Sherdog did a few articles comparing specific MMA fighters to boxers. The premise is that today's MMA fighters resemble boxing greats of the past (and present).

Royce Gracie is compared to Gentleman Jim Corbett. I can see the comparison. In Corbett's day, in the 1800s, boxing was a sport for big brutes. Corbett came along with his jabs and his footwork, his superior science (the "sweet science") and won the world championship from The Boston Strongboy John L. Sullivan. That could be compared to the way Royce Gracie used his science to triangle choke Big Dan Severn, who outweighed him by about 100 pounds. Also, Corbett's success came in the very early days of pro boxing using boxing gloves. A pioneering time for the sport. Royce Gracie's success came in the early days of MMA. Just as boxing could never be the same again, after Corbett proved the value of the jab and footwork, nobody can have a chance at competing professionally in MMA until they learn Gracie jiu jitsu.

Moving forward chronologically with the boxers, the next old boxer they mention is Jim Jeffries, the man who restored size and power to prominence in boxing. The Sherdog article compares him to the big ground and pounder, Mark Coleman. I can see the resemblance. Coleman was a wrestler, it's true, and there's a lot of intricacy to wrestling, but Coleman actually relied on just getting on top of the guy, butting the guy with his head, bashing the guy's head in with his elbows. It was a return to simple brutality and strength, which pretty well describes Jim Jeffries as well.

Then there's Harry Wills, a black boxer during the time when pro boxing refused to give a black man a title shot. Harry Wills was the top contender for Jack Dempsey's title, but Dempsey refused to fight him because of his race. It wasn't just Dempsey. Jack Johnson refused to fight Harry Wills too, or Sam Langford either (another black fighter). Johnson broke the color barrier and won the world championship and he wasn't about to let another good black fighter have a shot at his title. Johnson only allowed white contenders to get title shots.

Sherdog's MMA fighter to be compared to big Harry Wills is Tom Erickson, a 280 pounder. There's really not that much of a comparison. Wills was big. Erickson didn't get a title shot. That's about it. They're reaching with this one.

Jack Dempsey is mentioned in the Sherdog article as being similar to Tito Ortiz. Ortiz in his prime was a really brutal fighter, like Dempsey. He swarmed, like Dempsey. He was all over his opponent. He rushed the bum. I can see the resemblance. I can also see another resemblance that they didn't point out. History overrates them both. Dempsey is the single most overrated boxer in history. He went for years barely defending his title at all, and when he did, he didn't win convincingly against mediocre competition. He won the title by using plaster in his gloves. He lost to Tunney, so he wasn't the best of his time. Like Tito. Tito has lost to people, and isn't the best of his time either. He's not that old.

When people talk about the greatest lightweight boxer of all time, the real old timers bring up their number one candidate, Benny Leonard. It was an era when there were a lot of Jews in boxing, and Benny Leonard was the greatest Jewish boxer of all time. He was a scientific boxer like Jim Corbett, only better. Nobody ever considers Corbett one of the all time greats, but everyone has Benny Leonard at or near the top of the all time lightweight list.

The MMA fighter that Sherdog compares to the great Benny Leonard, for his superior technique and athleticism, is Georges St. Pierre. I can see that. Good comparison. Is GSP on the short list for greatest MMA fighter of all time at his weight? I think so.

Sherdog came up with an excellent comparison when they brought up Primo Carnera, the huge Italian giant who won the world championship probably in fixed fights. The only thing Carnera had going for him was size, and the power that accompanies size. He wasn't that great a fighter. Put it this way, he was no Georges St. Pierre. Put it another way, he didn't know what the fuck he was doing, he had no athleticism at all, he was just a big klutz, even klutzier than Tiny Tim Sylvia.

Sherdog didn't compare Carnera to Sylvia. Sylvia is too good for that comparison. Sylvia beat Arlovski twice. Carnera didn't do anything like that. The fighter that Sherdog compared to the giant Primo Carnera is Bob Sapp. Excellent comparison. Bob Sapp is this absolutely huge black man who fought mostly in Japan. He has a huge chest and a huge following in Japan. The Japanese love him. They give him their babies to hold as they snap photos of lil Japanese baby in the arms of incredibly huge black American Bob Sapp. Sapp never rose to the rank of heavyweight champion because he didn't have the talent or training. He was the kind of guy that Big Nog or Fedor would beat the shit out of. One big difference between Sapp and Carnera is that Sapp is a great interview, very verbal, pretty funny, and a showman. He walks down the aisle wearing what looks to me like a woman's fur coat, and then finally opens it to show his massive chest muscles. Carnera had no charisma or humor like that.

Advancing through the 20th Century, we come to Sugar Ray Robinson. The reason anyone ever mentions Sugar Ray Robinson is if they want to describe the greatest boxer who ever lived. That's it. You can be a different size, a different race, a different sex for Christ's sake, but if you are the greatest of all time, you will be compared to Sugar Ray Robinson. Sherdog isn't stupid. The man they compare to Sugar Ray Robinson is Fedor Emelianenko, the greatest fighter who ever lived. Aside from that, I see no similarity at all between the two athletes. Fedor would have kicked the shit out of Samson.

Now we come to the middle of the 20th Century, and the ageless wonder, Archie Moore. He was a great champion in the light heavyweight division until well into his forties. I think he may have even fought in his fifties. He was cagy as hell. I don't even think that you will have to ponder very long to know which MMA star is Archie Moore. It's obvious. Archie Moore was the greatest light heavyweight who ever lived. The ageless and crafty MMA star that is Archie Moore's counterpart is clearly Randy Couture. And just as Randy Couture wants badly to fight Fedor Emelianenko whether or not he gets his ass kicked, that was Archie Moore's attitude about fighting Rocky Marciano. Archie considered it an honor to fight Marciano, and didn't care a fig about the likelihood that he'd get the beating of his life. Fedor would destroy Couture.

Those who dispute that Archie Moore was the greatest light heavyweight of all time would put forward Bob Foster, and they may have a point. Foster was a really hard hitter and long time champ. Sherdog suggests Chuck Liddell as MMA's Bob Foster. Same strength - hard hitter, KO puncher.

Sonny Liston was an intimidating fighter. He had this really bad reputation. Scary guy. Then he ran into Cassius Clay, and that was that. Maybe Sonny was over the hill just a little bit when he fought Clay. Sherdog compares Sonny Liston to Wanderlei Silva, the Axe Murderer. I can see the comparison, but only to a point. They both had fearsome reputations, and they both really were great. They both lost shortly after passing their prime. But the Axe Murderer is such a nice guy, and wouldn't quit the way Sonny Liston did. He's the nicest axe murderer I know.

Carlos Zarate was a Mexican bantamweight. I was happy to see him mentioned in the Sherdog article because Zarate was always a special favorite of mine, but he wasn't all that famous. I consider Zarate one of the best pound for pound boxers of all time. He went undefeated for a hell of a long time, fighting everybody and knocking them all out. Zarate was the greatest bantamweight fighter who ever lived.

Sherdog prematurely compares him to the current MMA fighter Miguel Torres, the 135 pound champion. Torres is good, and he's Hispanic, but to compare him to Zarate is going too far. Let Torres remain the 135 pound champion for years and go 50-0 with 50 knockouts before you start comparing him to Zarate.

Wilfred Benitez is compared to Vitor Belfort. That's complimentary to Belfort, because Benitez was a world champion and Belfort wasn't, as I recall. But Benitez wasn't the greatest. He ran into some better fighters, like Sugar Ray Leonard. Belfort ran into some better fighters too.

Evander Holyfield is mentioned for his physical conditioning. His chest was so well developed. He was a machine. The thing he brought into the ring was physical conditioning. He was the first boxer I ever saw who looked like he had his ass transplanted to his chest. Sherdog compares him to Frank Shamrock and says that Frank was the pioneer for incorporating physical conditioning into your MMA game. I think it's a bit of a reach to compare Frank Shamrock to Evander Holyfield, but ok.

Coming down to present times, Roy Jones Jr. is compared to Anderson Spider Silva. The reason is because Jones used to be the most feared man in boxing, and Spider is the most feared man in MMA, or so they say. To me, this is a compliment to Spider Silva. Spider has a way to go before he can come close to the reputation of Roy Jones Jr. This is the one guy who can challenge Sugar Ray Robinson as the greatest pound for pound boxer who ever lived. He went up in weight and continued to excel, just like Robinson. He utterly dominated his opponents in his prime with his flashy and quick technique. Spider used to be just a contender, in Japan, and got beat a few times on his way up. He may be what everyone says he is, but that's just on the strength of three fights, two against Rich Franklin and one against Dan Henderson. He has a lot more proving to do, as far as I'm concerned, before he can be compared to one of the two greatest pound for pound boxers who ever lived, Roy Jones Jr.

Finally, they mention Michael Carbajal as being comparable to Urijah Faber, and the reason is because Carbajal is great but he is too light to merit much notice. Faber is the greatest 145 pounder in the MMA world, but the UFC doesn't showcase 145 pounders. I'm not that familiar with Carbajal because I don't keep up with boxing anymore, but I know Faber is a great one. My guess is that Faber is better than Carbajal. Little Urijah Faber would be, in my opinion, a strong favorite if he fought heavyweight Kimbo Slice.