Why is it so hard for MMA fighters to keep their hands up in the pocket ?

[rstringer]

I get that they have to be wary of a take down at all times but when you make a decision to enter the pocket not getting knocked the fuck out is more important than preventing the takedown.

If you rewatch most of the KOs you will see that it's due to a high chin and hands low in the pocket.

Even seasoned strikers like Aldo make this mistake that's why Conor knocked him out in 13 seconds.

Why is this so hard for MMA fighters to do? I don't get it.

 

[KAZSoliloquy]

because mma fighters are bad at striking. this is because you always need to be wary of a takedown.

 

[rstringer]

because mma fighters are bad at striking. this is because you always need to be wary of a takedown.

I don't get your logic ,are you saying being wary of a takedown makes everyone a bad striker ?

 

[Cat Biscuits]

Because they're not training exclusively for boxing, and probably didn't come from a boxing background, so it's not something that is 2nd nature to them. And with having to cover so many different aspects in MMA, things get lost in the mix.

I do remember that Rampage had a great guard in the pocket. One of the more impressive ones in MMA.

 

[KAZSoliloquy]

I don't get your logic ,are you saying being wary of a takedown makes everyone a bad striker ?

yes. incorporating grappling makes effective striking 10000x times harder.

 

[Pequeño Corey]

It’s tiring on the arms

 

[moreorless87]

Smaller gloves make a big difference on defence, they make it very difficult to have a watertight defence via high guard.

Exchanging very close in is far more dangerous in MMA than boxing/kickboxing as a result.

 

[Randy Fandy Fo Fanders]

If MMA fighters read Sherdog on a regular basis I’m sure we could all teach them how to be better fighters.

 

[samuelsoncast]

I get that they have to be wary of a take down at all times but when you make a decision to enter the pocket not getting knocked the fuck out is more important than preventing the takedown.

If you rewatch most of the KOs you will see that it's due to a high chin and hands low in the pocket.

Even seasoned strikers like Aldo make this mistake that's why Conor knocked him out in 13 seconds.

Why is this so hard for MMA fighters to do? I don't get it.

Funny you say that because a lot of Conor's susceptibility was when he kept his hands high to close distance and fight in le Poquet.

 

[Kryptt]

It's really not. They will just pay for it if they do.

Styles and Fights or something like that.

Now the high chin is def an issue to gnaw on.

 

[rstringer]

Funny you say that because a lot of Conor's susceptibility was when he kept his hands high to close distance and fight in le Poquet.

Well that's my point , did he get eber knocked out ? No. He got taken down which is a whole lot better.

 

[rstringer]

Smaller gloves make a big difference on defence, they make it very difficult to have a watertight defence via high guard.

Exchanging very close in is far more dangerous in MMA than boxing/kickboxing as a result.

Agreed but better to cover up with small gloves than not at all, don't you think ?

 

[rstringer]

Because they're not training exclusively for boxing, and probably didn't come from a boxing background, so it's not something that is 2nd nature to them. And with having to cover so many different aspects in MMA, things get lost in the mix.

I do remember that Rampage had a great guard in the pocket. One of the more impressive ones in MMA.

Well boxing is a major component of MMA and it just a real basic principle, why would you neglect it when it is the one vulnerability that can cause you permanent brain damage and shorten your career ?

 

[Fedora Millionankles]

I get that they have to be wary of a take down at all times but when you make a decision to enter the pocket not getting knocked the fuck out is more important than preventing the takedown.

If you rewatch most of the KOs you will see that it's due to a high chin and hands low in the pocket.

Even seasoned strikers like Aldo make this mistake that's why Conor knocked him out in 13 seconds.

Why is this so hard for MMA fighters to do? I don't get it.

Aldo was countered while throwing a punch. If you think it’s possible to throw punches while “keeping your hands up in the pocket” then it’s obvious that you’ve never trained MMA a day in your life; which is precisely why you dont understand, and low-key belittle pro fighters.

 

[Fedora Millionankles]

Well that's my point , did he get eber knocked out ? No. He got taken down which is a whole lot better.

Dustin KO’d him in their second fight and Khabib dropped him because, you guessed it, the threat of the takedown.
Anything else you want to be proven wrong on?

 

[Yep]

Because it ain’t boxing

 

[Fedora Millionankles]

Well boxing is a major component of MMA and it just a real basic principle, why would you neglect it when it is the one vulnerability that can cause you permanent brain damage and shorten your career ?

Do you realize that getting taken down by Cain or Khabib was virtually guaranteed to leave you with CTE after the bout. Getting the Big Foot Silva or JDS treatment on the ground is far worse for your career and your brain than a single punch standing.
You sound like someone who won a couple schoolyard fights in your day which has given you and inflated sense of understanding of a sport you know very little about.
How did you get so confident in your ignorance.

 

[OldBoy91]

Combination of things.

Grappling/takedown threat, more squared off stance meaning a larger target to hit, which also links back to the takedown threat.

Smaller gloves which makes a lot of the defense that boxers and kickboxers employ doesn't work in MMA.

Less time in training dedicated to pure striking, when you have to set aside time to train every aspect of MMA it's harder to become a master in any individual one.

That's why you see almost every successful kickboxer that transitions over to MMA basically all have ko/tko losses on their record to far inferior pure strikers.

 

[rstringer]

Aldo was countered while throwing a punch. If you think it’s possible to throw punches while “keeping your hands up in the pocket” then it’s obvious that you’ve never trained MMA a day in your life; which is precisely why you dont understand, and low-key belittle pro fighters.

I am not belittling anyone and I don't have to be a participant to know when something is not correct.

What you assert about Aldo is wrong he went into the pocket with his hand high but not high enough, so instinctly he knew what the right thing to do is , he just didn't do it well enough.

 

[Fedora Millionankles]

I am not belittling anyone and I don't have to be a participant to know when something is not correct.

What you assert about Aldo is wrong he went into the pocket with his hand high but not high enough, so instinctly he knew what the right thing to do is , he just didn't do it well enough.

“I don’t have to be a participant to know…” Dunning-Kruger at its finest.