Ok, since noones Mentioned it yet, FEDOR...

[I-Shoji]

Fedor had his hands up a lot higher and tighter then he usually does. Something worth mentioning about those "looping punches" theat Fedor throws that "leave him wide open" is that it really isn't as easy as all that. He throws such heavy leather and the loops are often from odd angles that it's rteally not that easy to counter them. Just being inside of the arc of them throws you off balance. Crocop was getting bounced off the ropes and even almost dropped to his ass by one.. Should you step inside of them and try to counter you'll probably have a poor angle to hit him and now you will be clinched.

Also bad.

Fedor is a unique fighter for sure.

 

[TwIsTeD&BrOkEn]

well about the hands being higher than usual....I really didnt notice...he's adopted the same stance he always has as far as I know....he mightve kept his right fist higher than usual, but that was definitely opponent specific...

and about the hooks, I hope you know that I definitely wasnt giving fedor critisism for doing it that way....the whole point of this thread was the fact that he was successful, despite having a lack of "perfect striking technique"....I throw a lot of my hooks in the exact same manner....I get yelled at by my coach for it sometimes...because in thier words "it leaves you open"...and "you can throw just as hard by staying tighter".........to me its just a different tool to use....my lead right is usually a tighter "mexican hook" as my coaches call it, but my left rear hook is one of those wide arching types....and personally I think its my best shot....Ive dropped several guys with it in the past.

 

[salboski]

I'll say this for cro-cop, i think part of fedor controlling the stand up was because mirco at first was scared of the takedown, he tried to stay away and circle away to avoid being on the ground. now in a pure standup fight, ill take mirco

 

[blanko]

fedor has been to holland before to work on hist standup. His stand up was much better than before offensively.

 

[USAMMAFAN]

fedor stand up is so good is because he has no fear of going to the ground or working in the clinch, he just throws bombs with reckless abandon.

cro cop on the other hand was fearing the clinch, ground, and take down, he had other things on his mind besides fedors punches and kicks

 

[TwIsTeD&BrOkEn]

I think its more than just that.....being wreckless in stand up causes more worry than just going to the ground or getting clinched...youre forgetting what should be the most important worry at all.....the possibility of getting KTFO!

 

[devante]

Fedor already had educated punches, the only thing i see is that he tightened up his strikes; an made it a point to put his punches together better.
But the main thing that lead to his success is that he was not scared to pressure cro cop, it's the same situation as chuck; people spend to much time staying outside trying o figure away to get him down w/out getting hit. As a result their shoots are not deep enough, an they can't work in to tieup their opp and brng them down.
The people who have the most success in taking guys like that down are people who are willing to risk taking a shot or two to get the takedown or more importantly once they are in range, they are not willing to fight for the takedown. They fear getting hit and opened up for the ko, an u can't be that way; cro cop and liddel are to good to get taken down w/out some sort of resistance or struggle and within that struggle u gonna get some heat. IT's just a fact...an if u can't accept that then u can't win.
Fedor did not mean or want to trade w/cro cop but he knew he had to a)keep cro cop on his heels and not let him dictate the pace or range of the fight because cro cop is a better..more athletic..tech sound..and exp striker... he had to make cro cop uncomfortable, which meant not letting him get confident and open up. b)he had to keep his hands moving, yeah he might get countered; but he had to make cro cop pay some sort of attention to def, otherwise he would open up and ko him.
He did what he had to do, to keep cro cop off balance and uncomfortable; once cro cop gets in his zone he knocks people out...the people who have beaten him or even taken him down are the people who applied "intelligent" pressure and lots of it.
Everyone knows the book on cc..attack..go hard..and apply pressure and he can and will get beat, nog applied pressure..took a beating..took him down..and then armbarred him... randleman muscled him..exploded on him and then koed him... fedor pressed him...hit him..controlled him...then decisioned him...
PRESSURE IS THE SOLUTION TO THE CC PROB, U gotta have heart chin and toughness; an if u have enough and fight smart u will beat cro cop every day.

 

[TwIsTeD&BrOkEn]

Fedor already had educated punches, the only thing i see is that he tightened up his strikes; an made it a point to put his punches together better.
But the main thing that lead to his success is that he was not scared to pressure cro cop, it's the same situation as chuck; people spend to much time staying outside trying o figure away to get him down w/out getting hit. As a result their shoots are not deep enough, an they can't work in to tieup their opp and brng them down.
The people who have the most success in taking guys like that down are people who are willing to risk taking a shot or two to get the takedown or more importantly once they are in range, they are not willing to fight for the takedown. They fear getting hit and opened up for the ko, an u can't be that way; cro cop and liddel are to good to get taken down w/out some sort of resistance or struggle and within that struggle u gonna get some heat. IT's just a fact...an if u can't accept that then u can't win.
Fedor did not mean or want to trade w/cro cop but he knew he had to a)keep cro cop on his heels and not let him dictate the pace or range of the fight because cro cop is a better..more athletic..tech sound..and exp striker... he had to make cro cop uncomfortable, which meant not letting him get confident and open up. b)he had to keep his hands moving, yeah he might get countered; but he had to make cro cop pay some sort of attention to def, otherwise he would open up and ko him.
He did what he had to do, to keep cro cop off balance and uncomfortable; once cro cop gets in his zone he knocks people out...the people who have beaten him or even taken him down are the people who applied "intelligent" pressure and lots of it.
Everyone knows the book on cc..attack..go hard..and apply pressure and he can and will get beat, nog applied pressure..took a beating..took him down..and then armbarred him... randleman muscled him..exploded on him and then koed him... fedor pressed him...hit him..controlled him...then decisioned him...
PRESSURE IS THE SOLUTION TO THE CC PROB, U gotta have heart chin and toughness; an if u have enough and fight smart u will beat cro cop every day.

Its nice to know you have his number...so uh...when you gonna fight Cro-Cop? :wink:

Nah, seriously I pretty much agree with this, but ya know, through the course of the fight, the fight only whent to the ground If and when he wanted it to...I disagree with your assesment as far as saying Fedor didnt want to stand and trade with Cro Cop....that may have been the initial game plan, but you can definitely see as the fight went on, Fedor actually didnt worry too much about the takedown, he was the fresher man, and pretty much spent most of the time standing up with him. To me, as the fight went on, it really looked like Fedor didnt mind playing a kickboxing game with Mirko....I mean, cmon, he frickin head kicked him!

Youre absolutely right about the crowding tho, however I think it wasnt always to get a takedown....probably moreso to stuff the high kick......

a seperate thing, I find it strange that yall are saying Fedors stand up was vaslty improved this fight.....I dont think so.....you look at the stand up he has done against Fujita, Goodridge, Noguiera, he was throwing big punch combinations, he was kicking....doing it all.

 

[BRASCO]

you look at this guy...he still trains at the little dojo in his little town...with all the little guys.....he doesnt go to some amazingly state of the art gym, with the BEST trainers, BEST training partners, BEST equippment and BEST training techniques....but he still gets the job done....

Fedor went to Holland to prepare himself for his fight with Crocop. In Holland he trained with a lot off Dutch Muay Thai fighters to improve his stand up skills, and the result you know.
Fedor also trained with Ernesto Hoost and with the trainer off Ernesto Hoost (Johan Vos)

 

[BRASCO]

Ive read several interviews with Fedor in which he says that he doesnt really train at the Red Devil Gym.....they are merely management representation for him, and he trains in the same little place he has trained since he was a kid, with his coach.

as far as the going to Holland thing, thats news to me, but its smart thinking...who else but Ernesto Hoost could tell you what Mirkos gonna do, how he is gonna do it, and what you can do to nullify it.

it would also be interesting to know how much time he actually spent in Holland beforehand.

Pictures; Fedor in Holland part 1
http://www.vosproductions.exposuremanager.com/g/special_training

Pictures; Fedor in Holland part 2
http://www.vosproductions.exposuremanager.com/g/fedor_is_in_holland

Pictures; Fedor in Holland part 3
http://www.vosproductions.exposuremanager.com/scripts/expman.pl?rm=overview_gallery&dir=galleries/12

Pictures; Fedor in Holland part 4
http://www.vosproductions.exposuremanager.com/g/special_training_part_2

 

[aaron_mag]

Thanks for the pictures! Damn. Fedor looks so calm and relax. Standing next to some of those big kickboxers you'd never know he was the Pride champ.