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I've seen a lot of "MMA has evolved" comments in regards to fighters and the sport and it seems that the wrestlers always have the advantage.
Watching Lee vs Barboza last night highlights an "evolutionary point" in regards to MMA... removing strikes (knees, kicks and strikes to the back of the head) to the head of a grounded opponent has probably been the single most powerful "tool" for the wrestler in the UFC. Barboza spin kicks Lee's head (almost into Bolivia) and Lee shoots for a failed take down. If the grounded strikes were still allowed, it would have been an easy finish for Barboza. Wrestlers can take advantage of this rule by shooting for take downs, no matter how weak and never put themselves in position to pay for those shots. In how many fights have we seen that same attempt end the same way?
With ground strikes allowed, I don't think that wrestlers would be shooting in as much without being confident in the take down for fear of paying with their skull. Bringing back the strikes may or may not be dangerous for the fighters but I think it would put an end to a lot of the "lay-n-pray" fights that we see all too much.
Edit: Courtesy of @MikeMcMann
Edit: Second edit to reflect "knees/kicks" added to help @Readybodisready understand this complex subject
Watching Lee vs Barboza last night highlights an "evolutionary point" in regards to MMA... removing strikes (knees, kicks and strikes to the back of the head) to the head of a grounded opponent has probably been the single most powerful "tool" for the wrestler in the UFC. Barboza spin kicks Lee's head (almost into Bolivia) and Lee shoots for a failed take down. If the grounded strikes were still allowed, it would have been an easy finish for Barboza. Wrestlers can take advantage of this rule by shooting for take downs, no matter how weak and never put themselves in position to pay for those shots. In how many fights have we seen that same attempt end the same way?
With ground strikes allowed, I don't think that wrestlers would be shooting in as much without being confident in the take down for fear of paying with their skull. Bringing back the strikes may or may not be dangerous for the fighters but I think it would put an end to a lot of the "lay-n-pray" fights that we see all too much.
Edit: Courtesy of @MikeMcMann
Edit: Second edit to reflect "knees/kicks" added to help @Readybodisready understand this complex subject
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