It’s a natural sport instinct to compare athletes from different eras. How would Babe Ruth fare against modern-day pitching? Who would win in a Kobe-Jordan one-on-one? Sure, Carl Lewis mangled “The Star-Spangled Banner,” but what of “God Bless America”?
Being a relatively new sport, MMA doesn’t engender these types of conversations as much as others. But whenever it happens, it’s pretty fun, especially considering how quickly the sport has evolved…from the Stone Age to the Silicon Age in just 15 years.
But there are still plenty of old-school combatants who would have more than a fighting chance today. Here are 10 guys who have retired but would make very interesting competitors if they were at their peak today. Some retired a decade ago, some retired in the last couple of years. All would be fun to pit against modern competition.