Tito is Kobe, Hughes is Clemens
At least those are the main stream equivalents of the MMA stars according to Todd Martin of Sports Illustrated. Martin has put together an original article to help introduce the hardcore sports junkie to MMA by talking their language. He has assembled a guide to who’s who in MMA, with easy comparisons to athletes from other sports.
- Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is John Elway, both great comeback players
- Randy Couture is Cal Ripken Jr., you can’t say anything negative about either
- B.J. Penn is Jaromir Jagr, when motivated they are the best
- Fedor Emelianenko is Roger Federer, same name and kings of their respective sports
- Frank Shamrock is Robert Smith, “retiring” at the top of their game
- Georges St. Pierre is Reggie Bush, untouchable athleticism
- Jon Fitch is Marc Bulger, each underrated, in the shadows of bigger names
- Josh Koscheck is Antonio Gates, skills transferred to one sport to another
- Mark Kerr is Ricky Williams, drugs interrupt greatness
- Matt Hughes is Roger Clemens, loved for excellence dislike for arrogance
- Matt Serra is Winky Wright, stepped up when giving a golden opportunity
- Mauricio “Shogun” Rua is Albert Pujols, performing beyond initial expectations
- Mirko Cro Cop is Randy Johnson, intimidating, no-non sense
- Tim Sylvia is Lennox Lewis, never really embarrassed by the fans
- Tito Ortiz is Kobe Bryant, So Cal’s two biggest sports starts
- Vitor Belfort is Mike Tyson, bursts on the seen and were expected to dominate for a long time
- Wanderlei Silva is Ray Lewis, feared
While hardcore MMA fans may not fully agree with the anologies, Martin has taken a hell of a shot at putting together this list. Check out the full article on SI.com for a deeper look!
