Chin and size of the head

[otizik**]

Is there a correlation between ability to take punch and size of someone's head.

It looks that guys with bigger heads like Rampage, Hunt or Rothwell absorb punches way better than Rashard Evans, GSP or Overeem.

Or could it be a psychological matter since you are more prone to KO once you get knocked out. (GSP after Serra, Rashad after Machida loss)?

 

[Ray Finkle]

The premise of your question seems incredibly dumb, but you might actually be right.

Add Leben and Hendo to that list.

 

[TFanatic]

Bigfoot has a comparably poor chin and Penn has a great one.

 

[Steve08]

I don't think it'd so much the size of the head as it is the neck. I say this primarily because it just seems logical to me that a larger and thicker neck would be more prepared to brace the skull as well as dissipate the force from punches.

 

[otizik**]

Bigfoot has a comparably poor chin and Penn has a great one.

Bigfoots face is relatively narrow with pointy chin, Penn hasn't been punched much.

 

[D 1 Wrestler]

it has to do with the cromag jutted forehead like lesnar has

 

[otizik**]

I don't think it'd so much the size of the head as it is the neck. I say this primarily because it just seems logical to me that a larger and thicker neck would be more prepared to brace the skull as well as dissipate the force from punches.

Overeem's neck looks pretty solid yet he drops like a sack of potatoes.

 

[Steve08]

Overeem's neck looks pretty solid yet he drops like a sack of potatoes.

Yeah, but he's not exactly fighting bantamweights either, man. Whole lotta weight moving whenever a HW punches or kicks, and he basically can't defend himself with 4oz gloves (note him trying to cover up against Browne's front kicks then getting pwned-- the guy obviously doesn't train in MMA gloves).

On the other hand Shogun and Hendo both have very thick necks.

 

[KneetoLiver]

 

[ShaqAttaq]

Bigfoot has a comparably poor chin and Penn has a great one.

Bigfoot has acromelagy. Which is known as gigantism. That means he has benefits with hs size, but also some disadvantages. With his condition, you cannot compare him to the average guys.

 

[otizik**]

Yeah, but he's not exactly fighting bantamweights either, man. Whole lotta weight moving whenever a HW punches or kicks, and he basically can't defend himself with 4oz gloves (note him trying to cover up against Browne's front kicks then getting pwned-- the guy obviously doesn't train in MMA gloves).

On the other hand Shogun and Hendo both have very thick necks.

http://www.tapology.com/system/letterbox_images/1/default/03-Dan-Henderson-Strikeforce.jpg?1291739476

If neck is a culprit, it's logically to assume if you build some neck muscles you would have better chin. Don't see that happening in Rashard's case.

 

[Cowb]

Overeem?
Condit? Hendo? Nick Diaz? Penn (ok, he does have kind of a big head)
Or compare pics of Fedor and Arlovski from their fight - fedor's head is much smaller.

A big head takes a little more force to move violently than a smaller head, so I'm sure it helps a bit. Strong neck muscles too.

But the ability to roll with a punch, avoid moving into a punch, and/or not put yourself in situations where you get hit by a punch you didn't see coming matters a lot more.

Not having suffered many/any concussions already often helps a lot as well.

Then of course there's some kind of individual variation where some people's knockout reflex kicks in a lot more easily than others, for no discernible reason at all.

 

[BuckNasty16]

 

[jmd69]

I don't know about this theory. Tito has a ginormous noggin and Chuck nearly took it off...although who could absorb a Chuck punch back then?

Hendo's chin juts out there pretty far....and until Weidman, the Spider absorbed some pretty hard direct punches from Chael.

 

[Pravus]

Are there any fighters in the UFC that have tiny heads?

 

[silentjay]

there was a study done about Fujita, who had a legendary chin and an enormous head, and there was some correlation due to extra fluid to prevent the brain from rattling against the skull, as well as a thicker skull than normal.

 

[tigerstripes]

Alistair seems to have a small head.

 

[Ray Finkle]

I don't know about this theory. Tito has a ginormous noggin and Chuck nearly took it off...although who could absorb a Chuck punch back then?

Hendo's chin juts out there pretty far....and until Weidman, the Spider absorbed some pretty hard direct punches from Chael.

To be fair everyone absorbs punches from Chael.

 

[otizik**]

there was a study done about Fujita, who had a legendary chin and an enormous head, and there was some correlation due to extra fluid to prevent the brain from rattling against the skull.

Or maybe bigger head dissipates energy on larger surface and consequently less force reaches brain?

 

[Shael]

Shogun and Condit have great chins but don't have very big heads.