Why head Moo-Ment doesn’t always work in MMA

[j18lee]

Points out examples of people moving their head into strikes

Says head movement doesn't work.......

Beat me to it.

And to add on top of that, if Pearson had moved his head AWAY from the knee, that would have "worked".

It's like saying, blocking punches to the head doesn't always work, then showing examples of people putting their hands up on the opposite side of where the punches are coming from and getting knocked out.

 

[bambammccoy]

Not moving your head leaves you open for punches down the middle mostly.

Bobbing and slipping eaves you open for headkicks.

Ducking and dipping leaves you open for knees.

It's the fight game, we already know these things. You have to balance all of them.

 

[Pkharmat]

Man, I remember that fight. Ross Pearson looked like retarded Mike Tyson with his dives in that fight. After the very first three dives I said "That fella gonna catch a knee", and man, I wasn't surprised when he did in round two. Boxing dives(If I use the term correctly, in russian language they called "нырки, маятник") just doesn't work for MMA, because eventually, you're gonna catch a knee.

 

[bigeastgi43]

It’s sad you can’t recognize game.

I bet your fat/skinny ass has never ran a mile in your life let alone throw a punch.

Fat/skinny LMFAO like wtf?

 

[ScarfaceJr]

Don't be predictable in head movement
use broken rhythm
keep them hands up

I'd rather my fighter move his head than keep it upright and still.

 

[Karelinator]

To be honest , that second (Hooker/Hioki) example isn't that good:

Because Hooker had thrown very similar sequence like 5 times in that fight before.

Hioki defended in some lazy, borderline effective manner every time, till he got caught. :/

So it's not about head moooment being problematic, but Hioki, sadly.

He is/was exceptionally skilled fighter, with no will to win... Always found a way to lose a fight. Very sad and frustrating.

 

[LukeSkyrocker]

I think the force of Pearson slamming his head down into Hooker’s knee was probably as much as the force of Hooker bringing that knee up.

I don’t know about “exceptional”, but Pearson is indeed a very good boxer by MMA standards.

Nothing laughable there.

“Pirate”...? I don’t get it, it that a pirate hook hand joke

You haven’t seen Anchorman

 

[MMAart]

Why don’t you learn some context before throwing your two cents in then?

Go watch the fight(s)

And I never said head movement is the devil. I’m insinuating it doesn’t always apply.

I don't know what context are you talking about. Your examples didn't really prove the point you were trying to make, which is getting knees to the head is why head movements don't work in MMA.

By the way, this isn't a personal attack on you. I'm just pointing out that you need better examples to prove your case as to why head movements don't work.

 

[The Don]

It's more of a combination of a fighter being too predictable in his defense and committing to feints rather than the technique of bobbing and weaving, and slipping themselves. If anything, good head movement can only help than hurt.

 

[The Don]

Absolutely. It must be used sparingly against a fighter with good kicks and knees.

I don't think I'd agree with using head movement "sparingly" but rather accordingly. Granted of course, that would take an elite level fighter with great reflexes to able to distinguish which type of strike his opponent is attacking with and what defensive counter-measures he should use against those attacks correctly every time.

 

[Fyreborn]

I don't know what context are you talking about. Your examples didn't really prove the point you were trying to make, which is getting knees to the head is why head movements don't work in MMA.

By the way, this isn't a personal attack on you. I'm just pointing out that you need better examples to prove your case as to why head movements don't work.

I don’t see anyone saying head movement doesn’t work in MMA. The topic literally says “doesn’t always work” - keyword there being *always*. You’re using a strawman.

Of course head movement is still very, very important in MMA. It just isn’t as effective as in boxing, because in MMA and kickboxing, head movement is much riskier than in boxing.

Boxing is not realistic, and so you can move your head and upper body in all sorts of ways that would be dangerous in real life. Boxers like Mike Tyson would often move their head way down, to crotch level, which in real life would be a very vulnerable position to place your head. In real life, you’d expect a knee or kick, or your opponent just to grab you and guillotine you or throw you down, etc.

So head movement is still important to learn, but won’t be as effective as in boxing, and must be modified. Doing head movement exactly the same as in boxing would be a very bad idea.

 

[StormGymLuton]

 

[Franklin U.]

Listen, at the end of the day this is a fist fight between 2 skilled mmartists so of course "head movement " isn't the end all to winning a fight.

 

[maxi diablo]

Hooker needs to have a better nickname. Maybe “Dirty” or “Pirate” or high-class”. His striking is good though.

2 dollar

 

[Rebel_LioN]

I don't know what context are you talking about. Your examples didn't really prove the point you were trying to make, which is getting knees to the head is why head movements don't work in MMA.

By the way, this isn't a personal attack on you. I'm just pointing out that you need better examples to prove your case as to why head movements don't work.

I just got done watching the replays of the fights and they absolutely work as examples. Being the longer and taller man, the entire fight Hooker was hitting straight shots down the middle and once he got Hioki and Pearson moving their heads and slipping punches, he threw the head kick/knee.

Pearson was losing a range battle all night he needed to get inside or else he was gonna lose 30-27.

And as a poster said above, key word “doesn’t always work.”

You guys are treating it like i said headmovement is pointless in MMA when i never said that. People just love to nitpick for the sake of it.

You had to have watched the fight(s) to get the context. Those gifs are an aftermath of what was set up.

 

[storeybuckle]

Ross Pearson is an exceptionally skilled boxer with great head-movement. Once he got into the pocket though he runs straight into a knee.

Here, Hooker fakes the left-cross and anticipates the slip and fires off the headkick.

Hooker faces Marc Diakiese on UFC 219.

Head movement is a great thing, it's also necessary to get your head off the centreline after you strike.

On the other hand, bobbing and weaving into the vicinity of their opponents knee is a different story

 

[FlowchartRog]

Ross Pearson is an exceptionally skilled boxer with great head-movement.

 

[Rebel_LioN]

You should be ashamed that you’re letting people know you’re a fat dork that’s never boxed in his life.