When Kerr faced adversity, did he ever come back and win or did he always fold? He’d always fold.
Royce was underrated in the tough department. Hugely underrated.
Who is a tougher man, Dan Severn or Mark Kerr? Dan Severn.
Who looks tougher? Kerr. But who was tougher? Severn
What happened when Severn fought Royce? It wasn’t easy, it wasn’t quick, but eventually Royce’s toughness survived the big wrestler’s onslaught and found the submission.
There’s no reason for me to think the same outcome wouldn’t happen with Royce vs Kerr, excpet I can see Kerr giving up faster than what Severn did.
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Kerr was twice as good as Severn
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Listen to Kerr talk about fighting Fabio Gurgel (timestamped video).
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Kerr=15 losses
Severn=19 losses
Kerr=19 wins
Severn=101 wins
Out of 120 total mma fights, Seven never lost more than 3 in a row
Out of 34 total mma fights, Kerr lost five in a row two times in his career
Yes, if we are going by physique only, visual intimidation factor ONLY, then yes, I agree Kerr would “seem” more imposing.
But ACTUAL mma accomplishments, it’s laughable to consider Kerr in the same category as Dan Severn.
All Severn had when he fought Royce was a little judo and catch and thats it. Was not prepared to fight someone like Royce at all.
Now take Kerr whose BJJ was good enough to win 3 ADCC tournaments in two years. That Kerr would have destroyed Royce.
The Kerr who was fighting in 98-2000 would have walked though Royce easy at the time.
Now post 2001 when Kerr went 2-8 and Royce had the good performances vs Yoshida and Saku in their rematch? I can see Royce beating some of those versions of Kerr.
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If you disagree with me then there’s a chance my take may not be 100% accurate.
Ha, yeah right, its all subjective hindsight 20/20 talk about the good old days to a degree and I’m wrong like 60% of the time in life in general so my take is just my take.
You had a good point about adcc. However to counter that point, wasn’t most of Kerr’s wins via points and time ran out?
Who was finishing Royce early UFC days? Kimo and Severn probably came closest. What are the similarities between Kimo, Severn, and Kerr?
Kimo, big and muscular, had size. Was able to get on top of Royce, but was submitted despite being on top.
Severn, big and strong, had size and wrestling. Used his wrestling to gain top position, but couldn’t finish Royce. Was submitted despite being on top.
Kerr, big and strong, had size and wrestling. Used his size and wrestling to gain top position, but could he finish Royce? What could Kerr bring that Royce hadn’t already been successful at?
Kimo proved that Royce can take a punch. Even a prime Matt Hughes mounted on Royce’s back, could not finish Royce. The ref stopped the fight, but Royce was not quitting. There was no quit in Royce. It was either the ref or the towel that ended Royce’s losing fights.
Also lets not assume Kerr would have known about submissions in a hypothetical fight against Royce.
Kerr was losing to submissions in 2008, so I don’t think late 90s/early 2000’s Kerr was a submission defense expert.
You see Kerr doing this to Royce and assume he wins-
I saw Severn do that to Royce, and what actually happened, was…
Yeah Kerr was winning mostly by points in ADCC but it means he was almost impossible to submit at the time. He did submit Barnett via kimura in one of their ADCC fights and that could not have been easy. Barnett actually fought for 19 years before he was submitted in MMA. Yeah I don’t know if prime 2000 Kerr finishes Royce inside the distance but I just can’t see Royce winning a decision over the Kerr who was able to win decisions over Fabio Gurgel and Enson, submit Bobish and TKO Hugo Duarte. But sure, post 2001, I think there were versions of Royce that would have been able to submit the versions of Kerr that were submitted by say Taktarov in YAMMA or Monson. Like late in his career there were guys nobody has heard of like Tracy Willis and Steve Gavin who were able to sub Kerr in MMA.
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Kerr was amazing at avoiding submissions by the late 90’s. You can’t win three ADCC tournaments without being good at avoiding submissions.
The version of Kerr who was winning ADCC and was only 5-8 years past winning an NCAA title and a freestyle national title has no relationship to the Kerr who was losing MMA fights and getting paid in 2007 and 2008.
Kerr beat Sperry in a superfight, lost to Arona by points, beat Leo Veira, Ricco Rodriguez, Rigan Machado, Josh Barnett, Carlos Barreto! That means he was amazing at avoiding submissions! In MMA he beat Gurgel and Enson, more proof he was great at avoiding submissions!
The proof is there man, has nothing to do with how he later declined and 2008 Kerr has nothing to do with the animal that won an NCAA title, UFC tournaments and ADCC titles.
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I think Sperry, Leo Veira, Ricco, Rigan, Barreto all would have beat Royce in ADCC but Kerr beat them. I think Enson would have beat Royce in 2000 in PRIDE and Kerr won that fight as well.
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can ken shamrock beat kerr?
Kerr from 98 to early 2000’s? Not a fucking chance in hell
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Kerr would have smashed him into a bloody puddle.
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At what? Wrestling? Severn was a better wrestler (more wrestling accomplishments at higher levels).
At mma? Severn was more accomplished in that as well.
Kerr was an ADCC champion. He knew how to defend submissions. He submitted guys like Josh Barnett. It wouldnt even be close.
That must have caused a massive concussion
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