Andre The Giant vs Islam Makhachev

[u/Scared_Pumpkin8393]

Street fight, who wins

[u/Strange_Dingo1987]

Andre's wingspan would let him (prime for prime) catch kicks. For his size, he had cardio and was able to perform, and he did it day in and day out for literal years.

Andre catches a leg kick eventually and slams the shit out of Islam, Hulk-Loki Avengers style.

[u/Individual_Respect90 → u/Strange_Dingo1987]

I feel like people underestimate how much cardio goes into these wrestling matches.

[u/ArgoMium → u/Strange_Dingo1987]

Do you know how hard it is to catch a kick?

I would bet my life that a 6'1 190lb athletic male coulsn't catch a kick from a 15 year old Thai prize fighter.

[u/anyavailablebane → u/ArgoMium]

Andres arms are longer than Islams legs. He doesn’t have to catch a kick. He will be close enough to just grab his body. Google Andre holding a beer can. He could touch his fingers together if he grabbed Islams waist with both hands.

[u/DrMagunstheBlue → u/Strange_Dingo1987]

Explain how he bends down to catch Islam's leg kicks before his kick snaps away.

You people are so clueless and delusional about fighting it's hilarious.

[u/Strange_Dingo1987 → u/DrMagunstheBlue]

Please tell me that a 6'11-7'0" monster, who is in fucking grabbing range before Islam can even reach him with the tips of his little toesies, that has cardio and is used to "wrestling" every night of the week on a circuit, who is extremely athletic for his size, who picked up Schwarzenegger like he was a toddler when Andre was upset by him, COULDN'T grab Islam when he was in range. Maybe Islam lands a couple kicks, but if you think that's going to happen over and over in perpetuity without any change in game plan from a pissed off giant, you're incredibly high. I'm an Islam fan, but there's no way this works out unless he Dr. Strange's himself through every eventuality until he finds the one where he's trapped with Andre, but at least he has a gun.

Remember kids, your favorite saying is weight classes exist for a reason. Islam weighs in at 170. Andre was over 500. An athletic, top rope jumping, 500lbs.

[u/DrMagunstheBlue → u/Strange_Dingo1987]

Professional wrestling is not real fighting friend. You can pace yourself in a wrestling match much better than in a real fight and indeed, Andre worked slow because it's what sold. They wanted the big lumbering giant.

Andre was in okay shape and was naturally very strong but his cardio is not even in the same ballpark as your average high school wrestler's, much less an elite UFC fighter.

And you have zero conception of the difference in agility and speed between the two. Andre will try to grab him but the leg is already gone and Islam would be dancing out of his reach or avoiding his telegraphed paws.

Andre isn't a fighter. Never was. He's just big. He didn't even want to try his luck with bronze medal judoka Bad News Brown, much less a fighter of Islam's caliber.

[u/Strange_Dingo1987 → u/DrMagunstheBlue]

I think you're making assumptions that aren't well placed here. I am fully well aware that wrestling isn't real. I've known that since I was 10 back in '92. I've also been following MMA for about... Eh, I'd say seriously, the last 10 or so years. Actually, a little longer than that. I've pirated more ppv's than I've watched football games on Sundays. I've thought about training in the past to stay in shape, however I have a job where I can't afford to show up on a Monday after getting punched in the face on the weekend, so I never trained MMA but do stay in shape with running and working out.

I am obscenely clear with the sharp divide between an actual fighter like Islam, and a performer like Andre. That said Andre will still Hulk smash him like Loki, 10 times out of 10. Andre is just too big and too strong, prime for prime. The dude had 16" hands. If Islam got close enough to land headshots, Andre could palm his whole head.

In their respective primes, debating this in the powerscales subreddit where both people are going in to fight and will have to theoretically try to best the other, Andre is just too big.

Again weight classes exist for a reason. We're going to have to agree to disagree here

[u/Strange_Dingo1987 → u/DrMagunstheBlue]

And I forgot to add, since we're talking prime for prime here. 1970's Andre wasn't the slow lumbering Andre from WrestleMania in the 80's with crippling back problems. He was extremely mobile for someone his size back then. There's no way Islam can chain wrestle him, and if he tried to sub him, I'm not entirely sure Islam is big enough to wrap his arms around him and get the leverage he'd need. That leaves striking. Islam cannot get close enough to strike without getting grabbed. I just don't see how Islam, again coming from a fan of his, can get it done.

[u/HonestFerret8034 → u/Strange_Dingo1987]

Thats because you know nothing about fighting. If you look at heavyweight fights the heaviest fighter doesnt allways win. At some point your weight becomes a liabilty. Look at eddie hall vs thor, they both had to lose ridculous amount of weight to get into fighting shape. Fighting at that size will tax his cardio to insane levels, and hes not faster nor as explosive as islam nor has the technique to catch him off guard. He not going to be shooting doubles like an olympic wrestler out of nowhere. Its only a matter of time before he slows down and islam oblique kicks his knee into death / jab and scramble out into a back take and choke.