What noncombat sport's athletes transition well into MMA.

[Lycandroid]

Wasn't garÿ Goodridge an arm wrestler ?

 

[theincognito]

Probably because the nfl plays better

The majority of football players don't make it to the NFL. Same as the majority of soccer players don't make it to major soccer teams. That's what's being compared.

For instance:

OSP was a college football player on a major college team. Gane was something similar in soccer. Both started MMA in their 20s. Gane became way better than OSP.

There aren't any ex American football players without combat backgrounds that have made it to the highest levels of MMA, despite many competing in MMA. But there are several ex soccer players that have done so, indicating that soccer athleticism translates better to MMA.

 

[Pierced7681]

Matt Mitrione is probably the best athlete from a non combat sport to crossover and fight at the highest level, so I’d say football.

Personally I think if Zdeno Chara had wanted to he could’ve been a force at mma, he fought a lot in the nhl, had a wrestling background, and was a legitimate heavyweight athlete.

 

[Yashabo]

The GOAT Bob Sapp was in the NFL, so of course it's good ol' 'murican fupbaw

NOW YOU'RE TURNING INTO THE BEAST

 

[CorninginChristianburg]

Representing football, Trey Ogden and Karl Williams both won tonight.

 

[GiganticMeat]

Hockey goons already train fighting and would probably do well.

I always thought the best foundation for any sport would be gymanstics

And I can't find any gifs or images of olympic heavyweight lifters dunking basketballs because internet searches have turned to ass, but these fuckers can explode like no one else:

I'm not sure being able to explode a weight up is the same as moving your body explosively. For sure though it's closer than powerlifting

 

[Human Bass]

I think slackline would be a great base or at least training for mma, would surely help with takedown defense.

 

[ThaiSexPills]

Ice hockey. It’s a tough sport where most of the athletes are lean, very strong and fast. It’s more about endurance than it is fast twitch but is a mix of both really. There’s also fighting and a lot of players cross train and incorporate MMA in their offseason now. When I played, it was boxing in the off-season but MMA seems to have taken over.

Hockey favours lean athletes over mass monsters. I know most of the biggest dudes in hockey would be LHW’s at best. Very few at the highest levels can compete and weigh 240+ because the game is so fast now.

 

[BigOlJeet]

A-level athletes don't needs the chump change to even care about transitioning to MMA.

 

[TeenageMutantLesnarTurtle]

Probably because the nfl plays better

Yeah because soccer doesnt...

 

[daniel san]

Ice hockey players. They have stamina, technique and grit. Soccer players have stamina but few have the grit. No one likes to get hit and few would be able to transfer to combat sports purely based on not having that grit, but hockey/American football/rugby players will likely have a MUCH higher rate of participants who can accept getting punched in the face compared to soccer players.

 

[agibmxmma]

Extreme Sports Athletes.. which historically in MMA has the most and and most successful, crossover into mma athletes.

 

[Bluntforce420]

Soccer (Aldo, Gane, probably a ton of other Brazilian/European fighters)

It's funny that soccer has produced more good fighters than American football, which is the opposite of what you would expect. We've seen a lot of American football players in MMA but they're usually mid at best.

That's because people take someone like Aldo and compare him to guys like mitrione and Schaub. Those guys played in the NFL and didnt start training MMA till later in their lives

Aldo was training MMA at age 17 and done with soccer. Thats like saying Jon Jones came from American football cuz he played in high school.

 

[theincognito]

That's because people take someone like Aldo and compare him to guys like mitrione and Schaub. Those guys played in the NFL and didnt start training MMA till later in their lives

Aldo was training MMA at age 17 and done with soccer. Thats like saying Jon Jones came from American football cuz he played in high school.

It's true that Aldo started MMA too young to be considered a legit crossover.

All serious ex football players are going to be 22+ post college when they start MMA, so it can't really be fairly compared. Someone like Gane is one such comparison and his fluidity and overall athleticism is on another level compared to the likes of Mitrione, Schaub, OSP, Anders.

Another legit soccer crossover was Kenny Florian.

 

[NoBiasJustMMA]

If you're not counting stuff like Judo, BJJ, wrestling, boxing ect I would say Rugby, they have to have a good combination of power and cardio.

 

[filthybliss]

Lebron absolutely does NOT have that dog in him. He would jump out of the cage with any adversity.

lebron would win the belt over his opponent dqing

 

[filthybliss]

I feel like 99% of UFC fighters don’t have that dog in them except for Izzy.

literally huh

 

[johny ringo]

Soccer (Aldo, Gane, probably a ton of other Brazilian/European fighters)

It's funny that soccer has produced more good fighters than American football, which is the opposite of what you would expect. We've seen a lot of American football players in MMA but they're usually mid at best.

Soccer should as it is global and more people play Soccer. NFL has produced some decent fighters.

As far a some go, they can pick up and sport and excel as they are gifted athletes.

 

[Fedora Millionankles]

I guess pro wrestlers and American football players have done ok. Although, these are violent sports, so maybe not what you're looking for?

CM Punk disagrees.

 

[Busgosu]

Proper football (not handegg) is the only right answer. Close thread, please.