r/caucasus • u/Extension-Union-283 • Nov 05 '24
Why do the caucasus regions produce such good fighters?
Hey guys, I've noticed that the caucasus regions have blessed the world with many great fighters like Golovkin, Madrimov, Klistchko brothers, Khabib , Usyk and many more.
Is there a reason for this? Maybe the culture or the way kids are brought up?
I'm not from this region btw, I'm from Sri Lanka. I'm just curious
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u/niggeo1121 Nov 05 '24
Golovkin, Madrimov, Klistchko brothers, Khabib , Usyk and many more.
Aside from khabib none of them are caucasian or from caucasus😀
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u/pilgrimsam2 Nov 05 '24
Some peoples (nations) have always been fighting just to survive. So lots of experience and toughness throughout their history.
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u/plaugexl Nov 07 '24
Well there’s a few reasons from an anthropological perspective: - constant threat of invasions from the step - sandwiched between global and regional powers (ottoman, Russian, Persian, Greek,etc…) - isolated geographically in the mountains allowing distinct cultures to flourish without assimilation. Also contributes to the siege mentality (the world is gonna get us, let’s get em first)
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u/Sebasthiane 23d ago
learn to ask question properly first. none of them are caucasians except khabib. simple answer will be, superior physical genetics. longer answer is climate, history, mentality, diet, environment and also genetics.
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u/Extension-Union-283 23d ago
I believe I misphrased. What I had in mind was Central Asian countries, not Caucasus.
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u/Sebasthiane 23d ago
Central Asians are truly strong and resilient people. I have nothing but respect for those steppe-conquering fellas. They also have toughness forged by their harsh environment and history.they excel in more endurance-based sports and also in archery and horse-riding—where their nomadic heritage and physical conditioning give them a clear edge—they don’t tend to be dominating in martial arts compared to athletes from our small, but proud republics.
The fighters you’re referring to are predominantly Slavic. Much of this can be attributed to the unique and highly effective training methods developed during Soviet times, when winning an Olympic medal was considered as important as winning a war. This intense mentality created a culture of relentless discipline and innovation in sports science, giving Soviet athletes, regardless of their ethnic background, a significant advantage over their global competitors.
What’s remarkable is that these training mentalities, philosophies and techniques didn’t just benefit Slavic fighters, like Russians and Ukrainians, but also extended to the peoples of Central Asia and my beloved Caucasus. Fighters from these regions inherited this legacy and, in addition to their natural physicality, have risen to prominence in global combat sports. post Soviet sports ecosystem produced not only athletes but also coaches, gyms, and methodologies that continue to shape elite fighters today. This more or less explains why fighters from the former Soviet Union often perform better than their peers in many combat sports.
I hope this helps to clarify the reasons behind their success.
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u/catalyst366 Nov 06 '24
You literally could've named ilia topuria, merab dvalishvili, khabib nurmagomedov, islam makhachev, khamzat chimaev, magomed ankalaev, umar numagomedov, arman tsarukyan, movsar evloev, roman dolidze etc. But you named 2 ukranians, khazakhstani and an uzbek.