What makes a fighter 'smart' fighter?

[JustOnce]

I think Fedor, the GOAT, stressed the importance of ability to think as a fighter in one of his interviews, and one of the very well known trainer, I think JAckson, also referred to him as very smart fighter.

On the other hand, Bruce Lee was quoted in a movie or maybe in an interview, how you don't think, but feel. I think something similar along that line was what Michael Jackson once said about dancing, which is another form of physical expression using your body. Boxing for instance is in a way dancing with your partner, but trying to rip his head off.

So, what makes a fighter smart? IS it an ability to stick to a game plan? But, it's mere adherence. Is it being able to use faints/set ups/combinations? But it's just as much to do with techniques. What makes fighter 'smart' fighter?

 

[weeesel]

winning without taking any damage is pretty smart

 

[chitoortiz]

winning without taking any damage is pretty smart

Bingo.

GSP had the best fight IQ in the game.

 

[TheToqueville]

Came, saw the word "GOAT"

Didn't see Bones, the 1 guy who's never even been rocked by another man, let alone beaten, anywhere in the OP.

Left.

 

[JustOnce]

Saw the word "GOAT"

Didn't see Bones, the 1 guy who's never even been rocked by another man, anywhere in the OP

Left.

Bye. Take this dick pill with you.

 

[joeyjoejoe]

Composure and the training to take advantage of your opponents mistakes and the experience to know what your capable of.

 

[JustOnce]

Composure and the training to take advantage of your opponents mistakes and the experience to know what your capable of.

i like this one. hm.

 

[Sweater of AV]

Being Fedor.

 

[mcf4]

Sometimes it’s sticking to a well constructed gameplan, and sometimes it is adapting to your opponent’s strengths and weaknesses. The smartest are able to do both.

 

[JustOnce]

Being Fedor.

you know, Bruce Lee once wore a t shirt with stripes like that, but not as colorful. Used to wear a t shirt like that just because Bruce Lee wore it. But Fedor has a sweater like that. Coincidence?

 

[Better Every Day]

What makes fighter 'smart' fighter?

Lots of different things.

But, to give one example, if you clearly are winning the stand-up battle, and knock your opponent down, and your opponent is a strong ground-fighter, you might be very smart to back off and let the ref stand your opponent up again, rather than join your opponent on the ground, no matter how strong your feelings might be driving you to pursue and not back off.

 

[JustOnce]

Lots of different things.

But, to give one example, if you clearly are winning the stand-up battle, and knock your opponent down, and your opponent is a strong ground-fighter, you might be very smart to back off and let the ref stand your opponent up again, rather than join your opponent on the ground, no matter how strong your feelings might be driving you to not back off.

you'd think that but fedor is considered smart fighter but he gave no fucks

 

[FreddieRoachsVoice]

This guy again ... I fully see why I have you ignored

 

[Normot]

Smart fighter is bullshit. It's actually being a tough fighter. Everyone has a game plan, it's not the smarter fighter who sticks to it, it's the tougher fighter. It take a tough man to actually stick with a gameplan or do what needs to be done even though their body is screaming at them.

 

[Doctor Lenovo]

I think the smartest fighter in the world is one who doesn't train for a specific opponent. He or she just trains proper attack and defense. When they step inside the Octagon, they can quickly see what the opponent is doing, adjust and win the fight with minimal damage.

For example, this means the smartest fighter knows when he/she throws a jab, the opponent can only counter with certain strikes and grappling techniques. Therefore, the smartest fighter learns to throw the jab in the most cost vs benefit effective position.

It is almost like chess. The pieces can only move a certain way. So, you need to know how every piece moves, and make the moves that put you in a great position.

Many fighters are just dancers regurgitating choreographed moves. I don't think they really know fighting on the level of "If I throw a right handed jab, then a southpaw fighter can counter me with a, b, c and d. So, I better throw a jab when I am in this position to avoid damage."

 

[Bacco]

 

[Istryker]

The ability to make fight changing decisions on the fly and not take much damage. There are a lot of dumb fighters in boxing (and ufc) who only have one style of attacking and going about their fights and if they go behind in the cards or something then their fucked

 

[YourOnlineHero]

Smart fighters make lots of money in the long run.

 

[sapporo ichiban]

I would say the ability to get a read of the strengths of your opponent and stifle those strengths, making your opponent spend more energy than you and knowing when to switch gears and apply the pressure.
I hear the word finish all the time but I would say it should be working toward the goal of making the other guy less and less effective until they are unable to continue. It is not a crash but more like a constrictor making adjustments to squeeze their prey to death.

This is of course much different if your opponent is a bum, then you would just get him out right away. A coach told me when I was a kid not to go after the knockout, if I went in to find control and win the whole match, I would have better odds of getting the knockout.

 

[Redwood101]

There are two key things that, once I've seen fighters do, makes me think of them as a 'smart' fighter:

1. Planning. If a fighter fights according to a well-constructed gameplan which utilises their strengths and attempts to minimise their opponents' then that is smart (See: Jones' game plan vs Gustaffson in the rematch for a great recent example and see: Rumble's gameplan vs DC in their rematch for a poor example).

2. Adaptability. Some fighters can construct brilliant gameplans yet fail to adequately react and change it in response to their opponents' actions. Jones is very good at this; look at the transition from getting caught with big shots against DC in the clinch to effectively neutralizing DC's offense in the clinch as the fight progresses.

I'll stop here so this isn't just a super obnoxious wall of text.