Why is there such a low standard for striking in mma?

MCS said:
I think the level of striking isn't low with the top strikers in MMA, and even what Jouban just did was impressive. Of course pure striking competition offers the highest level usually, but when you put 4 oz gloves on and can kick, knee and elbow, some exchanges are beautiful since you can't hide behind shoulder/glove or wrestle a guy to recover since you get hit in the clinch differently and usually more violently. This means trying to recover using various outside tricks or go for broke.

At a top level like Aldo vs Hominick you get great striking technique, scrambles, Hominick flailing around and then comes back. Same with Jones/Gus and Conor/Nate 2, or Choi/Cub. The striking is dynamic from all ranges and recovery and defense are more fighting for survival than using the ref or equipment to catch a break.
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Agreed ^^^^ I understand what TS is getting at but you can't compare the combat arts you'll get more precision striking in boxing over kickboxing, kickboxing cleaner striking than mma, and all those standards are modified if you're gonna do mma or your ass will get chewed up if you bring pure boxing into a cage it most be adapted.
 
developing sport
financial interest for talented striking fighters growing
ground game obstacle to great for established elite strikes. (scurred)
developing ground game takes away from mastering striking.
 
To say someone has "bad" or "good" striking, you have to set your reference point.

The complexity and multidimensional nature of MMA pretty much automatically makes MMA strikers bad if you set them against their single sport counterparts.

The simple idea of being able to funnel your training hours into one element vs. many is enough to make that happen, let alone how the striking game changes when you have to consider kicks and takedowns.
 
Because you're comparing them to Conor. Not everyone can be #1 dude.
 
Because if you're a good striker by all combats sports standard you're not wasting your time fucking off in mma.
 
king of theRing said:
There is out striked, then their is getting caught
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If it happens every other fight it's not just getting caught. It's legit being outstruck every time. Overeem is the best kickboxer in the world but just an average striker in MMA.
 
Yes generally speaking MMA striking is poor.

But there are also a few very good strikers in MMA though.
 
king of theRing said:
Idk maybe cause kickboxing was my first love and love boxing, but just so many times I look back and see some of most memorable fights in mma from viewers eyes, had the worst striking I have ever seen in my life.....Then zombie vs Garcia 1( I preferred the 2nd) which was like a elementary school level.
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Love those elementary school MMA matches.
 
I think a big component of it is the expectation.

Example being this:

Holly Holm is constantly promoted as an elite female boxer, so you expect striking prowess and you see it immediately.

You then get told that Sage Northcutt is a 3rd degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and Karate, then you see him get dropped by a guy with zero striking background in Mickey Gall.

It just leaves a sour taste in your mouth, because you feel like you're being lied to.

Quite simply, the majority of them are just not very good at striking.
 
If you havent figured this out already then maybe you should stick to other sports
 
superpunch said:
If it happens every other fight it's not just getting caught. It's legit being outstruck every time. Overeem is the best kickboxer in the world but just an average striker in MMA.
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Ohhh see i thought when you outstrike someone, you don't get completely out struck for 99% of the fight till you finally catch them(oops there it is again) I mean outstrike them.
 
Because training in MMA is not easy. You have hundreds of differents aspects of martial arts that you also need practice. Punching, kicking, kneeing, elbowing, takedowns, top game, bottom game, submission defense/offense, cage wrestling... etc. You only have 24hs in one day, minus sleep and rest, there is so much you can work on.

Thats why MMA fighters often focus on their skills and weaknesses, rarely investing the same amount of time in every aspect in MMA.
 
blacknblue104 said:
Easy to say if you've never trained or fought in MMA...I'm a big fan of boxing, kickboxing and MMA but there are major differences between a sport that's strictly striking and a sport like MMA.

The presence of grappling and extended clinches takes a heavy toll on your stamina. Take a high level boxer/kickboxer and make them grapple for 5-10 minutes and see if it doesn't take a heavy toll on their stamina, quickness, strength, movement, etc.

Not to mention that a lot of traditional boxing and kickboxing techniques don't directly translate to MMA. An upright stance is great for Muay Thai but horrible for MMA, it gets you taken down constantly.

The Philly Shell is great for boxing if used correctly, but it's bad for MMA because it leaves your feet stationary for an extended period of time (again, leaves you vunerable to takedowns). You also have to be careful using standard boxing techniques like a bob and weave because of the presence of knees and high kicks from a further distance.

Those are just a few examples, but you get the idea. Not to mention that MMA fighters have to train 6 different disciplines as well as strength, conditioning, and other aspects of the game.

MMA striking isn't the exact same as boxing or kickboxing because of the addition of so many different variables. Regardless though, MMA has only been around 25 years it's still in it's infancy- it's definitely evolving though, even compared to 10 years ago.

For the vast majority of the sports history, MMA has been grappler heavy- You can attribute that to the fact that grapplers have proven to be more effective in the MAJORITY of high level MMA fights thus far, and you can also attribute it to the fact that a lot of high level strikers go to other sports like boxing because of bigger purses.

Either way the UFC gaining more exposure and paying their fighters more money will help draw more strikers and athletes in the long run. The sport has to continue to evolve and play out though- fighters are "grappling heavy" and "strength/conditioning heavy" now because that's what's been proven to be effective.

The sport as a whole will evolve a ton in the next 20-30 years though, it's nowhere near peaked LOL.
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To all my "Didn't Read" Bandits take a little time read THIS ^^^^ TRUTH ^^^^ going on...
 
It's been a long time since I wrote at sherdog, but I just had to make a comment this time ;)

I've been doing martial arts since 1989 and come from a family of boxers, one even with great acclaim. I've trained with top fighters, been in the national team in one sport and gone through most efficient stand-up sports for my leisure. I consider myself a very proficient stand-up fighter (even though getting old now).

Take it for what you want, believe it or not but..

My experience is this, with pure stand-up rules some mma fighters are not world beaters. But they didn't train for that did they?!

However, when you then spar or fight in mma rules that same fighter tends to beat you even in the stand-up game. It's because the foundations change, you can't keep the same footwork, you can't keep the same postures and positions due to the risk of being taken down. The cage is also larger than most sports rings so you need to cover more ground as well so the range changes.

Only time it changes is with fighters that are world class standing up but don't mid getting taken down because their bottom game is awesome.

So you can't judge mma-standup with boxing, Thai or kickboxing eyes. You have to see it for what it is, different.
 
To be honest there isn't. There's just more going on. If you used a textbook boxing stance you'd have your legs kicked in half. If you used a narrow Muay Thai stance you'd be piss easy to take down.

Fighters have to balance basically a wrestling stance with bareknuckle kickboxing and exhaustion and the results sometimes look silly. I don't understand why people consider this such a mystery.

Fans are quick to say X sucks rather than question their own perspective, which is probably missing key information and based on inexperience.
 
It keeps improving and will continue to.
 
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