Royce Gracie vs top judoka

Hello to everybody.
In BJJ/MMA fanatics forums, I often read that Remco Pardoel was a judo beast, a judo phenomenon ecc. to magnify the Royce's victory.
Surely Remco had a very good judo game, he was born and lived in a judo powerhouse (Netherlands), but he never won an European Championship, a World Championship or an Olympic Championship.
But if Royce, in 1994, had found in the cage a 1994 David Douillet (European gold medalist, World gold medalist and Olympic bronze medalist) or a 2005 Keiji Suzuki (Asian, World and Olympic champion)? I am certain we would have another UFC 2 winner.

https://www.judoinside.com/judoka/1584/Remco_Pardoel/judo-career

wdax wrote:https://www.judoinside.com/judoka/1584/Remco_Pardoel/judo-career

Yes, I knew. Not exactly a judo beast.

Emanuele2 wrote:Hello to everybody.
In BJJ/MMA fanatics forums, I often read that Remco Pardoel was a judo beast, a judo phenomenon ecc. to magnifying the Royce's victory.
Surely Remco had a very good judo game, he was born and lived in a judo powerhouse (Netherlands), but he never won an European Championship, a World Championship or an Olympic Championship.
But if Royce, in 1994, had found in the cage a 1994 David Douiellet (European gold medalist, World gold medalist and Olympic bronze medalist) or a 2005 Keiji Suzuki (Asian, World and Olympic champion)? I am certain we would have another UFC 2 winner.

If he had run into Yoshida Hidehiko coming recently off his 1992 Olympic Gold, instead of 10 years after when they finally met in a special pride match, that would have been interesting.
Yoshida was never really at his prime throughout his MMA career.

Oh .... and Royce was out... no question about it. He clearly goes limp in the video.

The UFC has never been able to attract the very top of the Judo heap. Even Ronda Rousey never won World or Olympic Gold, so we still don't really know what the very best would be able to do.

That said, even if a Judo Olympic Gold medalist in their primer were to enter the UFC, that's no guarantee of success without extensive extra training. The MMA has just evolved too much for a pure Judo trained fighter to survive without spending extensive time filling in the gaps in their skill set.

Don't hold your breath because the IJF seems intent on making sure it never happens.

Y-Chromosome wrote:If he had run into Yoshida Hidehiko coming recently off his 1992 Olympic Gold, instead of 10 years after when they finally met in a special pride match, that would have been interesting.
Yoshida was never really at his prime throughout his MMA career.

I think that Yoshida would have drew with Royce, too similar.

Y-Chromosome wrote:That said, even if a Judo Olympic Gold medalist in their primer were to enter the UFC, that's no guarantee of success without extensive extra training.  The MMA has just evolved too much for a pure Judo trained fighter to survive without spending extensive time filling in the gaps in their skill set.

Since 2000s it is like you said. But in the second UFC a pure judo would have been sufficent.
A David Douillet in 1994 (25 years old; 196 cm for 125 kg, Euro champion, World champion, Olympic bronze) would have murdered Royce (just 183 cm for 80 kg).

Y-Chromosome wrote:If he had run into Yoshida Hidehiko coming recently off his 1992 Olympic Gold, instead of 10 years after when they finally met in a special pride match, that would have been interesting.
Yoshida was never really at his prime throughout his MMA career.

About Royce vs Yoshida in their prime (1992/1993) we discussed here. https://judo.forumotion.com/t1683-what-would-have-done-a-1993-hidehiko-yoshida-in-mma

Another very very good judo vs bjj fight would have been Pawel Nastula vs Fabio Gurgel in 1996.
The have the same age; back in 1996 they had same experience, same level, same height (both 185 cm), same weight (both 93 kg), both in their prime.
Gurgel was several times Brazilian champion, he won several international bjj tournaments, Panamerican champion and World champion (in 1996 he won the first Mundials).
Nastula too was several times Polish champion, he won several international tournaments, 1994 European champion, 1995 World champion, 1996 Olympic champion.
It would have been a great fight.

Well if we're reviving this dog, why not a 2016 Teddy Riner against …. oh I don't know anybody.
He's not known for ground game and has no known striking skills but … man just sheer size and athleticism.
He's not interested apparently. Blablabla … no moral code … blablabla ….

Riner had is peak during the World championships in September 2017. When he took part in World open championship in November 2017, he wasn't in his best shape.

Another great what if match would have been Royce vs Jeon Ki-Young in 1996.