If reach doesn't matter, explain Tim Sylvia

[Da Speeit]

You are 100% correct TS , of all physical assests to striking sports, reach is the most important one .
Its also second to technique only when everything is taken in consideration, 3d being speed imho
You Can t improve it and it never deteriorates...

lol what the fuck

 

[Combat Wombatt]

if u have good movement it can compensate reach

True.




The problem is when your opponent also has good movement with reach.

 

[DoctorTaco]

Smaller opponents have an advantage over lanky guys. It's really difficult to deal with.

5'10 fighting at 135/145 with a Dutch kickboxing background. Can confirm

 

[arrmike]

I like that it takes a Jones hate thread for Tim Sylvia's attributes to get lauded!

 

[Loiosh]

I like that it takes a Jones hate thread for Tim Sylvia's attributes to get lauded!

No, it takes Jones fans for the millionth time pointing to Struve any time you mention reach.

Point to Struve or call you racist, you know one of those is coming.

 

[Ollie_Williams]

Reach is a physical tool. Some can use it, some cannot. Some that have a small reach can't get inside, some can.

Being the best fighter requires taking all of your physical tools and making them work.

Tim was able to fight big. Struve is not. Tyson was able to get inside, Sherk was not (when he fought people that can box). Simple as that.

 

[Dale Denton II]

Semmy Schilt height/reach made K1 tourneys bummers several times. Dude was OP as fuck.

 

[mindturking]

Tim would beat Bigfoot, hunt, stipe, Browne, shaub, and of course andrie in my opinion. Nelson and rothwell too. Oh and reem

andrei just beat him in one fc. timmeh would get smashed up in the ufc he couldnt beat abe fucking wagner but he would beat bigfoot?

 

[Bob Gray]

andrei just beat him in one fc. timmeh would get smashed up in the ufc he couldnt beat abe fucking wagner but he would beat bigfoot?

Sylvia is definitely a shadow of his former self. Or a really fat shadow, I guess. Point is, Sylvia today is not the same as Sylvia as champ or even his last couple fight in the UFC.

 

[arrmike]

Who is Gan Mcgee?

 

[jeremyemilio]

Reach matters. But it's not the ONLY thing that matters. If anything, too many people on Sherdog OVER estimate the value of a reach advantage. Of the current champions, about half have a reach that is less than the average for the top 10 in the division and about half have a reach that is greater.

 

[Combat Wombatt]

Reach matters. But it's not the ONLY thing that matters. If anything, too many people on Sherdog OVER estimate the value of a reach advantage. Of the current champions, about half have a reach that is less than the average for the top 10 in the division and about half have a reach that is greater.

Lesnar had a long reach, as did Anderson and Weidman, I believe. Jones has a long reach and the person who beat him, according to some, Gus also has long reach.

 

[moreorless87]

Silvia used straight punches and countered well.
Not everyone with reach does that, Jones primarily being one of them. He's normally not a counter a puncher, sans the machida fight, and his footwork is horrible.

He wins because he's fucking good at fighting. End of story.

Indeed, Jones game depends much more on the using the clinch and the threat of the takedown to keep opponents at range.

That's why I think the wrestling aspect of this fight could be so key, Cormier might not need to have Jones on the ground to beat him just not feel threatened by Jones takedowns or clinch and have Jon fearing his.

 

[ermac88]

If reach does matter explain Mike Tyson.


...this game is stupid

/thread

 

[Combat Wombatt]

/thread

Yep, his opponent is really using his reach in the clinch there to keep Mike at bay.




:icon_lol:

 

[BOTTICELLI]

Reach was a factor, mma was not that evolved, ie the HW class was shallow when Timmah reigned, but look what Randy did to him.
Good thread tho TS, I think JBJ uses his reach well.

 

[deviake]

Sylvia was a very good fighter, and I believe his decline was due to complacency more than anything.

There was a poster on here years ago by the name of 'Goobertaylor' or something like that, that was the biggest Tim Sylvia fan (or troll) I've ever seen. That deserves a certain amount of respect I think.

 

[Unicorn Princes]

One thing a lot of people don't realize, most UFC champions have a significant reach advantage over their competition (GSP, Anderson Silva, Jon Jones, Aldo etc.)

And even more recently compare Lawler, Chris Weidman etc.

The only time you see a short reach fighter do really well is when theyre an extraordinarily good wrestler (Cain, Daniel Cormier, Frankie Edgar etc).

People using Mike Tyson as an example that reach doesnt matter is dumb. Boxing isn't MMA. What Mike Tyson was able to do in boxing wouldn't work in MMA for numerous reasons. Do you think trying to get in close like that in an MMA fight and trying to head weave like that wouldnt get you either KTFO by a knee or taken down?

 

[deviake]

I think most people don't realize just how accurate such a simple statement is. Jones uses what he has as effectively as possible. His fight I.Q. is insane. Somebody like Melvin Guillard can have all the physical gifts possible to be elite, but he doesn't have the mentality to utilize it effectively. That's what guys like Jones, Anderson, GSP, etc have. You can't distill it down to one physical attribute.

Excellent post. Well said.

 

[deviake]

If reach does matter explain Mike Tyson.


...this game is stupid

It does matter, but of course it's not everything. There's many, many factors that make up a fighter's skill-set.

Jones doesn't really have 'lanky reach' - he's right on the precipice where his advantage can turn into a disadvantage, but he still has snap on his shots and knows how to utilize his reach well.