Historically, i'd say that the best striker ever in MMA was Melvin Manhoef. Guy was a top level Muay Thay guys and had the style to really bring the hurt. He sucked in grappling though, and had a shitty chin, so he never reached the top. Interestingly, he fouht once a shitty little jap boxer called Nishijima, and for the first and only time in his carreer, he didn't want to do any stand up fighting and took it to the ground immediately
I remember this! I lived over there when this event was live and Nishijima was market as World Champ boxer. I was okay dokay - I don't think so! He was a bald, strongman I think, but had wood in his feet and average skill and Melvin still didn't use lead foot. He is traditional kickboxer. I don't know if you've tried kickboxing but the standing and variation of throw is a mindfuck when you are used to rigour of boxing stanxe. And defence is a negligee trait.
CroCop and silva maybe. The rest don't even come close. Lol at Bas Rutten being a better striker than Melhoef
Melvin is a harder puncher, but that's about it. Bas would destroy Melvin if they ever fought. It would be ugly. Saying melvin is the greatest striker in MMA history is extremely inaccurate.
Ruuten has a shitty kickboxing record, while Manhoef destroyed Hunt and was competitive with a kot of HW when he was past his prime. Manhoef was a much better striker than Ruuten, it's not even debatable. In a MMA fight, ruuten probaly takes him to the grond and win, but if he stands with him, he get koed unless he land a one in a million bomb. a MW that ko Hunt in a K1 fight is nothing if not an elite striker
But in a sense you're right. He's not the best striker ever in MMA. Probably the most dangerous though
I mean you want to talk shitty stamina and chin, look no further than Manhoef. I see Rutten landing a sharp, quick kick right off Manhoef's dome and putting the lights out. Mark Hunt has always been overrated. Guy got destroyed by a middleweight in Mousasi in the first round too. Manhoef punches hard. that's about it. But Mark hunt was stupid just coming in with his hands down.
Why Lol? Because you say so? Melvin has been dropped or KO'd quite a bit. Bas Rutten has always dominated in the stand up game. No glaring weakness to his game like Melvin.
What's so shitty about Ruttens record? He lost twice and one of those was from a dq. Manhoef on the other hand hasn't done shit besides KO Hunt with a money punch.
against some euro nobodies. only time he fought a world class kickboxer he got destroyed. Manhoef also beat several world class guys like Slowinski, Karaev and Leko (though the latter was probably on the way down), and he was fighting much much bigger guys than him. He's levels above Bas in striking. Claiming otherwise just show a total ignorance of the sport
Moussasi took down hunt and subbed him. Not comparable at all with what Manhoef did to him in a K1 match. And Manhoef had terrific combinaison punching and hand speed. Bas would never have tried to do a striking match with him, and if he was foolish enough to do it, he'd get KTFO unless he lands a miracle punch (which is always possible considering Manhoef suspect chin)
all the guy he fought were shitty striker (bar smith, but he didn't strike with him, and it was with ridiculous slap-only pancrase rules). Not one of them compared to a top K1 guy
The time he fought the would class kickboxer he took the fight with no preparation and that was the only time he got destroyed. Manhoef got destroyed many times. Some of those guys being shot at the time as well. Rutten would have fucked Melvins ass up.
excuses excuses excuses. Nobody but fan boys care about them. Especially when it's bas who say this to save face. At the end of the day, the cold hard facts is that Manhoef beat several top levels strikers in striking matches (who were heavyweight, while he's a 185 pounds guy), while Bas got crushed like a bug the only time he fought one
Standing up, Bas only chance is a lucky punch considering Melvin glass jaw and kamikaze style. Bar that, he'd get whooped big time (standing up of course) imo. Melvin was a very dangerous striker, probably the most dangerous one in MMA history (it's either him or Rumble Johnson imo). But he had far too many flaws to be considered the greatest, or even amongst the greatest.
to be fair. Robert Byrd was a bit negative towards McGregor during the instructions... NextBritishFight on Twitter