Perfect timing. Joe Valtellini talked, literally, about why low calf kicks are more common in MMA in the last podcast episode. He's comparing it to kickboxing but the same thing applies for why it's not as threatening in Muay Thai too. He also goes into the Philly shell.
It's great folks from other sports can educate folks on this. I talk to too many purists from boxing or Muay Thai and such who don't understand MMA striking is just different. There's overlap, but MMA fighters aren't worse because they get hit with calf kicks more. They just just have different demands which brings about a different stance. Different stances have different strengths and weaknesses.
The same way a high guard is more consistent in kickboxing than MMA, or peek-a-boo stance being way better in boxing than MMA.
Last edited by StyleTime on Jan 30th, 2021 at 05:17 AM
Yeah to be honest if you have a good check and plum in Muay thai, you can negate leg kicks effectively. I think the best offence and least used in MMA against boxers and wrestlers is the outside leg kick to the lead leg.
thing is ST in the early days of MMA people knew bladed stances didn't work against leg kicks, it's how pure TaeKwonDo fighters were exposed in cross style fights. The long guard as we have discussed before, I still feel is underused. Fedor and Rutten had Great success with a long guard variant.
True. I was mixing separate issues there: the karate stance at long range vs close range, and the anti-MMA crowd.
I think bladed stance fighters also suffers in the ring vs a cage. We see karate stances more often in MMA since they can't be pushed into a corner like in a boxing ring.
The other part was me just talking generally about certain purists. There is an idea that MMA striking was "bad" from fans of other sports. They compare MMA striking to their own sport, forgetting that MMA different strategies. High level MMA striking is Max Holloway or Alexander Volkanovski. It looks different from a Cedric Doumbe or a Lumpinee Stadium champ.
I know that's not what you were saying though. I'm just happy more kickboxers and such can explain to fans who don't watch MMA that it's just a different thing, even if there's overlap.
Same way submission grappling changes in MMA. Pulling guard and being on bottom is generally considered a losing position in MMA, unless you actually get a submission. Can't give up takedowns freely, so takedown defense is much higher in MMA. Base level of wrestling is higher, especially in America. Leglocks are riskier. Berimbolo isn't common. Etc.
Last edited by StyleTime on Jan 31st, 2021 at 05:41 AM
I picked Kamaru to win but holy shit that was crazy. Brad Burns was assumed to be the bigger striking threat, and Kamaru TKO's him at the start of RD3.
Who is even next for Kamaru? Leon Edwards? Chimaev? A rematch with Colby?
I don't want to speak too early, but Kamaru will likely have this belt for a while.
And this is late but Cory Sandhagen vs Frankie Edgar. I like Cory but it's always a bit of a bummer when a legend gets flying knee KO'd like that.
Last edited by StyleTime on Feb 15th, 2021 at 09:42 PM
Tonight is Stylebender vs Jan. I'm really interested in this. Analysts say Stylebender will blow Jan out the water. I do think Stylebender is the more skilled striker, but it's still his first fight at LHW. I'm hesitant for that reason. While Jan's grappling is mostly only Greco-Roman style stuff in the clinch, this could be interesting if he mixes it up a lot. I'm rooting for Stylebender all day, but I don't think we can look past Jan here. On the other hand, it is a fair point that Jan hasn't actually beaten any high level strikers--there aren't really any at LHW compared to other divisions.
Petr Yan vs Aljamain Sterling is going to be incredible. Not sure who to take, as they are both so good.
Amanda Nunes vs Megan Anderson---yeah, they ran out of women for Amanda to fight.
It's also crazy that Dominick Cruz is on the prelims now...
Last edited by StyleTime on Mar 6th, 2021 at 09:51 PM
Well, yeeeaah. There goes any Jones vs Stylebender talk. I voiced my reservations above, but Jan really proved it. Jan is skilled and huge. The fact that Izzy didnt even make the weight limit says a lot. I'm impressed he took the fight to a decision tbh. Jan was competitive in the striking and completely dominated the grappling. Combining the two was just too much. Stylebender will continue to dominate the MW division, but it's safe to say size matters when moving to LHW.
Petr vs Aljo----that was just a bummer all around. It appears Petr's corner told him it was legal to throw that knee, so he listened and got DQ'd. Aljo didn't want to "win" like that and it's not the ending anyone wanted to see. I'm sure there will be a rematch, although Petr was definitely winning regardless.
Amanda vs Megan----Went exactly as you'd expect it to.
Last edited by StyleTime on Mar 7th, 2021 at 11:57 PM
So, Francis Ngannou is your new HW champ. He only needed to add that defensive wrestling to his game and he did. Even DC complimented his technique, as he shut down Stipe's takedown early and took Stipe's back while delivering a lot of punches. It was so much punishment that Stipe didn't want to try again, and least not without a way better setup.
Seeing Ngannou KO'ing him after outfighting him the rest of the fight too makes me think Ngannou will break the record for HW title defenses. I really don't see anyone beating him, apart from possibly Derrick Lewis down the road.
Everyone should also check Ngannou's episode on JRE. It was great hearing his backstory.
And of course, Jon Jones vs Ngannou is the big discussion right now. Dana claims Jones is asking for such an absurd amount of money that it indicates he doesn't actually want the fight.
I don't know what the details are behind all that, but I've always maintained Jones would look way more vulnerable at heavyweight. Ngannou could totally knock Jones's head off just like Stipe.
Ngannou is SO big and he has a more rounded out game to back it up now.
The card looks pretty solid. Kamaru is definitely the favorite in the rematch against Masvidal. That said, Masvidal does actually have a full camp this time, and he did manage to go to a decision on only a week's notice the first time.
Kamaru is obviously the greatest Welterweight right now, but if he does have a "weakness", Burns did show that Usman is as vulnerable to an early KO as anyone else. Jorge's KO wins generally come in the early rounds too. So who knows?
I still back Usman here. Usman is like GSP, where he improves every fight despite already being the best. It's possible Usman's defense is too good now, BUT I do think there's a small chance Jorge could catch him.
Valentina should beat Andrade though.
Rose vs Weili is really interesting. I'm leaning towards Weili right now, but I need to think on it some more.
Last edited by StyleTime on Apr 20th, 2021 at 10:34 PM
Yup yup. Usmans striking looked better than ever against burns. I think he can keep up with masvidal in the striking dept imo. Its gonna be a war.
Agreed, Valentina is too crafty for Andrade. I’m definitely rooting for rose, I think she packs a heavier punch. Zhang has that champion mentality tho.
Colbys on deck, but he should fight one more time. He beat woodley, (who was on a losing streak) and didn’t really look impressive doing it compared to others.
Wild event. Highly recommend. There were only four decisions on the entire card, and zero decisions on the main card.
Usman/Masvidal--Yep, Usman's striking is coming along nicely. Masvidal laughed off the early hits, but it was obvious Usman was landing. Usman's KO doesn't surprise me tbh.
Valentina/Andrade-- Also, yep. I've said it before, but people sleep on Valentina's grappling. She isn't a bottom player, and people confuse that with all grappling. She is more of a Judo/Wrestler style grappler, and her top game is tremendous with elite takedowns and defense. She ragdolled someone like Jessica Andrade, and it must have been demoralizing. That was the area many folks assume Andrade would have the edge in, and Valentina outclassed her AND finished her on the ground. That Mounted Crucifix + elbows to the face was nasty.
It's kinda funny. Usman showed his striking is underrated just like Valentina showed her wrestling is underrated.
Rose/Zhang-- I knew Rose winning was possible, but an early KO in round 1? I don't think anyone predicted she'd win like that
Weidman/Uriah Hall-- Wow. Weidman really came full circle with this. He snapped his legged during a low kick the exact same way Anderson Silva did in their rematch. Chris seems like a nice guy, and he will always have the honor of dethroning Silva--That said man, he's must be realizing it's time to hang up the gloves. He's got 2 wins out of his last 8 fights, one against an unranked fighter and one against someone who should be at Welterweight.
I know this was technically an injury, but he's already 36. It's not like he's a Jones, DC, Wonderboy, or Jan Blachowicz and still winning at that age. If he just loves fighting, then go for it. I just don't see things improving for him though.
Stylebender, Whittaker, Till, Costa, Cannonier, Brunson, Hermansson, Vettori...I don't see Weidman realistically beating any of the top Middleweights. I'm not confident he was going to beat Hall either tbh.
Last edited by StyleTime on Apr 26th, 2021 at 02:33 AM
They coaxed me, I did what I was raised to do, and then when the cracked the egg in '51 my victim, "Stephen Hawking", who they based Mason Verger off, misled the public hellas.
I also neglected to praise Robert Whittaker for his performance against Gastelum prior to this last event.
Whittaker looked incredible in all areas, and still has beaten every other top contender he's faced. It seems like a rematch with Stylebender is inevitable. Whittaker is still so god damn good and one of my favorites.
Last edited by StyleTime on Apr 27th, 2021 at 05:14 PM
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Jan 30th, 2021 05:03 AM
I like Cory but it's always a bit of a bummer when a legend gets flying knee KO'd like that.
