Heavyweight Boxing Champion Wladimir Klitschko Wants To Train MMA
by Anton Tabuena on Jan 17, 2012 10:00 AM EST
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Unlike a few of his peers, dominant heavyweight boxing champion, Wladimir Klitschko (56-3), doesn't have anything bad to say about MMA. In fact, the 35-year-old even told Jim Rome recently that he wants to try training in Mixed Martial Arts:
"To be honest I didn't really like [MMA] before. But when I was watching it, I got into the style of MMA and I think I have a lot of respect for MMA fighters. It's a very tough sport... You have to be so multi-functional, you have to be a wrestler, you have to be a good kickboxer, you have to be a good boxer, you have to be with good condition."
"I want to try the fitness. Just get in an MMA gym and just practice certain things. I used to wrestle, and I did judo when I was younger. As training, as fitness, perfect. Fighting, no."
Klitschko started his pro-boxing after winning the gold medal in the olympics back in 1996. He's 6-foot-6, weighs around 245 lbs, and apparently has also trained a bit in Judo and wrestling before.
In comparison, Tim Sylvia is at the same age as Wladimir. He made his MMA debut in 2001, and during his time as champion, the 6'8, 260 lb fighter dominated with just his sheer size and his striking skills. He wasn't the athlete that Klitschko is, and he definitely wouldn't come close to his boxing skills either.
I know things aren't really that black and white, but the point remains and it still makes one wonder how dominant Klitschko could've been if he made the transition to MMA when he was younger.
HT: Bad Left Hook
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Wasn't he a kick boxer before?
He would be really good I think. Never a champion but he could be a respectable Heavyweight.
Fighting is like champagne. It goes to the heads of cowards as quickly as of heroes. Any fool can be brave on a battlefield when it's be brave or else be killed.
He could've been Joe Son's only win in the UFC
"Now you see that evil will always triumph, because good is dumb."
His fights aren't usually interesting.
But i’ve always rooted for him and his brother. Love stereotype breakers in prizefighting.
good for him
Especially the part about not wanting to fight.
"Never say anything that doesn't improve on silence." -Richard Yates
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by POW on Jan 17, 2012 10:19 AM EST via mobile reply actions
Why should he want to fight?
He probably earns what an entire UFC card earns pro fight if not more lol
He definately makes more.
I’d be surprised otherwise. Even one with GSP or Lesnar on it.
£15million for the Haye fight.
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by Brent Brookhouse on Jan 17, 2012 11:24 AM EST up reply actions
$23,3m in today's currency.
Assuming that GSP makes $4-5m per fight like was stated in a french interview, i’d say Klitschko is doing pretty damn well.
love him
Even if it were just for show, I’d love to see him try an MMA fight.
A thousand years ago five minutes were
Equal to forty ounces of fine sand -- Nabokov
Really?
Because I can’t stand watching him box.
by discoandherpes on Jan 17, 2012 2:29 PM EST up reply actions
See: Semmy Schilt
thats how dominant he would be in mma
I am willing to test myself against the toughest fighters in the world, in front of hundreds of thousands or even millions of fans, over and over again. Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose, but I always come to fight. I've been doing this for the past fourteen years, and I have at least a few more strong years left in me. What have you done in the past fourteen years other than act like a moron on this forum and hang on Anderson's nuts? - Dan Henderson.
Ditto
Though I’d love to see a Schilt/Klitschko kickboxing superfight.
Still, it’s cool to see boxers respect MMA, and vice versa. I don’t think either the arts or the sports should be “enemies”
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You may like Diaz, but Brock actually won a title that mattered.
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by MicahtheCynic on Jan 17, 2012 10:40 AM EST up reply actions
You can't compare these two
Klitschko has much better footwork, he would be as elusive as Machida. He’s fast, he can bang and with proper TD defence I can picture him having success.
by OzzDee on Jan 17, 2012 11:14 AM EST up reply actions 2 recs
It's nice just to see a high level boxer
talking about MMA in a positive light. I don’t know how far he went in Judo, but if he has a real Judo base, coupled with his obvious advantage in striking, coupled with a weak HW division, I bet he could do very well with relatively little re-training.
Tatum: I think he's a good man. I like him. I got nothing against him, but I'm definitely gonna make orphans of his children.
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by Dave Strummer on Jan 17, 2012 10:41 AM EST reply actions 2 recs
Judo Base - The new K-1 Level Striking.
Ahoy-hoy.
Last round pick of the Filipino Reccing Machines
"Why fear death? I don’t need anything, I don’t have anything, I don’t want anything. I think it’s silly for somebody to be scared of dying. One should be afraid of being born. I have already told my children when I die I want a party, with no alcohol, no hell raising [general laughter]. But I want a party with music, food… I don’t know if you guys believe in reincarnation, but we all go and come back until the day we no longer have to return. My brother [Carlos Gracie, already deceased] used to say the fellow only stops returning to Earth when he mingles with the Whole. Even when you’re thinking just a little bit wrongly, you come back to continue evolving. Hell, my friends, is right here on Earth." - Helio Gracie
by Sugel Mendoza on Jan 17, 2012 5:50 PM EST up reply actions
I dunno, his style is more focused around his longass orangutan arms
I haven’t seen all his fights but the ones I have seen went like this: jab, jab, jab, jab, jab, jab, jab, jab DING x 12
"Now you see that evil will always triumph, because good is dumb."
by menckenstein on Jan 17, 2012 10:52 AM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Now that I look at his actual record there’s barely any decisions. Must’ve seen the same couple of fights multiple times then.
He still has a style that wouldn’t benefit anyone outside of those fighters with giant wingspans.
"Now you see that evil will always triumph, because good is dumb."
by menckenstein on Jan 17, 2012 10:56 AM EST up reply actions
Is it called Bad Tattoo Fight Team ?
"Now you see that evil will always triumph, because good is dumb."
by menckenstein on Jan 17, 2012 11:02 AM EST up reply actions
He uses his jabs kinda like Nick Diaz’s pitter patter punches, except his do a lot more damage. He builds up a high number and gets his opponent pretty softened up so when he adds his hook or other power punch it is that much more effective.
You could also compare it to how GSP used a clean hard jab against Koscheck and just kept at it for 5 rounds and Josh couldn’t find an answer for it. Except for Klitschko, everyone knows his plan and can’t do anything to overcome it.
It was a joke albeit a bad one hence the poor grammar to boot. _
by TheDreadedMarco on Jan 17, 2012 12:21 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Well he's doing it wrong in that picture. He needs to borrow a rock from BJ.
Someone like him in the proto MMA days would of been very very interesting of he still had that boxing background.
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by MaZZacare on Jan 17, 2012 10:58 AM EST reply actions 2 recs
He would be a top-5 HW
If Lesnar can be champ with only a wrestling base, good raw athletic ability, and a few years of training, a guy like Klitschko could certainly be champ, too. Moreover, JDS has shown that a guy can still be HW champ with an entirely striking-based offense. If he really wanted to go for it, he’d probably beat JDS, who’s essentially an MMA boxer. He might have a tough time with the more diverse striking of Overeem, and the diverse skill set of Velazquez, but I don’t see him losing to anyone else in the division.
a few problems here
First I think you missing something crucial. You can’t strike if you can’t stay on your feet! A wrestling base is a much better mma base the boxing is! Second Dos Santos has a serious ground game and bjj skills. He can more than handle himself on the ground as he took down a great wrestler in carwin. Plus overeem is not the type of fighter that would give him problems but rather a ground specialist like Cain or Mir.
by benten20 on Jan 17, 2012 12:29 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I doubt a wrestler would give him the kinds of problems that you suggest
First of all, there are few elite grapplers in the top 25 of the heavyweight division. They are Cormier, Cain, Barnett, Mir, Werdum, and Nogueira. Werdum, Nogueira, and Mir aren’t proficient takedown artists, so with a good amount of wrestling and judo practice, I bet Klitschko could keep it standing. Also he has great footwork and is phenomenal at keeping his range. Lesser wrestlers would be reduced to either eating power shots in an attempt to get inside, or shoot from far out and risk an uppercut.
"I knew I hurt him cause when I throw the elbow he went ugghh" - GSP
cain barnett and cormier would take him down at will i think
Mir would clinch him or get knocked down and pull off a sub, nog would pull guard while werdum will beg him to come into his guard. And I think jds would also beat him as well.
by benten20 on Jan 17, 2012 12:56 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
All Reem has to do is tie Wladdy up in the clinch and drop a few knees. Fight done.
Wladimir’s defense is nothing to be proud of. He has absolutely no inside boxing game. If Reem swings for the fences and falls into a clinch then it’s game over.
"I will spread my wings and fly all over you.."
by DayuumHeGotDropped on Jan 17, 2012 8:48 PM EST up reply actions
Clearly he's in the market for a new girlfriend.
He’s been on the record before about his interest in mma, particularly it’s fanbase…
He's trying to steal Mandy Moore from Tim!
"Now you see that evil will always triumph, because good is dumb."
by menckenstein on Jan 17, 2012 2:00 PM EST up reply actions
in russia you dont train MMA
MMA trains you
by benten20 on Jan 17, 2012 4:27 PM EST via mobile reply actions
He should go train with Overeem and help him prepare for Dos Santos
either that or Death Clutch…Both would give him some big guys to workout with.
I’m not resting until I’m officially Anderson Silva status.- Jon "Bones" Jones
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