MMA is essentially a sport of high level grappling with primitive striking.

[Postman Prat]

So does that mean that Boxing is essentially a sport of high level boxing and shit everything else?

Does that mean that kick boxing is high level striking and primitive grappling?

What is the point you are trying to make?

You're comparing striking sports to the most hybrid combat sport of all. His criticism was aimed at professional MMA fighters, not straight up grapplers.

yeah i mean its not like there are guys in the UFC who have a 22-0 wiht 21ko professional boxing record or a 28-0-1 professional kickboxing record. Or guys who have won top kickboxing championships.

What level of competition were these guys fighting at in those sports? What calibre of opposition were they facing?

 

[ShreddinMMA]

FW is a giant bitch slap to your argument.

 

[JonnyBoy321]

This question-the question of the level of striking in MMA at this point-has always fascinated me.

I've noticed that, truly, no matter how clumsy, almost everybody makes a point worth considering.

The only physical talent I seem to have been gifted with in life is a certain athletic expression for striking, particularly boxing. I'm a quarter athletic at best. There is something off, purely, about much of the striking in the UFC. It's more than aesthetics, it's faulty mechanics from a fundamental standpoint.

But wait before you rip me to shreds. This is as many others state a different context entirely. So, striking purists like me with reactionary prejudices are left wondering on what grounds to even criticize it on. Is a certain reduction of form (and therefore efficacy, I would argue) necessary to compete in MMA?

Additionally, strong continued fighter aptitude toward either grappling or striking is highly provocative to me as of yet. It's easy to explain much of it away obviously; culturally and technically distinct disciplines were separate in the past and now they aren't as we wait for the dynamic between strikers and grapplers to stabilize further.

But it doesn't seem to be. You know what? I'm probably impatient. But there seems to be such a strong affinity toward either one or the other in fighters that I wonder if something in that dynamic is more hardwired than previously thought. Will we ever see a crop of fundamentally sound fighters on both the ground and on their feet in MMA? Does the human athletic spectrum allow for it in general?

Anyway, this is an INSANELY LONG POST, you'll excuse me now, and thank you for reading.

 

[hugoooo]

You're right... but fighers like Anderson and McGregor have high level striking, but they two of the rare MMA fighters that are LEGIT good strikers

 

[bhp02]

The fact that two high level athletes like Davis and Bader just had a fight that resembled a yellow belt tae kwon do sparring match is beyond pathetic.


Literally the poorest techniques, just dumb over hand bombs and shitty off balanced leg kicking.. It's so cringy to watch and blows my mind how far MMA actually hasn't evolved as a whole ( inb4 aldo pettis anderson, those guys are way too rare )

the dominance of having to worry about grappling changes the striking...

go watch a taekwondo point fight..

 

[Postman Prat]

These guys need to train with Joe Rogan, or at least spend a couple of months working with Dana White's old boxercise trainer.

 

[Spacemonkeys]

Alot factors contribute to this

-constant danger of a takedown
-elbows
-smaller gloves
-clinch
-the octagon itself

 

[jase0910]

It's that way because grappling has been proven to be more effective in combat than striking. It's what the Gracies based the whole concept of the UFC around. Of course there are always exceptions, but a high-level grappler with mediocre striking will generally do better than a great striker with mediocre grappling.

 

[Cooliox]

different fighters have different skills and attributes...

to get to the top in the modern era you need a balance of both elite striking and grappling.

 

[riitzni]

The lighter weight classes, specifically LW, disagree with you.

 

[jeremyemilio]

Just curious, how many different techniques are there in boxing?

4 offensive
+4-6 defensive
+3 or 4 stalling
+several ways to cheat

So, a dozen and half, or so?

 

[U.S. Soldier]

TS lost the conversation when he mentioned Bader Vs Davis.

 

[Tarbender]

Makes me happy. As a former boxing national champ I am happy to make my transition into MMA and knock some people out

Is normal

Make sure you learn how to defend a low single........

 

[SideKickPro24]

You will lose a lot. LHW is garbage because UFC wants it that way right now. They must make characters people know. They aren't interested in bringing new people in. It didn't fair well when nobody could hold the belt. They let the first young person keep it

Prove your point. Name these lhws that are better than the guys in the ufc.

Surely it's not the guys that failed to make the strikeforce cut (dan Henderson was the champ), or the guys rampage has been koing in bellator.

 

[Outsider524]

It's sad when the UFC hypes up a fighters striking like he's a scary dude and then they just throw looping awkward punches like OSP. But there could be a reason why they call it striking and not Boxing.Because they know it'll be nowhere close to a boxers punch.

Also more cringe worthy is how every time Davis fights they were always hyping up his new and improved striking.

 

[flowers tiger]

Make sure you learn how to defend a low single........

4 yrs of high school wrestling helped me with that

I'm not the level of an NCAA champ obviously but I can defend a low single

 

[Scott Stapp]

True. The boxing is garbage.

90% of all KO's are because the opponent stands with his knees locked, back stiff and chin in the air and shoulders dipped. They don't tuck their chin, and they stand straight up like a dumbass.

The reason you see so many mummy pose KO's is because they were doing the same damn thing standing. It's pathetic.

 

[Agnawedbone]

Just a guess but I would say that grappling requires fewer physical gifts relative to striking. It definitely requires talent, but more of a cerebral kind, which I'm guessing isn't as rare as the abilities needed for high level striking skill.

To support my argument: Why is it that there are no top strikers who have the relatively poor balance, timing, reflexes of a Maia, Shields or Palhares?

That is an interesting point. I would suppose it depends on whether you think those are natural gifts or can be learned.

 

[clayj]

This question-the question of the level of striking in MMA at this point-has always fascinated me.

I've noticed that, truly, no matter how clumsy, almost everybody makes a point worth considering.

The only physical talent I seem to have been gifted with in life is a certain athletic expression for striking, particularly boxing. I'm a quarter athletic at best. There is something off, purely, about much of the striking in the UFC. It's more than aesthetics, it's faulty mechanics from a fundamental standpoint.

But wait before you rip me to shreds. This is as many others state a different context entirely. So, striking purists like me with reactionary prejudices are left wondering on what grounds to even criticize it on. Is a certain reduction of form (and therefore efficacy, I would argue) necessary to compete in MMA?

Additionally, strong continued fighter aptitude toward either grappling or striking is highly provocative to me as of yet. It's easy to explain much of it away obviously; culturally and technically distinct disciplines were separate in the past and now they aren't as we wait for the dynamic between strikers and grapplers to stabilize further.

But it doesn't seem to be. You know what? I'm probably impatient. But there seems to be such a strong affinity toward either one or the other in fighters that I wonder if something in that dynamic is more hardwired than previously thought. Will we ever see a crop of fundamentally sound fighters on both the ground and on their feet in MMA? Does the human athletic spectrum allow for it in general?

Anyway, this is an INSANELY LONG POST, you'll excuse me now, and thank you for reading.

It's quite simple, boxing (where two guys agree to stand upright and hit each other with only their fists, and agree to separate if they find themselves in a clinch) and striking are not at all the same thing. Add in the need to defend against takedowns and kicks and the distance between the fighters changes, as well as the body positioning, and therefore mechanics. MMA stand-up fighting and boxing are completely different, you can't make any type of comarison between the two.

 

[Deleroux]

The fact that two high level athletes like Davis and Bader just had a fight that resembled a yellow belt tae kwon do sparring match is beyond pathetic.


Literally the poorest techniques, just dumb over hand bombs and shitty off balanced leg kicking.. It's so cringy to watch and blows my mind how far MMA actually hasn't evolved as a whole ( inb4 aldo pettis anderson, those guys are way too rare )

Neither of them come from a striking background. They both come from a wrestling background.

Look at top tier MMA fighters who come from a striking background if you want a more accurate picture of things. It's rather a poor position to take--to base a claim of a lack of striking evolution in MMA by using two fighters who are not known for their striking pedigree as a barometer of MMA striking.

Strikers aren't really rare in MMA. Many fighters in MMA come from a striking background. Many fighters come from a wrestling background. Some wrestlers will find that they may have some degree of KO power in their hands, and will then begin resorting to headhunting (like Bader, or Hendo). Their striking is still quite poor, but they want that highlight reel KO to add to their record for the sake of their careers in MMA. But there is still a very real presence of high level striking to be found when you look beyond fighters with a wrestling background that only have KO power in their hands.