The advantages of being a short fighter..

[rear naked ankle pick]

Gonna lay down in my bed and read how hard manlets will try to justify their height disorder

 

[calexus]

If you're shorter, typically you are stronger if you and your opponent are the same weight. So higher strength to weight ratio. You tend to on average hit harder and be more mobile as well. In general, Judokas and Wrestlers are shorter than strikers too when the same weight because a lower center of gravity is largely advantageous for scoring takedowns and defending them just as more muscle typically coincides with a demand of more explosive movements. Striking wise while you're obviously going to struggle on the outside, you will be more effective on the inside because you make better use of less space due to presumably shorter arms.

It really varies from fighter to fighter but there's definitely advantages to being longer and being more compact. I really don't buy into people constantly saying "length advantage" all the time.

I think we have seen a trend of lanky fighters taking the top spot in their divisions. For example Adesanya, Pereira, Jon Jones, Anderson Silva. They have the range and are difficult to takedown as there’s not much to get a grip around. But shorter guys need to recognise their own advantages too and fulfil their potential.

 

[HuskySamoan]

I think we have seen a trend of lanky fighters taking the top spot in their divisions. For example Adesanya, Pereira, Jon Jones, Anderson Silva. They have the range and are difficult to takedown as there’s not much to get a grip around. But shorter guys need to recognise their own advantages too and fulfil their potential.

This is true to an extent but Anderson and Pereira are terrible examples, Anderson because that was a different era when he was on top and less true in general and Pereira because he was spoon fed a title shot without fighting proper challenges due to the Izzy history.

 

[hswrestler]

A lotta times taller fighters are flat out bigger than their shorter counterparts. Guys like Aljo, postman Khamzat, and Islam while not weight bullies are tall and big for their weight class.

 

[MDoza]

Advantage is you have a smaller frame so can fight in smaller weight classes.

 

[Neck&Neck]

There are some GOAT manlets out there, Faber and DomCruzs’… Joe Rogans
Solid sea level guys

 

[dominion]

If you're under 6'4 why are you in this thread gtf off sherdog you know the rules.

 

[Bos Docken]

There's been enough history of combat sports to show that as a general rule, it's always better to be taller and longer.

It's not an equal thing. Guys like Volk are outliers. Being short has more disadvantages than advantages in fighting.

 

[BigOlJeet]

 

[hswrestler]

There's been enough history of combat sports to show that as a general rule, it's always better to be taller and longer.

It's not an equal thing. Guys like Volk are outliers. Being short has more disadvantages than advantages in fighting.

eh is it?
Matt hughes, bj penn, Eddie Alvarez, urijah Faber, Frankie Edgar, matt serra are all pretty short for mma fighters

You got Frazier, Holyfield, Tyson, hagler, Duran, Quawi, JCC, Sugar Ray Leonard, Cotto, Pac, Mosely, and Floyd as a some short boxers who turned out well.

 

[gracie_barra_samurai]

Gsp made a good point about his fight Vs the taller bisping:

Punching up allows you to use your shoulders as shields while the taller guy is punching down and so his shoulders are down.

 

[Dr. Rose]

If you're shorter, typically you are stronger if you and your opponent are the same weight. So higher strength to weight ratio. You tend to on average hit harder and be more mobile as well. In general, Judokas and Wrestlers are shorter than strikers too when the same weight because a lower center of gravity is largely advantageous for scoring takedowns and defending them just as more muscle typically coincides with a demand of more explosive movements. Striking wise while you're obviously going to struggle on the outside, you will be more effective on the inside because you make better use of less space due to presumably shorter arms.

It really varies from fighter to fighter but there's definitely advantages to being longer and being more compact. I really don't buy into people constantly saying "length advantage" all the time.

Once again, Brilliant. As a short former kickboxer, I think there are some disadvantages.

That has happened to me way too much. Eventually I learned some better angles, but it took awhile.

 

[Bos Docken]

eh is it?
Matt hughes, bj penn, Eddie Alvarez, urijah Faber, Frankie Edgar, matt serra are all pretty short for mma fighters

All fought in a different era of MMA when they were not particularly short for their division. Hughes, Penn, and Serra all fought each other, so by your own categorization those were short guy vs. short guy match ups.

None would have success these days against the taller fighters now populating their divisions. There is a reason Frankie went down to bantamweight. and even then, all of his losses over the past four years have been handed to him by taller opponents.

 

[Dr. Rose]

eh is it?
Matt hughes, bj penn, Eddie Alvarez, urijah Faber, Frankie Edgar, matt serra are all pretty short for mma fighters

You got Frazier, Holyfield, Tyson, hagler, Duran, Quawi, JCC, Sugar Ray Leonard, Cotto, Pac, Mosely, and Floyd as a some short boxers who turned out well.

Hughes, Faber, and Edger were relatively the same height as their early opponents. When they started to get a bit older, they fought taller (and sometimes more rounded) fighters. But your point is well taken, they were successful short fighters.

 

[TempleoftheDog]

I like Glover Texeira game but his problem is he doesn’t much step into his punches and lacks that range.

I says..Pardon?

You’re talking about 6’2” Glover, right?

 

[lefthighkick01]

Thats why guys like Fedor and mike tyson who fought in heavyweight while being 5'11 and 5'9 should be praised more for what they have done as average size guys height wise inthe biggest division.

 

[Poatan Power]

Reach is more important than height. Height usually comes with reach. Guys with long reach without the height do pretty well -- GSP, Volk, McGregor, Khabib, Dustin, Chandler, for example. I think you're better off being average height with long reach.

This is all relative to weight class, of course.

Thats why guys like Fedor and mike tyson who fought in heavyweight while being 5'11 and 5'9 should be praised more for what they have done as average size guys height wise inthe biggest division.

Fedor is a really good example. He's like what, 5'11"? He has a 76" reach. Tyson was 5'10-5'9 with a 71" reach, about average in both regards.

 

[rstringer]

Very Little!

 

[Clark Rogers]

The softer they fall, right?

 

[G10]

Obviously, height matters, but I don’t think it means as much as people think it does. Assuming there’s not a massive size difference, a skilled enough fighter will find ways of using their height, reach, and every other factor to their advantage to win. That’s a major part of the mental aspect of MMA.