Kazuhiro Nakamura: The greatest LHW Judo fighter of all time in UFC/MMA

[JustOnce]

I just reached a sudden profound realization that Nakamura is the greatest LHW Judo fighter of all time in the history of UFC/MMA.

I love Judo, and I've been trying to come up with the best LHW Judo fighter of all time in UFC/MMA, and that was a tough one.

At HW, we have guys like Ishii or Yoshida. Fedor is up there, but he consider himself a sambo fighter so..
At MW, we have a packed house, we have guys like Okami, Akiyama, Dong, Lombard, Daniel Kelley, Kazuo Misaki.
AT WW, we have guys like the second Dong, Karo, and Hayato Sakurai.
At LW, we have guys like Shinya Aoki, and Rick Hawn. Mercier maybe.
AT FW, we have guys like Manvel, and Omigawa.
AT 135, we have Casey Kenney, that Russian guy coming up, Denis Lavrentyev.

It's bit odd how you'd think we'd have more Judokas repping their art in MMA at lower weight division, but no.

I mean people bring up Islam and Khabib and Merab, but they are Sambo fighters. It would like saying Werdum, Maia, Nog, Jacare are Judo fighters just cuz they have Judo black belts.

I mean, it's kinda odd, how someone like Nakamura, with all due respect, after like 20+ years of MMA/UFC, is the greatest Judo fighter of all time at light heavyweight division. As much as I'd like to say Mousasi, but I don't think it really make sense just cuz he got Judo black belt when he was younger. It'd be like saying Bendo is the best Taekwondo fighter of all time at LW, of at least one of, because he got some Taekwondo black belt when he was younger. Bendo started his Taekwondo at 9 years old, so he prob got his black belt at 10 or 11. Mousasi started Judo at 8 years old.

So there you go guys, the fact of the day.

Kazuhiro Nakamura may not have had the most success in MMA, but he fought Inoue in Judo. He fought Lil Nog, Hendo, Wanderlei on God knows what, Shogun, Machida, literally the cream of the crops in MMA LHW division. He did lose them all, but he is the ONE guy at LHW who took MMA seriously, who faced world class competition, and had legit Judo credentials.

Therefore, the greatest Judo fighter of all time at lightheavyweight division in the history of MMA/UFC is Kazuhiro Nakamura.

 

[Sonny Qc]

I mean...

 

[JustOnce]

I mean...

Heavyweight. Fought ONCE at LHW.

 

[koquerelle]

I'll be damned. JustOnce made a solid thread. Wish I could give it 10 likes.

 

[JustOnce]

I'll be damned. JustOnce made a solid thread. Wish I could give it 10 likes.

You are learning boy

 

[Travis Alexander]

I just reached a sudden profound realization that Nakamura is the greatest LHW Judo fighter of all time in the history of UFC/MMA.

I love Judo, and I've been trying to come up with the best LHW Judo fighter of all time in UFC/MMA, and that was a tough one.

At HW, we have guys like Ishii or Yoshida. Fedor is up there, but he consider himself a sambo fighter so..
At MW, we have a packed house, we have guys like Okami, Akiyama, Dong, Lombard, Daniel Kelley, Kazuo Misaki.
AT WW, we have guys like the second Dong, Karo, and Hayato Sakurai.
At LW, we have guys like Shinya Aoki, and Rick Hawn. Mercier maybe.
AT FW, we have guys like Manvel, and Omigawa.
AT 135, we have Casey Kenney, that Russian guy coming up, Denis Lavrentyev.

It's bit odd how you'd think we'd have more Judokas repping their art in MMA at lower weight division, but no.

I mean people bring up Islam and Khabib and Merab, but they are Sambo fighters. It would like saying Werdum, Maia, Nog, Jacare are Judo fighters just cuz they have Judo black belts.

I mean, it's kinda odd, how someone like Nakamura, with all due respect, after like 20+ years of MMA/UFC, is the greatest Judo fighter of all time at light heavyweight division. As much as I'd like to say Mousasi, but I don't think it really make sense just cuz he got Judo black belt when he was younger. It'd be like saying Bendo is the best Taekwondo fighter of all time at LW, of at least one of, because he got some Taekwondo black belt when he was younger. Bendo started his Taekwondo at 9 years old, so he prob got his black belt at 10 or 11. Mousasi started Judo at 8 years old.

So there you go guys, the fact of the day.

Kazuhiro Nakamura may not have had the most success in MMA, but he fought Inoue in Judo. He fought Lil Nog, Hendo, Wanderlei on God knows what, Shogun, Machida, literally the cream of the crops in MMA LHW division. He did lose them all, but he is the ONE guy at LHW who took MMA seriously, who faced world class competition, and had legit Judo credentials.

Therefore, the greatest Judo fighter of all time at lightheavyweight division in the history of MMA/UFC is Kazuhiro Nakamura.

Honestly putting Karo as one of three guys listed as the WW divisions best judokas is borderline blasphemy. I like sakurai and dong but in the world of judo adapted for MMA combat Karo is leagues above anyone else.

 

[JustOnce]

Honestly putting Karo as one of three guys listed as the WW divisions best judokas is borderline blasphemy. I like sakurai and dong but in the world of judo adapted for MMA combat Karo is leagues above anyone else.

Yes you forgot the part Dong outgrappled Karo and beat him. Got robbed then I think Karo tested positive, and it got nc I think

 

[Travis Alexander]

Yes you forgot the part Dong outgrappled Karo and beat him. Got robbed then I think Karo tested positive, and it got nc I think

Tested positive for drugs not peds bud. Was heavily addicted to opiates and xanax at that time and still beat your guy via dec. was a lackluster fight for all intents and purposes and later made a nc due to drug abuse (and if it counts he literally didn’t train we were at the same gym on the same fight team at the time) but plz don’t narrative shift. Plus given Karos book of throw victims it is obvious who the better judoka was by MMA standards.

 

[JustOnce]

Tested positive for drugs not peds bud. Was heavily addicted to opiates and xanax at that time and still beat your guy via dec. was a lackluster fight for all intents and purposes but plz don’t narrative shift.

The second Dong aint my guy.

HE still beat him. Outgrappled him.

 

[Travis Alexander]

The second Dong aint my guy.

HE still beat him. Outgrappled him.

Umm but he lost the dec. so no, no he didn’t… and as we both know it was a grapple heavy match, and Karo wasn’t ever a striker that would beat the stun gun in a standup battle.

 

[JustOnce]

Umm but he lost the dec. so no, no he didn’t… and as we both know it was a grapple heavy match, and Karo wasn’t ever a striker that would beat the stun gun in a standup battle.

Yeah he got OUTGRAPPLED.

 

[Eric Lau]

Makoto Takimoto was pretty good for a Gold Medalist at MW/WW

 

[EndlessCritic]

OP needs to soak in just how wrong he is.

 

[SBC]

Karo was legit the guy that got me into Judo. Such he clearly above the rest of those guys repped Judo. Was pretty much a pure grappler. It made up most of his offense.

There was also another MW/LHW fighter who fought in Dream that was Olympic medalist. Think he took silver. Wasn’t very successful though. What about the legendary Dong Sik Yoon and his beautiful Dongbar? Literally just popped in my head typing, lol.

 

[JustOnce]

OP needs to soak in just how wrong he is.

Nah. Obviously I thought about him. But no.

 

[moreorless87]

OP needs to soak in just how wrong he is.

Better wins perhaps over Rogerio and Arona but not a better career long term

 

[KantoTerror]

Honestly putting Karo as one of three guys listed as the WW divisions best judokas is borderline blasphemy. I like sakurai and dong but in the world of judo adapted for MMA combat Karo is leagues above anyone else.

Lol..just because Karo ragdolled Sanchez doesn't make him the best Judoka in UFC...what does that make Sexyama then?

 

[EndlessCritic]

Better wins perhaps over Rogerio and Arona but not a better career long term

Are we not counting Sokoudjou's KO over Blachowicz?

The grand irony being this KO happened in a time period when Sokoudjou was considered "irrelevant".

 

[Travis Alexander]

Lol..just because Karo ragdolled Sanchez doesn't make him the best Judoka in UFC...what does that make Sexyama then?

Firstly, I was speaking directly to TS’s point about WW judokas and I do respect sexyama.

Second, Karo ragdolled a lot of other competitors then just Diego. He ragdolled Diaz, Lytle, Diego, Mayhem, Serra just to name a few and also held his own against WW GOAT GSP in George’s athletic prime. Put some respect on his name.

 

[DonkeyKong]

Nakamura was good. I remember him from back in the day. Hell I even did the play-by-play of the Grand Prix where he fought Wanderlei and took off his gi mid-match right here on this forum.

But Karo Parysian was better.