Saku was on a tear then and Rickson had some bad luck.Would have been cool.Now that both have seen better days,an old school match would be fine.Better than no school match.
Nakaii had been doing MMA for quite some time as well, just small
Duarte is pretty big, like 220, I think and was regarded as the top Luta Livre fighter I believe.
I don't know if he was or not, but the two times I saw him fight it wasn't pretty (UFC--tank v. Duarte and Pride--Kerr v. Duarte). The pride one REALLY stands out in my mind.
Duarte lost every fight that he had with top 20 fighters
I don't see how people can say Funaki was washed up or as Linkage says, "WAY done by the time Rickson fought him."
Linkage, when you say "Look at this record at that time. A lot of lame decisions with non-stellar competitions, and I think a lot of draws too" Have you looked at his record?
No he hadn't had a lot of draws in the end. He had one draw in his last 20 fights, and that was to Braga, in a fight that did have judges.
In his last 20 fights Funaki had 5 losses, including the one to Rickson. The other 4 were Sammy Shilt who is a giant, Guy Mezger, who is headlining the next UFC, Yuki Kondo who was the #1 ranked Pancrase fighter until his loss to Silva, and a decision loss to Kunioku who has beat Sudo, Marquardt, Kondo, Shamrock etc. Rickson, Sholt, Mezger, and Kondo aren't a list of people I would call "non-stellar competitions"
Some of those last 15 wins included fighters like Kondo, Shilt, and Mezger.
I understand how people get turned off to the nuthugging of people that think Rickson could beat anyone ever etc. But the people that come on here and dismiss his accomlishments as well without even checking the facts. I mean how hard is it to go on Sherdog and look up Funaki's record, here Linkage, I'll make it easy for you:
http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterid=671
Bottom line, Funaki was the most accomplished fighter Rickson ever fought. He was 31 years old at the time, wasn't washed up or broken down.
I think Rickson has a bad rap on this forum not for who he did or didn't fight but mostly because of overzealous fans that would come on here saying he could beat anyone at any weight like it was no problem.
Just my $.02
I never said Funaki would beat Rickson Id have bet my house on Rickson .Funakis MMA record is 1-1-1 Pancrase is NOT MMA
ttt
ron tripp beat him so i guess him.
Funaki fought very often in Pancrase and sometimes the number of weeks between fights were pretty short.
I'm sure that had to have wrecked havoc on his body.
Strong,the Rickson hating is on this thread.
The guy never said he was #1,get over it.
Funaki wasnt washed up,IIRC he took damn near a year off before the Rickson fight so dont give me the "he wasnt ready" or "he was injured" BS
Wasa-B, I think the only "aura" Rickson was talking about were dollar signs. Soon as it became a profession, it wasn't at all about family honor or defending jiu jitsu. Those days are a memory.
he may not have said he was #1 but he has insulted some great fighters (Kerr,Coleman,Sakaraba and ducked them too )
PS dont hate Rickson and think he could have been great in todays era but he refused to lay it on the line and instead fights takada 2x
It doesn´t matter who Rickson can beat. Nobody knows but what we know is that Rickson beat everyone he fought easily and Funaki looked like a beginner against him on the ground.
MASA FUNAKI, HANDS DOWN
when Rickson fought Funaki not one person on forum would bet me I wanted Rickson Id have bet 1000 bucks on him at least
Rickson is a tomato can ...THERE I confessed n we can all get on with our lives.
Didn't a guy named Sergio Penha the only one to ever beat Rickson in BJJ? Or come closest to it?
If would of been Funaki, but it was under special rules. so can't tell.
Funaki was at one time a great Pancake fighteer Pancake was tough but not Vale Tudo as we knwo it More like slap fight with grappling.Funaki has never been ranked top 50 in MMA and when he fought Rickson was a shell of the same fighter he was EXample see the Braega fight where Funaki got owned .Id have bet any amount on Rickson on that fight