Fights where gameplan beats skill/talent

MMA fan93

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Hello sherbros.. what are some of the fight examples that cone to your mind where a relatively lesser talented/ physically gifted fighter beats a superior fighter purely based on gameplan alone?

I believe this thread can show that an effective gameplan capitalising on a fighters skills while exploiting the opponents weaknesses is just as impotant as possessing the skills themselves, if not more.

My picks -
Whittaker vs Romero - Romero was clearly the better fighter skill wise, and that was apparent in the first two rounds, but rob bided his time and his output was low, waited for Romero to slow down and took the last 3 defending his depleted takedown attempts..

Alvarez vs Pettis - at the time, not a lot were giving Alvarez a shot in this fight. Alvarez stuck to his gameplan of sticking pettis against the cage even if he couldn't take him down, to neutralise Pettis's superior standup, and grinded out a decision.

Sanchez vs Held - at this point in their careers Held is much more game than Sanchez and was beating him up in the standup in the first. Diego changed up his gameplan and engaged him on the ground and took the last 2.

So what are yours?
 
Michael Bisping vs Luke Rockhold 2.

Bisping's gameplan was to finish every combination with the left hook. It worked to a tee.

Matt Serra vs GSP 1.

Serra was just known as a BJJ guy at the time, so his gameplan was to box with GSP. Hit him with alot of body shots early on, and go to the top when he wasn't expecting it.

Actually a masterful performance by Matt.
 
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Randy couture vs almost everyone. Too old and slow for a lot, so he pushes you against the fence, hangs on you, or takes you down and beats on you or smothers you until he gets a choke or decision. Pretty brilliant for an aging fighter.
 
Randy couture vs almost everyone. Too old and slow for a lot, so he pushes you against the fence, hangs on you, or takes you down and beats on you or smothers you until he gets a choke or decision. Pretty brilliant for an aging fighter.
While making the thread, Couture vs Vera specifically came to my mind actually, but didnt include because the decision was a bit controversial. Excellent example.
 
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Holloway vs Aldo

Not to say Holloway isn’t talented but he has a very good fight IQ. In his fight against Aldo he figured out Aldo’s timing and one dimensional striking cause he didn’t mix in any leg kicks. He was having success dictating pace by getting in, landing and getting out. On the combo that dropped Aldo he threw a 1-2 and instead of getting out like he was he avoided slipped the counter, stayed in and reloaded real quick with another 1-2 and Aldo’s hands were down cause he obviously thought Holloway would be out after the first 1-2.
 
Randy couture vs almost everyone. Too old and slow for a lot, so he pushes you against the fence, hangs on you, or takes you down and beats on you or smothers you until he gets a choke or decision. Pretty brilliant for an aging fighter.

Randy was the first guy i thought of, especially randy vs tito and randy vs chuck 1.

Randy vs tito is one of the most satisfying fights to watch, a perfect gameplan and a relentless pursuit of it by randy. He just broke tito down perfectly. Older, slower, supposedly less talented.. didn't matter he just went in there and dominated him.
 
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Kampmann vs McFedries - Drew was more physically gifted and was lighting him up but Martin weathered the storm and subbed him via arm triangle
 
Forrest vs Rampage

That was actually my one and only example. But I feel like that’s also the story of Rampage’s career post UFC title—just a whole lot of unfulfilled potential.
 
Holly had both gameplan, and skill on her.
I don't think so. Rousey is more talented and more athletic than Holm. She fought very aggressively and with misplaced faith in her boxing. As we have seen on many occasions, when Holm doesn't have her opponent pushing the pace on her, she's nearly completely inactive.

Ronda's gameplan fell right into her hands.
 
Magny vs. Lombard

Cruz vs. TJ.

Yeah yeah, close decision, yada yada yada.

Cruz vs. mighty mouse

Ali bagautinov vs. Jon Lineker.

Bisping vs. Silva

Shields vs. Henderson

Magny vs. Gastelum

Karolina vs. Rose
 
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