A question for those who know a thing or two about MMA striking (Ank vs Alex #2) Thks!

[World eater]

Alex is not getting younger. He is good, great even, but his ability to change his approach is very limited. Sure, we’d all like that next time he goes in swinging, but I’m sure he knows better than us what he can and can’t do against a good opponent. Ank did not leave him many openings and he was not comfortable in the cage. Maybe the rematch ends up being wildly different than the first fight, but I have my doubts.
Also, he drives a Lamborghini. The “hunger” level gap is wide.

 

[Bars]

(OP) First, I think I would be a douche if asking for insight and then be nitpicky about other's opinions.

I just invite you to watch some of the title fights/defenses of Alex in Glory. He has EIGHT title fight wins there, btw. Or Pereira - Izzy #2 (yes, I know the outcome )

I believe you'll think -very- different afterwards.

I don't care if you are 20 times Kickboxing champion, Ankalaev will make you look amateur, and he actually did it , I don't understand how Pereira was even a kickboxing champion. The levels in skills between him and Ankalaev are too huge, or Glory is just a bum organization

 

[Rubios]

I don't care if you are 20 times Kickboxing champion, Ankalaev will make you look amateur, and he actually did it , I don't understand how Pereira was even a kickboxing champion. The levels in skills between him and Ankalaev are too huge, or Glory is just a bum organization

I was talking about Alex - Izzy 2 in the UFC. Regardless of the outcome.

KB is not what it was, a weak era compared to 20 years ago. But, for higher weight classes, Glory is the top promotion in the world.

 

[markantony20]

I think Ank is levels above in striking: faster, better boxing, more agile, better fight IQ
No one has really been able to outstrike Ankalaev in LHW

Ank is notorious for his poor fight IQ though.

 

[markantony20]

I was talking about Alex - Izzy 2 in the UFC. Regardless of the outcome.

KB is not what it was, a weak era compared to 20 years ago. But, for higher weight classes, Glory is the top promotion in the world.

I get the feeling our friend Bars is shit stirring

 

[orca]

we all knew ankalaev beats alex even before

its funny people just wanna hear things they wanted or see things they wanted

they cant handle the truth
delusion

look at what jan did to him
he even got taken down by izzy

remember the time people say ank trying to duck pereira like wtf is wrong with people lmfao

biggest payday in his life fighting pereira
but ducking

 

[Rubios]

we all knew ankalaev beats alex even before

its funny people just wanna hear things they wanted or see things they wanted

they cant handle the truth
delusion

look at what jan did to him
he even got taken down by izzy

remember the time people say ank trying to duck pereira like wtf is wrong with people lmfao

biggest payday in his life fighting pereira
but ducking

Opening post: Ank won, clearly. So he deserves the belt.
He didn't took Alex down in 12 attempts, though.
If he beats him again in the rematch, perfect.
May the best man win.
Alex is 38 so probably he retires anyway unless Gane wins the HW title -not gonna happen-.

This is a thread about MMA striking, specially for those who have trained -as I've never mixed things up with striking-, asking for insight.

I'm using Ank-Alex as a blueprint example, but I have no dog in this fight.

 

[Cartiac]

Fellow sherdoggers. I *should* have an eye for striking as I've trained -just recreationally- K-1, boxing and MT for more than half my life, and I'm approaching 40. A life long fan aswell.

First and foremost: I want the best fighter to hold the belt, and rankings to tell the truth. Regardless of the style I enjoy the most.
I.e. I enjoy DDP way more than Borz, but if he had won because of the Hail Mary guilly... it would've been awesome but things are much better as they are now.

Ank won the 1st fight fair and square.
May the best man win the rematch. If it's Ank again, cool.

Ank is a striker with a wrestling threat. 1st fight was 80-85% a kickboxing match and Alex stuffed all TDs.

To my eye, Alex is the best striker to adapt well to MMA (so Semmy is out).
I'm not a stan: Izzy should've won at least 1 of their Glory fights. Probably both.
But Alex became a much better striker.
Ilia is the best boxer, Wonderboy i.e. had better kicks... but, as a whole, no one comes close IMHO.

Many flaw his defense. But besides a perfect counter tailored by Adesanya and a punch (from Izzy, too) that rocked him and got "saved by the bell" -when in fact the punch landed well AFTER the bell-, Alex has never been hurt or in trouble.

Ank being a very good to very, very good striker; I can't see what he brings to the table that Alex hasn't dealt with before, squared.
Alex is a 25ish KBer of all time, with 8 title wins in Glory.

TL;DR If Alex is on point for the rematch, and is -mostly- a stand-up fight again...

1. Do you think age has caught up with him, so we won't see that Poatan anymore?

2. Never mixed things up with wrestling/grappling so never trained MMA myself. Does the TD threat affect THAT much even if you stuff them all? Wasn't Jiri a bigger threat in that regard?

I think a major thing you may be missing from your striking training is the impact of the grappling aspect of MMA, it changes everything. Those heavily ingrained instincts from a lifetime of striking only become a major weakness against Ank's style.

What Ank brings to the table that Alex hasn't dealt with before is essentially everything. Even all the grappling training Alex has done with Glover hurts him against Ank because they are heavily focused on leg attack based wrestling, but Ank is a Greco-Roman style wrestler.

1. I wouldn't say age was a determining factor. Fighting style and experience in the disciplines was the most significant factor. Alex's major increase in fame and wealth may have been a contributing factor as well.

2. Yes, it changes everything, especially when kicks are such a major aspect of your fighting style. When you fight a guy with Ank's wrestling reputation, you constantly consider that with every strike. That extra thought makes your striking more predictable and less powerful because you hesitate to throw and don't want to plant and commit to your strikes as you would otherwise.

 

[Chagaev]

I don't care if you are 20 times Kickboxing champion, Ankalaev will make you look amateur, and he actually did it , I don't understand how Pereira was even a kickboxing champion. The levels in skills between him and Ankalaev are too huge, or Glory is just a bum organization

Glory is not a bum organization, but being a KB champ doesn't entirely translate to MMA striking.

Watch Rico Verhoeven' MMA fight, he actually had to take it to the ground because he was getting punched in the mouth by a random can.

 

[Marko Polo]

The ruleset favours Eastern fighters with their approach favouring control over damage

I’m probably never going to watch Ank fight again after Poatan 2. He’s never going to produce anything highlight worthy so what’s the point. He’s here with political/religious motivations to stink out fights and do anything to win, like all other neckbeards.

 

[Bars]

Ank is notorious for his poor fight IQ though.

nah he's the smartest fighter in LHW

 

[Bars]

The ruleset favours Eastern fighters with their approach favouring control over damage

I’m probably never going to watch Ank fight again after Poatan 2. He’s never going to produce anything highlight worthy so what’s the point. He’s here with political/religious motivations to stink out fights and do anything to win, like all other neckbeards.

keep coping pal, Big Ank is the next LHW goat

 

[HHJ]

I think Alex banked heavily on the leg kicks, based on Ank's fight with Jan. But those kicks didnt do ANYTHING to Ank in this fight.

Also Ank's constantly feinting level changes, stymied, befuddled, and confusticated Poatan.

Another factor, Ank was faster than Poatan.

 

[Rubios]

I think Alex banked heavily on the leg kicks, based on Ank's fight with Jan. But those kicks didnt do ANYTHING to Ank in this fight.

Also Ank's constantly feinting level changes, stymied, befuddled, and confusticated Poatan.

Another factor, Ank was faster than Poatan.

Only Alex and his team know, but a foot (knee, ankle...) injury adds up.
48 calf kicks from Poatan causing apparently zero damage or mobility issues was weird.

You can't condition your tibial nerve.
Let's see in the rematch.

About Ank being faster... yes, it was very evident. But, as you know, it has more to do with timing and rhythm than actual speed/quickness.

 

[HHJ]

Only Alex and his team know, but a foot (knee, ankle...) injury adds up.
48 calf kicks from Poatan causing apparently zero damage or mobility issues was weird.

You can't condition your tibial nerve.
Let's see in the rematch.

About Ank being faster... yes, it was very evident. But, as you know, it has more to do with timing and rhythm than actual speed/quickness.

Or maybe Ank had a leg injury going into the Jan fight.

 

[Harlekin]

Pereira is old and his chin is getting worse.
He has his hands low a lot and likes to leave his chin out.

I don't see him leading effectively with his straight right hand. Which is actually quite good, if he throws it. Couldn't get the timing down at all though.
He is a left hooker, which didn't work vs Ankalaev at all. Because skills and southpaw.

Everything can happen at lhw with a great puncher with an ok chin at 205 (Pereira)
But most likely Ank will win most of the rounds and hurt him, maybe knock him out.

Rooting for Pereira, but giving him like a 20% chance at most.

 

[Rubios]

Or maybe Ank had a leg injury going into the Jan fight.

Player. Game recognizes game.

Jiri and Izzy have reported how much these sneaky, awkward kicks with the inside foot from Poatan hurt.
Alex landed on Ank x4 and nearly x2 the volume vs Jiri and Adesanya, respectively.

It seemed odd to me, but maybe Ank could have avoided many of them if he didn't feel that the kicks were doing nothing, who knows.

We'll see in the rematch.

 

[Tweak896]

It's all in the threat of the takedown. It changes fighters mentality more than anything else. So many strikers start to look amateur on the feet because they're overthinking about that level change or rush to the fence.

Whether Ankalaev shot for a takedown or not, it's basically all Pereira was expecting. He saw Jan/Ank and thought he was going to have an easy fight with leg kicks. He basically came to the fight lost as much as fans were.

The most concerning thing to me is nothing Alex did offensively seemed to bother Ank. Leg kicks were fired off all night, yet still Ank didn't look like anyone of Alex's other opponents. Alex defended takedowns, but couldn't get anything off. Seemed like Alex's boxing was nullified because Ank was able to get in and out quicker than waiting for the response.

I just don't see how Alex pulls it off this time. Ank could take it many routes.