I thought about this all day yesterday. Sure 2003 Vanderlei was more feared, but 2011 Vanderlei is more knowledgeable and would study 2003 Vanderlei well and come up with a strategy to beat 2003 Vanderlei.
What do you think UG???
Prime Wanderlei would fuck up today's Wanderlei, badly.
2011 Wand can study all he wants, but the result is the same.
the pride wandy all the way
i like wandy now better than ever.
he's nicer now. and has a cuter button nose.
he can beat bisbing now and he can beat 2003 wandy now, imo
2003 vanderlai by brutal KO
TrevorRice - 2003 vanderlai by brutal KO
what has changed? Too many surgeries? His dedication to mma?
2003 Wand was a shredded (and roided) 205er. 2011 Wand is a 185er. How would this work?
03 cuts (impossible) or 11 moves up (then the answer is obvious)?
suBJJective warMTh - 2003 Wand was a shredded (and roided) 205er. 2011 Wand is a 185er. How would this work?
03 cuts (impossible) or 11 moves up (then the answer is obvious)?
Good question... Wanderlei can still hang at 205--he fought Rampage not too long ago at that weight I believe. I know he lost their 3rd match, but Bisbing can fight at 205 too and Wanderlei beat him decisively I thought (I know, it was close, but towards the end of the rounds, he took over).
It is an interesting idea. I say wandy now takes it. I do not think he is past his prime at all. I can still punch just as hard, and his submissions have gotten better.
Old Wand ends it by rape inside first 3 mins.
soundandfury - It is an interesting idea. I say wandy now takes it. I do not think he is past his prime at all. I can still punch just as hard, and his submissions have gotten better.
Voted Up for not agreeing with all of the others! Look, I like old Wandy just as much as new Wandy...all I am saying is that things have changed since 2003 in the world of MMA...Being that Wandy beat Bisbing in 2009, how can everyone say he's 100% past his prime? Bisbing can hang with most guys too
I think Wandy now will do great at 185 because he fights smarter now I like the gameplan he had against bisping 
Rucking Fetard - I think Wandy now will do great at 185 because he fights smarter now I like the gameplan he had against bisping
Voted Up!
frederic - 2011 Vanderlei by 2003 one not passing the piss test.
Good call Frederic!
I am a big Wandy fan but he is a shell of what he was in Pride, too many wars imo. The body and the brain can only take so much.
Prime Wand would destroy present wand and then be disqualified for pissing hot. He would retire himself twice simultaneously.
IRISH ARE INFERIOR TO GREEKS - 2005 fedor also takes out current fedor in a minute.
this is 100% true! and 2002 fedor beats 2005 fedor!
Fedor was fucking strolling around Hollywood with his wife and entourage days before the Werdum fight. I knew he had a greater chance of losing that fight once I saw that. It's a shame, but I still love The Last Emporer.
The What if? Ground for having this thread moved there?
Jons Forsberg -ChokeEmOut - Wand's last good performance showing speed and technique was probably Shockwave 2004 against Hunt.
this. The Wand that fought on the 2005GP right after Hunt was already a step slower.
Much like guys like Gomi and Kang's losses prior to coming to the UFC were ignored so their UFC losses could be trumped up, why is that people all of a sudden think Wand was on a murderous tear coming into his UFC return?
Its not like Gomi or Kang's losses outside of Pride, Wand was KTFO big time by CC and Hendo while STILL in Pride and also came close to losing to Arona twice. But then he goes the distance with Chuck and apparently all of a sudden drop in performance?
Is MMA, the only sport where "fans" spout shit off without really knowing the results and records?
IMO, his rematch vs Arona still showed he had decent speed/reaction but at the same time wasnt really able to get anything off either. I also think he should have not been in the ring vs Henderson. cant recall how long it was after the CC KTFO but he looked hella slow already then. Was he sick too? Or still feeling the CC LHK effect?
Then Anderson, Shogun, Rampage, Nog all win UFC titles and people claim "all the Pride guys were never the same." Neither were Chuck, AA, Timmeh, Hughes, Pulver, etc.
ChokeEmOut - To even ask this questions shows you know fuck all about Wanderlei. He was not just feared for being mean looking. Go back and watch and you will see that he could throw 6 punches in rapid fashion with such power that his opponent could do nothing but cover up or get KTFO. He was extremely fast and Rampage even mentioned his speed. He has slowed down extremely and has paid for it. he had the ability to throw quick punches and immediately clinch and launch knees in mere seconds. <img src="/images/phone/post_tag.png" alt="Phone Post" border="0" style="vertical-align:middle;"/>
Though I dont think Wand ever had the speed and fluidity of a Vitor, CC, or Anderson, its often overlooked that what lead to Wand's win over Rampage in the rematch for example was a right cross slipping a Rampage right. He then proceeded to clinch Rampage to death but it all started from catching with him a nicely placed punch.
He never was the most technically sound striker but i think people are not giving him the credit now days since he's not looking like his old self. Even though he was bigger than Sak and Sak was beat up, the KO in their 3rd match had a very nicely placed punch to end things too after being patient. He didnt just come out and outmuscle Sak. He came out all seek n destroy vs the cans but against all the top guys, he came to box.
Another thing people always talk about was his supposed rapid drop in size when he came to the UFC. I comment on the notion of whether he was juicing in Pride or not but he was always dwarfed by guys like Tito and Chuck. Though his fight with Tito was in the UFC, he was way smaller. People also thought Arona was huge but he was ripped not as massive as Chuck or Tito. Arona was considerably smaller than Tito in ADCC. Wand and Arona were pretty close looking in size when they fought in Pride.