5 UFC legends whose skills would not let them succeed in the modern era

MMA is an ever-evolving sport that sees constant change at the top. Because of this, the fighters who rule over the UFC today look very different to their predecessors.

There are some UFC legends of years gone by who could probably still succeed today, but other legends would be likely to struggle, even if they were in their physical prime.

Put simply, these legends deployed skills that have either been made redundant today or might be considered one-dimensional in modern MMA.

Here are five UFC legends whose skills would not let them succeed in the modern era.

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#5. Tito Ortiz - former UFC light-heavyweight champion

The original poster boy of the Zuffa-era UFC, Tito Ortiz ruled the light-heavyweight division with an iron fist from 2000 through to 2003.

'The Huntington Beach Bad Boy' eventually lost his title to Randy Couture but remained a fixture at the top of the 205-pound division for almost the remainder of the decade. While he never reclaimed his crown, he still picked up big wins over the likes of Vitor Belfort and Forrest Griffin.

Ortiz's success was largely predicated on a handful of advantages he held over the majority of his foes. Firstly, he was the first fighter to really make the most of weight cutting, often rehydrating up to over 220 pounds when it came to fight time.

This meant that he would often enjoy a huge size and strength advantage over many of his opponents. This was particularly notable during his title reign, which saw him fight smaller light-heavyweights like Evan Tanner and Elvis Sinosic.

Add in Ortiz's powerful takedowns, strong top control and excellent ground-and-pound from inside the guard, and 'The Huntington Beach Bad Boy' was hard to stop when he was at his peak.

In the end, a plethora of injuries, largely to his back and neck, ended his prime. So, could the skills he possessed allow him to succeed in the modern era? Unfortunately, it'd be unlikely.

In today's UFC, almost every fighter cuts a tremendous amount of weight to hit the limit in their division, meaning Ortiz's size advantage would be nullified. Given his wrestling background wasn't as strong as some, his takedowns would arguably not be as effective today, either.

Ortiz wasn't a bad kickboxer per se, but he was definitely stiffer on the feet than even some of his opponents back then, let alone today's top strikers like Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka.

Add in a questionable chin of sorts, and it's safe to say that without a lot of evolution, 'The Huntington Beach Bad Boy' would not have reached the top today.

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#4. Mark Coleman - former UFC heavyweight champion

When Mark Coleman emerged into the UFC at the promotion's tenth show back in 1996, he instantly took the burgeoning sport of MMA by storm. A monstrous, heavily muscled amateur wrestler, nobody could stop the takedown of 'The Hammer', who introduced fans to the technique now known as ground-and-pound.

Coleman easily won two eight-man tournaments following his debut and then became the promotion's inaugural heavyweight champion by beating Dan Severn.

Unfortunately for 'The Hammer', his time at the top of the UFC was rather fleeting. He lost his title to Maurice Smith in just his first defense, and a second loss, this time to Pete Williams, made him look like a man out of time less than two years after his debut.

Coleman went onto plenty of success after departing the promotion in 1999, though, winning PRIDE's 2000 Grand Prix to re-establish himself as one of MMA's top heavyweights. By the time he returned to the octagon in 2009, though, he was far past his prime.

So, could prime Coleman make an impact in today's UFC? Despite his tremendous athletic gifts, it's doubtful.

'The Hammer' didn't really ever round out his skills, and while his wrestling and ground-and-pound took him to the top, he lacked the striking and cardio to remain there even in the late 90's.

Today, prime Coleman would need far more than just his wrestling to succeed. Given the evolution he'd need, it's hard to imagine him reaching the top in the modern era.

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#3. Tim Sylvia - former UFC heavyweight champion

The way that Tim Sylvia departed the UFC for Affliction MMA in 2008 means that he's probably never going to make the Hall of Fame. However, based on his accomplishments, he'd still qualify as a legend of sorts.

'The Maine-Iac' claimed the heavyweight title while still unbeaten in early 2003, and after being stripped of it due to a positive drug test, he regained it three years later.

Sylvia then defended it successfully twice, turning back the challenges of Andrei Arlovski and Jeff Monson before losing it to Randy Couture in early 2007. With two title reigns to his name, though, he remains one of the UFC's most accomplished heavyweights.

However, could 'The Maine-Iac' succeed today, two decades on from his prime? Based on what got him to the top, the answer is likely no.

Sylvia's success was largely based on his height and range. At 6ft 8in, 'The Maine-Iac' was able to snipe at his opponents from range, and to be fair, he did carry a lot of power in his strikes.

Back then, though, the heavyweight division was far thinner than today, and Sylvia wasn't as good an athlete as today's top stars like Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane. More importantly, those fighters wouldn't be giving up the same kind of size to Sylvia as the likes of Monson and Brandon Vera did.

Essentially, Sylvia would probably fall into the mid-level tier of today, capable of putting on fun brawls but never really getting close to the top. In many ways, his title reign is a mark of how far heavyweight MMA has come since.

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#2. Matt Hughes - former UFC welterweight champion

Prior to the emergence of the great Georges St-Pierre, Matt Hughes was undoubtedly the greatest welterweight in UFC history. Across two separate 170-pound title reigns, he made seven successful defenses and picked up wins over the likes of BJ Penn, Royce Gracie, and St-Pierre himself.

Hughes' greatest strength was undoubtedly his wrestling. Often brutally slamming his foes to the ground, the native of Hillsboro, Illinois, had an incredible top game, and he loved to beat his opponents down with elbows.

While he never claimed to be an expert in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Hughes also had a tremendous grasp of submissions, as evidenced when he choked out legendary grappler Ricardo Almeida in 2010.

Given the success that wrestlers like Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington have had in the modern era, then, could Hughes still reach the top of the welterweight mountain if he were in his prime?

Due to his natural talent, it might not be impossible. However, the big difference between Hughes and those fighters was in their striking ability.

While both Usman and Covington have proven themselves as excellent kickboxers at points, even defeating more credentialed strikers on the feet, Hughes never quite managed it.

In fact, he often looked stiff on the feet during his prime, and once fighters like St-Pierre and Thiago Alves were able to stop his takedowns, he quickly declined.

Overall, Hughes would probably have some level of success today based on his grappling ability, but he'd be unlikely to dominate a division as he did back then.

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#1. Chuck Liddell - former UFC light-heavyweight champion

The UFC's original rock star, Chuck Liddell was effectively the right man at the right time when the promotion broke into the mainstream back in 2005. 'The Iceman' was a consummate knockout artist, and he claimed the light-heavyweight title from Randy Couture that year by knocking out Randy Couture.

Liddell's title reign didn't last quite as long as many fans remember. He held the title for just over two years, defending against Jeremy Horn, Renato Sobral, Tito Ortiz, and Couture in a rematch before dropping it to Quinton Jackson.

However, his image, exciting fighting style, and ridiculous list of knockout victims meant that he became not just a superstar but a legend of the octagon, too.

After losing his title, Liddell's downfall was relatively swift. He suffered a number of devastating knockout defeats and ended up hanging his gloves up - aside from an ill-advised 2018 comeback - in 2010.

On the face of it, the template for Liddell's success might be seen as one that could translate to the modern era. 'The Iceman' blended solid takedown defense with a wicked counter-striking game and incredible knockout power.

However, he also had a penchant for allowing himself to absorb huge shots at points in order to give bigger ones back - something that eventually led to his downfall.

The issue for Liddell today, even in his prime, would be that the top strikers at 205 pounds are now far more dynamic than they ever were in his day. The likes of Ortiz, Sobral, and Horn were largely plodding compared to fighters like Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka.

The modern fighters would be far less likely to walk into Liddell's savage counterpunches as so many opponents did two decades ago. It would make 'The Iceman' far less likely to find success, and a dominant reign atop the division would probably never happen.