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You're making it out like a shorter guy has no chance to land gnp against a taller guy. I guess I'm going to need to ask for some video examples of someone using their height or long legs from the bottom guard to nullify the shorter top guy. I looked around for a bit (& actually did some major Old school reminiscing while searching) but I didn't really see anyone doing this to any sort of dominating effect. Tying up the hands is the main thing. Extending the torso can help too, but it's not some be all end all technique where a taller guy has a crazy advantage.hmmm... It worked coz Mariano has a weak guard, doesnt know how to use his [long] legs.
With such a reach advantage and those legs, he had the tools to deny an effective GNP.
Against a more 'legit' guard, and being undersized @ LW, Groovy should work on his transitions on the ground, he has the athletism and dexterity to become more of a threat on the ground.
You make a perfectly legit point that Marcos has a weak guard... but after watching it a few more timez... it's not as bad as I thought after the first live viewing. I would caveat to say that even top end fighters get hit while they have guard. Tito Ortiz was very good at hitting people while in their guard.
Couture was a master at GnP from within the guard... & if you look at his fight against Tim Silvia... he beat the sh*t out of him from right in tall ass Tim Silvia's guard. I knew Groovy's technique looked familiar vs Marcos... & I went back & looked at Silvia vs. Couture... & rounds 2 & 4, but specifically round 4... about a minute in... you see Couture sit on his ankles (posturing up) and he is at the full length of Silvia's stretched out torso... (just like Groovy was vs. Marcos was about 2:15 left in the round) & Couture was lighting him teh fook up just like Groovy was from the same position. Both bottom guys on their backs were doing their best to fight off & tie them up... but neither were successful. Even the tripod position where Groovy & Couture stand up/bent over from within the guard was copied by groovy & was very effective against their opponents. it wouldn't surprise me if Groovy studied this particular fight... or at least the technique.
So in one example you see this in a fight between 2 champions & then in Groovy vs Marcus you see the same thing.
I'm just saying that this stuff doesn't just exist at lower levels.
Lando was happy striking from the guard... & it was very successful. You can see it clear as day watching the video that is where he wanted to be atm & wasn't even trying to pass for a while.
Also, if you watch this fight a few times... you start seeing more of what Marcos was doing & you start realizing that he's not the absolute novice everyone is making him out to be. Don't get me wrong... he's still young in it, but he was doing a lot of stuff that show he has knowledge & training. Such as when groovy was in half guard, he kept that leg tied up with his legs while he shrimped away to create space... that limited Groovy's options. At one point he bucked & made space & used that space to get full guard. All that stuff is not something you know how to do without having some skill & training... especially vs a brown belt.
In the end... Marcos made a move for a submission that ended up in him getting caught... but the same sort of thing happens with top contenders as well. Marcos kept the guard until he went for a submission & Lando used the submission attempt to get out of the guard & that's when Marcos f*cked up & good on Groovy to capitalize on the scramble & get that sub.
So to loop back around to what I was saying about Groovy not passing the guard... watch it again. See how he used that position (couture style) to land some gnp... he patiently waited until that gnp opened up an opportunity, & as soon as the opportunity presented itself, Lando's there & capitolizez. So who'z to say that passing the guard earlier would've been better?