Posted by jomatty
roger gracie quite possibly has the best bjj on the planet. he is that good at jiu jitsu.
I agree, but we already know that being exceptional at one discipline doesn't translate to success against a good MMA fighter.
Kharitonov is one of the most well-rounded heavyweights in the world, with 7 wins by (T)KO and 7 by submission (and he's a finisher, with only 1 win by Decision). Of his three losses, he's been TKO'd twice and lost a Decision to Big Nog; he's never been submitted. Nogueira and Werdum gave him trouble, but they're both more accomplished MMA fighters than Gracie is. And Kharitonov doesn't just grapple boxers and box grapplers. He's beaten Semmy Schilt, Pedro Rizzo, and Alistair Overeem to pulp, and caught Mike Russow in an arm-bar.
Gracie looked awesome against Waterman, but Kondo is at best a Light-Heavyweight, and not a top fighter at any weight. Kharitonov is arguably a Top-10 Heavyweight, who admittedly hasn't fought in almost a year. If Gracie wins this fight, it will be a massive upset.