I watched UFC 126 recently. Did anyone see the Jon Jones-Ryan Bader fight? Jon Jones' reach is 84.5 inches. 84.5 inches! That's astonishing! It's uncommon to see MMA fighters with a reach above 77" or 78", including the heavyweights! Jones' reach is greater than that of the 6'11" fighter Stefan Struve!
It got me thinking. Is it fair to pit Jon Jones against a guy like Ryan Bader, who has only a 74" reach?
I'm sure many people would say sure, it's fair. Arm length is one of the factors that makes an athlete simply better than other athletes, is it not?
But is that type of thinking consistent with the athletic separations that already occur?