Why isnt there more Karate in UFC?

[Mesos]

Karate is an extremely effective Martial Arts and it can be adapted well into mma.

Notable Karate strikers in UFCs history

Robert Whittaker, former champ
Lyoto Machida, former champ
GSP, some say goat, but definitely one of top 3 all time greats
Kyoji Horicuchi, Rizin champ, UFC contender
Gunnar Nelson, solid fighter in wrong weight class
Stephen Wonderbread Thompson, consistent top 5 welterweight
Conor Mcgregor in his prime used some karate elements in Boxing.
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Karate is clearly very effective and I am surprised more fighters dont use it. So my question is where is all the karate talent at?

Mma just seems overrun with muay thai and Boxing style striking

 

[hogwash]

Buddy, they all are

 

[DragRacer]

Because in UFC the boards hit back

 

[GoodBadHBK]

 

[r-harper-1]

Ole wonderbread Thompson lmfao

 

[Blayt7hh]

Because it’s not very good overall. Very few fighters can make it work. Most fighters with a karate base don’t use it. You wouldn’t know GSP did karate by watching his fights

 

[Mesos]

Because it’s not very good overall. Very few fighters can make it work. Most fighters with a karate base don’t use it. You wouldn’t know GSP did karate by watching his fights

Watch some GSP interviews, he give his Karate Background alot of credit for developing his striking accuracy, timing and his footwork.

ffs man he always walked out like this

 

[Mesos]

Because in UFC the boards hit back

 

[LoveMyMMA]

Giga Chikadze is also a karate striker.

 

[campbecc]

Watch some GSP interviews, he give his Karate Background alot of credit for developing his striking accuracy, timing and his footwork.

ffs man he always walked out like this

yeah he did because that was his first martial art and where learned the basics, but his style was based on boxing and wrestling. Basically nothing he did was a Karate technique.

 

[FIghtxIQ]

Because it’s not very good overall. Very few fighters can make it work. Most fighters with a karate base don’t use it. You wouldn’t know GSP did karate by watching his fights

Actually GSP credits his karate base for his success. It's how he uses distance management and timing to set up everything in mma. He just doesn't strike much anymore after getting knocked out, except for his return fight vs Bisping - he was actually more aggressive with his striking in that fight and got a knockdown on Bisping.

 

[FIghtxIQ]

yeah he did because that was his first martial art and where learned the basics, but his style was based on boxing and wrestling. Basically nothing he did was a Karate technique.

You need to go back to GSP explain his karate base in mma. You'll get a better understanding of it. All techniques and styles have to be adjusted for mma. You can't use those specialized style exactly the same as you would in mma, every martial arts style has to be adjusted for mma.

 

[FIghtxIQ]

The reason there isn't a lot is because there isn't a lot of legit karate dojos teaching full contact karate. A lot is bullshit-do style. They don't do full contact training/sparring so they will never get into any type of full combat sport. The ones that did do full contact training/competition usually find their way into mma.

A lot also don't train it because it's not one of the 4 basic mma mixtures that people are used to seeing. It's usually boxing/kickboxing, wrestling, bjj as the basic base that is taught for mma. Those are the styles you'll see at most mma gyms. So if people wanted to actually train/learn karate they would have to learn it separately and have to also find one that can teach it in a way to be effective for mma. Which is also difficult because most karate style fighters stay away from mma/kickboxing/muay thai because those striking styles can exploit their striking style if they don't cross train.

Just look at the skill level at Karate Combat and compare it to high level kickboxing/mma striking. There is a reason why Karate Combat doesn't allow thigh kicks. They don't want kickboxers/muay thai based fighters fighting karate style fighters.

Karate can be effective, but cross training is needed in order to know how to properly apply it. It isn't effective by itself because there are too many holes in it's striking game vs the modern striking combat martial arts who's whole martial arts is based on full contact competition.

 

[Nightwish]

Where is Michelle???

 

[Blayt7hh]

Watch some GSP interviews, he give his Karate Background alot of credit for developing his striking accuracy, timing and his footwork.

ffs man he always walked out like this

Oh wow I never seen him in that before.

 

[Pain4Pain]

Need good reflexes, speed, and hip dexterity to make it work like Machida/Thompson. It takes a lot more time to refine Karate than does boxing. Same with BJJ and wrestling, very few people can do what Demian Maia can do since it requires incredible skill.

 

[Patrick Jane]

Too deadly.

 

[First Day UFC Intern]

Does Wushu or Kung-fu(?) count?

 

[Arrrrgh]

Where is Michelle???

Making tiktok dances with Holly?

 

[StonedLemur]

The reason there isn't a lot is because there isn't a lot of legit karate dojos teaching full contact karate. A lot is bullshit-do style. They don't do full contact training/sparring so they will never get into any type of full combat sport. The ones that did do full contact training/competition usually find their way into mma.

A lot also don't train it because it's not one of the 4 basic mma mixtures that people are used to seeing. It's usually boxing/kickboxing, wrestling, bjj as the basic base that is taught for mma. Those are the styles you'll see at most mma gyms. So if people wanted to actually train/learn karate they would have to learn it separately and have to also find one that can teach it in a way to be effective for mma. Which is also difficult because most karate style fighters stay away from mma/kickboxing/muay thai because those striking styles can exploit their striking style if they don't cross train.

Just look at the skill level at Karate Combat and compare it to high level kickboxing/mma striking. There is a reason why Karate Combat doesn't allow thigh kicks. They don't want kickboxers/muay thai based fighters fighting karate style fighters.

Karate can be effective, but cross training is needed in order to know how to properly apply it. It isn't effective by itself because there are too many holes in it's striking game vs the modern striking combat martial arts who's whole martial arts is based on full contact competition.

Said like a complete gentleman sir.