Is the idea of a "killer instinct" over-stated in MMA?

[GrantB13]

It feels like it's said far too often for a sport in which the entire premise is based on finishing your opponent. How many fighters DON'T have a finishing instinct? I think that would be more notable. I was just watching the Bellator best 2020 KOs video and it seemed like every fight highlighted there was a "great killer instinct" just because the fighter didn't stupidly let their hurt opponent recover. Know what I mean, ya'll?

 

[Cclick]

Great video game

 

[FIghtxIQ]

It feels like it's said far too often for a sport in which the entire premise is based on finishing your opponent. How many fighters DON'T have a finishing instinct? I think that would be more notable. I was just watching the Bellator best 2020 KOs video and it seemed like every fight highlighted there was a "great killer instinct" just because the fighter didn't stupidly let their hurt opponent recover. Know what I mean, ya'll?

It's very important in any combat sport, but some fighters are able to build their whole game without it. It's a strength and is an advantage to the fighters that have the killer instinct. There are fighters that don't have it but would most likely be more successful and have more wins if they did have it.

The ones that don't have it have to really work their defense, cardio, volume, control, and use a point fighting strategy instead. So they base their whole game on winning rounds on points instead of trying to finish the fight. The fighters with killer instinct train to finish and only try to win by judges if they are unable to get the finish. So they approach the fight differently.

Both styles are successful and it deals more with the person's personality and fighting style.

 

[SecondToNone]

Overstated maybe but it’s certainly real. Most noticeable in grappling really, some guys push for a finish and others lay and pray. I think killer instinct is more complex than that, it’s also about how you manage yourself in order to go for a finish. Knowing when to expend energy and whatnot. If you go back and watch Sam Alvey vs that Korean dude Alvey is on the verge of being finished and then... Korean dude goes for a takedown. Stuff like that shows a lack of killer instinct.

 

[Tabarnakos]

Great video game

Used to be an absolute beast with Jago. Even finished 3rd at a regional tournament

Good old time

 

[Liverkick-king56]

Uriah Hall could be better if he went for the kill more and threw shots to hurt his opponents (instead of trying to win a touch and go striking match like wonderboy)

Masvidal always had the skills but never because a true elite fighter until he started going for the kill

Ellenburger, Pettis, and Barao were all monsters and looked unstoppable but once they lost that kill or be killed attitude and tried to win the “smart” fight they get soundly and uneventfully beat.

 

[JustOnce]

It feels like it's said far too often for a sport in which the entire premise is based on finishing your opponent. How many fighters DON'T have a finishing instinct? I think that would be more notable. I was just watching the Bellator best 2020 KOs video and it seemed like every fight highlighted there was a "great killer instinct" just because the fighter didn't stupidly let their hurt opponent recover. Know what I mean, ya'll?

Yes. It's over-rated. You don't need to have killer instrict to be a good fighter, but you need good skills composure and fight iq to be a good fighter.

 

[Sausage_Carius]

It's not about finishing. A lot of coaches want to see the athlete be violent but patient. Not homicidal but have the ability to deliberately inflict injury with a mean streak. Chasing a finish has lead to a lot of losses so that's not the be all end all that many make it out to be. Seeing red is how you had fighters like Cody and Andrade get put down like a dog.

Ideally you want someone who has some sociopathic tendencies without too many of the negative traits. Enough to not care about taking PEDs regularly. People don't like to talk about it but it's practically a must for success. Narcissism also helps but again in moderation. Enough to give confidence but not so much that it overrides training and hands fights to opponents. If you can combine those with athleticism, time and the right coaches you can beat anybody and be champion maybe for many years.

 

[markg171]

There's plenty of fights where you see a fighter get hurt/show a tell and their opponent doesn't follow up. Being able to read when those moments are and actuate them is possibly game changing. Likewise so is missing them.

Obviously you want them skilled enough to create the moments and set things up as their primary method of victory, but hey: sometimes things just happen. Just because you threw a "busy" strike doesn't mean you shouldn't pounce if you instead see it far more effective than it was "supposed to be".

 

[genecop]

WB is a good example of a successful fighter that really doesn’t have it..

 

[RockyLockridge]

It feels like it's said far too often for a sport in which the entire premise is based on finishing your opponent.

IMO that is not the premise the sport. there are lots of fighters that aren't good at finishing fights and miss opportunities to win because they are lacking in that instinct that pushes them to finish their opponent when they are hurt.

Some fighters are trying to finish opponents like an animal eats it's prey. Others are trying to win fights like a runner wins a race.

 

[D 1 Wrestler]

WB is a good example of a successful fighter that really doesn’t have it..

GSP too. I think those who don't are simply scared of getting caught and are so locked in on game plan

 

[theleerygoose]

When your always looking for the finish sometimes you force things instead of letting the opening come. GSP said something to that effect after submitting Bisping which I always thought was telling. You notice the best finishers like Conor and Silva waited until they hurt someone and very calmly finished fights. They had killer instinct and didnt force it

I always liked the way Silva followed up the Vitor kick by getting position first and then punching his head. Or the way Conor dismantled Alveraz in the most methodical way possible.

 

[HatKick]

It's not just aggression, it's "smelling the opening"
A good example is Anderson going for the flying knee when Bisping looked away for a sec