Chatri Sityodtong on Conor McGregor

[CaptHANDSUP]

No, Gunnar never moves his head. He always defends by standing up tall and backing straight up. In the Santiago fight he got consistently hit by Santiago's long straight right as he backed straight up, and even got hurt pretty bad in the last second of the fight standing tall against the cage. Cummings caught him with good shots in the same way. Rick Story might have a stiff upper body but that didn't stop him from slipping a ton of Gunnar's straights, and basically shutting him down when he punched into the clinch then hitting him with body shots. One or two lead hooks and uppercuts is above average for him. He's thrown that lead uppercut in only one fight, and that was the third round against Santiago when he had him gassed badly and shelled up against the cage. That's literally it. In every single fight 90% of Gunnar's offense is that right straight. And he DID try to use it to set up his takedowns the exact same way he does in every fight, but Story grabbed the over under when he tried to clinch, hit him with right hooks to the body and some knees, or pushed him off and threw a punch.

His kicking game is decent. I like his lead leg side kick, but he really only throws that and some round kicks with his rear leg. He's thrown like 1 or 2 front kicks in 1 or 2 fights but really that's it.

Gunnar looked exactly like Gunnar always does, the difference here is what he always does wasn't working. Overall Rick Story shut him down beat him up for 25 minutes.

That is what I was trying to say so I agree with you. But I was also trying to say is that he posses a lot more tools (like the lead uppercut) which he rarely or never uses. And I am sure he can throw front kicks and side kicks with good power and technique if he bothered.

I also agree with you on head movement. His head movement is weak. What I was trying to say is that he could at leas try and learn to do it better.

 

[CaptHANDSUP]

Don't see how his frequency of uppercuts is relevant. He obviously knows how to throw it. Question is why he doesn't do it more.
I would have to re-watch the fight, but from what I remember, Story mostly ducked straight down or down and to the right. At any rate, more jabs and feints would probably have made Story more susceptible to the straight, and would have also opened him up to the uppercut. Don't know why he abandoned the kicks either. They clearly were working well, and the right high kick would have worked great in tandem with the right straight.

This is what I was trying to say as well. He also has good hand trapping even though he was the one that was mostly orthodox. Would be interesting to see him trap an orthodox in southpaw and throw that left cross. That is maybe a bit too much and somewhat advanced.

He honestly just needs to do a few basic things that will make a huge difference to his game (as has been discussed).

 

[CaptHANDSUP]

He has the skill to physically execute the technique, but not the skill to apply it against anything but an immobile, purely defensive opponent. He doesn't even attempt it otherwise hence him not throwing it in any other fight. Comfort comes with skill, which I'd say he lacks since he really doesn't even time his right straight (which constitutes like 80-90% of his offense) very well. In most of his fights he misses that punch a lot, but then lands it really clean a few times and maybe gets a take down off it so everyone assumes it's good. Don't get me wrong, I like the guy, but he's not a very good striker and never has been. The signs that he could be beat like this are there in his previous fights, Story was just the first guy to do it.

He landed a few good hooks and uppercuts against Story. Pretty much most of the ones he threw. I think he has the timing and technique (obviously not as much as his cross and double leg) but he is just more not comfortable throwing them in a fight and/or always forgets about his weapons once he gets caught up in the fight and switches to point fighting instinct mode.

 

[CaptHANDSUP]

:wink: when else are you supposed to throw it? running after the guy or hope he is standing still and doesnt see it coming? when has this ever happened? I think you are convoluting the general risk of the kick with the most effective way to throw it. Gunnar's timing and judgment of the distance was wrong. nothing else.

This. Remember when Mark Hunt got hit by JDS's calf? The man with iron on his chin went out getting hit off a calf with shitty technique. You have to be careful trying to move in on a spinning kick. It can be done but you have to be pretty good. Like every one has discussed it is great to throw it when the guy is moving in which is what Gunner was trying to do but he had the range so wrong. If you watch both of Barboza's spinning kicks (one a ko), he catches the guy coming in. Vitor caught Rockhold circling off the fence towards his kick (another great way to throw it), Uriah Hall distracted the opponent with hand feints and threw it on the inside with his knee bent (almost like a spinning hook side kick), etc. So yes there are many ways to throw it but guy moving in is one of the more effective ones.

 

[Forever Changes]

When you are both standing still? See Uriah Hall vs TUF dude. When your opponent is backing up? See Vitor vs Rockholt.

But anyway, I think you might be inferring things I never said. I'm not conflating anything, as I never said anything about "most effective" (certainly not in terms of kickboxing, biomechanics, power, or anything of that nature). As I already explained, the being to close part was implied (and so is the "in mma" part). If Story had been out of kicking range, and moved in, that's a slightly different scenario.

ok in my mind I'd call those more spinning side high kicks or half side halfhook kicks.The trajectory juts more straight outward then curves slightly at the end. often it make impact before the curve. The opponent coming forward rule doesnt apply as much because its more of a straight kick.The wheel kick has a very circular trajectory from the start that requires grounding your weight a little or generating torque by going a little bit backwards. any I consider what azam said pretty on the money.