MMA is really a sport of a specialist (always has been )

[SteveColdStone]

I dont know, man. Like you point out, a match here or there and he is champion. The greatest fight ever was his 189 title fight. It was so good because he was so close to the UFC belt and Robbie took it last minute. To me, when you are in the 5th round of a UFC title fight and up on the cards: you are top of the food chain and had success. Robbie was just a bad match up for him. After that fight, he was never the same again, and I do not blame him. I do not think I have had a more visceral reaction to watching a fight stoppage ever - it was like he was killed in front of our eyes.

He definitely pushed Robbie all the way. I do think Robbie is always a tough fight for him as well. Robbie was just able to turn it into his kind of fight as he could sprawl when Rory shot in on and him and could end up making it a brawl on the feet. If Rory has slightly better wrestling or was more adept at fighting in the pocket, it could have been different.

 

[ExitLUPin]

Remember when Hory Macdonald came onto the scene? Had no background in anything before starting MMA. No karate as a kid, no boxing as a teen, no HS or college wrestling, no BJJ turaining. Just sturaight into MMA. Joe Hogan and UFC were tryna build the narrative this was the new breed of fighters starting with MMA

but Hory was truly an outlier. I cant think of anyone else whos been elite and championship level like him whos first introduction to combat sports activity was in his teens in MMA.

 

[RidenWitBiden]

No it's not. Not anymore.

 

[KillerIsBack V2]

There is no such thing...
Nobody walks into an mma gym and just goes to the mma classes and then goes pro.
Mma gyms have bjj classes and striking classes etc
In Mma classes, the teacher usually assumes the students know a bun of things. If a gym has Beginner mma class it is watered down granny self defence level useless.

 

[arcadeperfect]

People often confuse specialist for one dimensional. The best fighters always specialize in one area and have great defense for other areas. DC is a specialist in wrestling but he can fight standing up. Izzy is a striking specialist but has shown great defensive wrestling and the ability to scramble back to his feet. Most people would benefit from having that one area where they hold an advantage over the rest of their division or else you get a situation like Rory vs Gegard where Rory, the "mma guy" was unable to find any success against Gegard in any area.

 

[TriangleMonkey]

You need to have a strong base, regardless of style, prior to doing just “mma” training. It helps exponentially in the progress.

Plus, having a good base skill will separate your your strengths and weaknesses vs different guys. As you should always fight to your strengths, or their weaknesses.

 

[Fight Professor]

Specialist is a cooler word for a one trick pony. There is none at the highest level.

A specialist can use other skills to gain advantage in a fight despite winning (seemingly) the same way. A one trick pony is like a fish out of a water if things do not go their way.

 

[Plenti0203]

I like what someone else pointed out here. That being a specialist doesn't necessarily equate to being a one truck pony.

More that it is your go to base. Something that allows you to dictate the pace and location of the fight, and is always in your back pocket. It also, affords you the opportunity to try and experiment with new techniques.

I'd say right now an example of that, is Usman. He is obviously a specialist at wrestling. Mastering that craft had allowed him to ascend the ranks. And he has been steadily improving the other aspects of his complete mma game, because he has such a solid foundation. The fact that he is comfortable standing and kick boxing now, is a direct result of the confidence that if something doesn't go according to plan, he can switch to his tried and true specialty

 

[G10]

I think the "specialist vs generalist" argument misses the mark. There are plenty examples of both succeeding and failing. When it comes to MMA success, I think what GSP said is most accurate. To paraphrase, he says that training must focus on the physical, technical, and tactical areas of MMA. Fighters have to be exceptionally physically conditioned, possess sound technique in all facets of the fight, and they have to have a good game-plan tailored to their opponent. Whether their background is in wrestling or striking matters much less than this.

 

[Jose Beehive]

Geh Ehs Peh