Fighters Can Only Improve So Much

[FrontNakedChoke]

I hear what you're saying, but at the same time I feel some fighters could evolve more than they have.

 

[MPD-Psycho]

Makes sense. You can improve up to a certain point until you hit the limit.

 

[Thepaintbucket]

Basically you reach a point in your MMA career where you peak and that's the best you'll ever be and I tend to agree with OP. The problem is knowing when X fighter has peaked but it's safe to say a guy whose been in the game for 10+ years probably has already learned to fight a certain way out of habit which means he isn't going to change that much.

 

[PrinceOfPain]

Werdum's striking has always been very decent even during days in Strikeforce.

He made Overeem looks like amateurs in his striking department, maybe people just feared his ground game? very underrated heavyweight, he is indeed a very skilled heavyweight.

As the poster said, "later in his career."
Werdum had already had a PRIDE and UFC run by that point. Look up some of his early career fights.

Hell, even in that one, it's hard to judge Overeem for not finding his rhythm against a guy that kept flopping to his back, terrified of exchanging.
Werdum would basically close the distance, throw a strike and then fall to the ground in hopes of catching Overeem like he caught Fedor.

 

[Cpt Migraine]

I'll help ts argue this ghost!

I also see a lot of people being like "he just needs to change his stance, become an elite level striker, up his cardio to the point where he can go all out for 25 minutes, train with olympic wrestlers and change camps!"

Often after one loss.. it's just idiotic.. they got to where they are on the talents they have.. which in itself is a tall order, say ortega.. to expect them to become a different fighter and just ease into something that is unnatural to them is just stupid..

 

[theTKDguy]

Mmm debatable. Depends on the fighter, there are several examples that show you can improve.

 

[TheMMAnalyst]

Every fighter is different and develops at a different rate - that being said, 6-8 years into your pro MMA career you probably aren’t gaining new skill sets, just refining what you have and improving conditioning/technique/fight IQ.

But why start trying to develop an outside kicking game late in your career when you are a shitty kicker that doesn’t outfight? Each fighter needs to grow and adapt based on multiple planes of improvement and it’s far more complex then just telling someone “just get better at wrestling/striking/submissions” like this is The Matrix and you just upload that shit directly into your cerebral coretex.

Then there are variables like confidence, fight style, coaches, perception of skills, etc. so shit is super-complex.