What makes a fighter 'smart' fighter?

[Mr Fahrenheit]

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?

When people say “smart” or “fight IQ” I think what they’re very often talking about is composure. I don’t think Kelvin went for a takedown on Adesanya after he hurt him because he’s too dumb to recognize the optimal tactic. I think he was just wrapped up in the moment.

 

[Mr Fahrenheit]

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.

Yes, I agree, and this plays into my own comment in this thread.

I think the planning phase is the simpler of the two and is most closely related to “normal” IQ (as opposed to “fight IQ”). It isn’t rocket science, but the ability to craft an effective gameplan probably tracks pretty closely with normal IQ.

Execution is all about composure IMO. I’m sure we’ve all been in an important moment (game, interview, meeting, test, etc.) and our brain has completely failed to produce the decision, idea, sentence, etc. that it normally would have. I had a fairly smart friend in high school who was inbounding the ball during an important basketball game. He couldn’t decide who to pass to between two different teammates, and ended up tossing the ball to some random point between the two of them. Neither could reach it and a defender collected it. Not a dumb guy, and certainly not incapable of recognizing the choosing a teammate randomly is preferably to throwing the ball away. But his brain failed him under the modest pressure of a high school basketball game.

Maybe I would even slot Execution in at point 1.5, because Adaptability requires more than just the poise to do what you know you’re supposed to do. I agree that Jones in near the top of the heap in this respect. I think confidence breeds composure, and Jones has both in spades.

 

[Redwood101]

Yes, I agree, and this plays into my own comment in this thread.

I think the planning phase is the simpler of the two and is most closely related to “normal” IQ (as opposed to “fight IQ”). It isn’t rocket science, but the ability to craft an effective gameplan probably tracks pretty closely with normal IQ.

Execution is all about composure IMO. I’m sure we’ve all been in an important moment (game, interview, meeting, test, etc.) and our brain has completely failed to produce the decision, idea, sentence, etc. that it normally would have. I had a fairly smart friend in high school who was inbounding the ball during an important basketball game. He couldn’t decide who to pass to between two different teammates, and ended up tossing the ball to some random point between the two of them. Neither could reach it and a defender collected it. Not a dumb guy, and certainly not incapable of recognizing the choosing a teammate randomly is preferably to throwing the ball away. But his brain failed him under the modest pressure of a high school basketball game.

Maybe I would even slot Execution in at point 1.5, because Adaptability requires more than just the poise to do what you know you’re supposed to do. I agree that Jones in near the top of the heap in this respect. I think confidence breeds composure, and Jones has both in spades.

I think you've hit the nail on the head with your idea of composure. Fighters like GSP, Jones, Conor have not only a keenly analytical approach to fighting but the ability to retain their analytical abilities during the fight itself.

There are countless examples of fighters facing adversity and totally abandoning winning game plans.

 

[Kallashnikov]

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?

What makes a fighter smart ? Their brain duh

 

[Riatyn]

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.

so subtle

 

[Sausage_Carius]

Define smart.

You can know better, have better skills than your opponent and be in a position to utterly destroy said opponent but you bail from that position deliberately in a panic no less like an amateur because your coaches are screaming at you to do it and because the gameplan you spent months on called for you not to do what you are doing.

See JJ vs Rose 2 when they clinched as a textbook example.

For me personally? I would have ignored the coaches fucking finished the opponent right then and there and then proceeded to tell the coaches to get fucked for trying to sabotage your fight and leave the gym. To me that's smart. But that's just me.

 

[0-1]

Brains

 

[TheAmericanGazelle]

Behaviors and strategies/adjustments that increase the probability of winning to the maximum extent possible given your opponent and skillset(s).

 

[CUAPO]

Not getting caught juicing. Jons not smart.

 

[I am your real dad]

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.

Jones is not goat, he is a steroid cheat.
And he was rocked by Gus and was getting lit up on the feet by Chael of all people.

 

[Franklin U.]

Being able to effortlessly adapt to opposition and not take damage in doing so and having the longevity of fighting that way. The UFC let an elite leave on a 5 fight win streak who has that exact quality after a 46-6 record and only 33 as we speak. Hes been championed everywhere hes fought in every top promotion....including right now - except UFC where he didnt get his chance in his 12-3 stint under zuffa and 7-1 in fighting out his final contract.

SMH

 

[Mortal Wombat]

Being able to adapt when the game plan is going wrong. Not going for a takedown when you have them rocked from strikes and let them recover or the exact opposite and stand and bang when you can take them down at any time. Really frustrating to watch someone have success whether it be punches or leg kicks and everyone see's the damage but they instead try to do something completely different and lose the fight because of it.

Also not doing stupid shit outside the cage as everyone knows it will ruin your fighting career for some time.

 

[Mike]

What is grammar?