Brawling: is it worth it?

"Brawlers" are getting better at adding striking tactics to their game to make them truly effective. The days of the Chris Leben type brawler is really over.

And it depends on the fighters intent and style. A fighter like Wanderlei's game has always revolved around intensity and he had the physical tools to make it work. In that case, yes, it was worth it.

Now someone like Cro Cop would have done himself many disservices fighting as a brawlers, his style never really fit that bill.

Brawling is an easy way to excitement, but only people who know how to brawl well (like Wanderlei or Matt Brown) are the ones who capture the fans interest. Brawling well is an art in itself.

Good post and Wanderlei and Matt Brown are good examples of skilled brawlers. For some reason people have this idea that brawlers lack technique when the best brawlers generally have good technique it's just different and tends to use more uppercuts/hooks as well as the clinch instead of low kicks or straights.

Jack Slack's article on The Tactical decline of Wanderlei Silva is a great piece that shows how Wanderlei used to be a much more technical brawler like Matt Brown currently is.

http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2012/6/1...ranklin-Vitor-Belfort-judo-chop-mma-technique
 
I miss the Brooklyn Brawler .

I would agree with Brawling only for him .
 
Would Leonard Garcia be in the UFC as long as he was, if he were not a brawler?

I think not, maybe he would have won more, but I doubt it.

He was so much fun to watch, even while getting he ass kicked

Now look what happened to Jon Fitch, who NEVER brawled

I think it can be worth it, yes
There's a balance between a sloppy haymaker clinic, and an endless takedown spree.
 
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Brawling is usually just chin down, winging every punch.
I like to see aggression. Technique isn't just throwing jabs. There's also hooks, and uppercuts, crosses, different elbows and spinnin' shit. That's all without using your legs.

You can stay in the pocket, I love that. But cut angles, use defense. Mix in Knees. Etc.

If you're just throwing bombs waiting for a KO. That's fine for a UFC undercard, or some local show. But I can't take too much of it on an entire pro-level card.
 
It can be good as far as getting bonuses and staying employed because you put on exciting fights... A guy who loses putting on exciting fights won't get canned nearly as often as a guy who loses snoozefests.

Very few "brawler" type fighters make it to the top level of the sport though (champion or fighting for the title)... They tend to leave themselves open so that eventually they get caught and can't usually put together a string of wins needed to get a chance at the belt.
 
Some can be good at it. Although brawling looks like there is no talent involved, there is with some of the guys! One of my all time favirote fighters was somewhat of a brawler (Chris Lytle) and he did well at it. He went as far as he could with it while still working full time!
 
Some fighters are good brawlers and use it. Its not because they don't know how to fight technical, they are just wired like that
 
The only division that could have a brawler as a champ is women's 135. And even then they'd have to a very good grappling game to accommodate it. Brawlers like Leben can't cut in the top 20 anymore and eventually they might even get phased out of the UFC completely. I know guys like Brown are considered "brawlers" but his game is a million times more comprehensive and technical than Leben.
 
If your opponent is more skilled leaving you with more of a punchers chance to win, then brawling makes sense. If your not a contender and want to keep your job, then brawling also makes sense
 
Watch Paul Taylor if you want the definition of technical brawler. Also, Matt Brown isn't as reckless as some people make him out to be, there's a method and technique to his aggression and brawling. He also has nice head movement in the pocket, not many guys have that. He dismantled a technical striker like Mein using methodical aggression, variety in his strikes and by brawling while also using his head (to think, not block punches).
 
The only time I think its ever appropriate is when you've lost the first two rounds convincingly and need a finish.
 
I am talking about a guys who like to slug it out almost like a hockey fight. The stand and bang approach.

Is this worth it?

Though fighters who like the "brawling mode" bring a lot of excitement, is this really worth it for them mid to long term (career longevity- chance at the belt?)
In a word: no.

Why? Repetitive head trauma over time can yield minor brain damage, slurring, etc. Look no further than Arturo Gatti, one of the most exciting boxers to watch who put on a trilogy of truly barn-burning wars with Mickey Ward, and ended up with slurred speech before his passing. Fighting like Leonard Garcia will put an arena on its feet, but it certainly doesn't guarantee a healthy normal life after retiring, nor does it set a good standard for young men who wish to enter fighting and leave it with the ability to speak with lucidity in the manner of, say Bernard Hopkins and Sugar Ray Leonard. Even the KZ stopped blocking punches with his face as much after his first bout with Garcia...
 
If you're not good enough to ever threaten for a title, brawling is a good way to keep yourself signed in the UFC for sure. If you're a point type fighter you'd better not lose cause you could get cut at any time.
 
I feel like a lot of you view the term brawler differently than I do. A lot of people are talking like it means you just berserk with no regard for repercussions. I don't feel that way. A brawler can still slip punches and throw jabs. To me, a brawler is just someone who is aggressive and throws a high volume of heavy strikes. I would say that Glover and Bader are both brawlers. Chuck was a brawler
 
If your opponent is more skilled leaving you with more of a punchers chance to win, then brawling makes sense. If your not a contender and want to keep your job, then brawling also makes sense

"box a brawler, brawl a boxer"
 
I feel like a lot of you view the term brawler differently than I do. A lot of people are talking like it means you just berserk with no regard for repercussions. I don't feel that way. A brawler can still slip punches and throw jabs. To me, a brawler is just someone who is aggressive and throws a high volume of heavy strikes. I would say that Glover and Bader are both brawlers. Chuck was a brawler
Then Thiago Alves is a kickbrawler :)
 
It takes skill to brawl techinically

It is worth it

Fighters should do it more

If fighters are worried about brain damage the other damage that comes with fighting then they should play a different sport

yes...JUST BLEED!!!
 
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