example.

ESPN "pound for pound" Top Ten ranked MMA fighters:

#2 Jon Jones- Junior College National Champ
#3 GSP- Trains with the Canadian National team and considered an attempt at the 2012 Olympics
#6 Ben Henderson- NAIA All-American
#7 Frankie Edgar- 4 time National Qualifier @ Clarion
#8 Dan Henderson- Olympic wrestler

Yep, wrestlers are dead in the water in high modern MMA.

The easiest thing to teach in MMA is the strike as it's the most natural of fighting techniques. The thing that makes the wrestler so successful, isn't the wrestling alone, it's the training and mental toughness that has been forged through the years. They are the best equipped with the weight cut, and the wrestling room is the best environment to mold mental toughness in ones pre-adult years.

[CRwrestling]

And Roth trains boxing, would he have a shot against Mocco in MMA?

Roth was a pretty good hs wrestler himself. I'd still take Mocco though.

[CRlightweight]

ESPN "pound for pound" Top Ten ranked MMA fighters:

#2 Jon Jones- Junior College National Champ
#3 GSP- Trains with the Canadian National team and considered an attempt at the 2012 Olympics
#6 Ben Henderson- NAIA All-American
#7 Frankie Edgar- 4 time National Qualifier @ Clarion
#8 Dan Henderson- Olympic wrestler

Yep, wrestlers are dead in the water in high modern MMA.

The easiest thing to teach in MMA is the strike as it's the most natural of fighting techniques. The thing that makes the wrestler so successful, isn't the wrestling alone, it's the training and mental toughness that has been forged through the years. They are the best equipped with the weight cut, and the wrestling room is the best environment to mold mental toughness in ones pre-adult years.

He did say w/o something to threaten w/ on their feet they'd be dead in the water which i agree with. All of those guys on that list can really throw their hands. But i do agree with everything you said. as long as a wrestler is well rounded, that's the best base.

[HawkForce]

I'd be much more excited to see Matt Roth switch to MMA. What do you experts think of a Roth v Mocco MMA fight?

Roth would probably rip his skull off....Roth=one crazy dude.

Even Norm said it.

[JugadorHawk]

Can't wait to see Pat Angerer in the octagon.

[trj]

Jon Jones, GSP, Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, Frankie Edgar, Gray Maynard, Rash Evans, Rampage. All college wrestler.

How could you forget about Matt Hughes? He never became a great striker, but added ju jitsu along with ground and pound, submission skills to become a dominant fighter.

I look at the 3 most dominant fighters currently(GSP,Silva,Jones) and all of them are just freakish athletes. Jones' wingspan and length is such that he can practically do anything he wants. He throws elbows the way most people throw jabs. GSP/Silva have unreal flexibility and can contort their body to do about anything they want it to. Couture/Hughes were a little rigid and stiff, but were able to add other elements to become great fighters.

[CRlightweight]

Roth would probably rip his skull off....Roth=one crazy dude.

Even Norm said it.

good point, because Mocco was practically a kitten....