Just some thoughts about MMA strikers and wrestlers.
 

Hi, just wanted to throw out some thoughts and opinions. I'm a 40 year old Brit.

I have the utmost respect to Chung Lee for his recent knockout or Rich Franklin. great card and great entertainment, commiserations to Rich Franklin.

But I wish fighters wouldn't do that whole OMG I can't believe I knocked him out celebration, because it confirms my feeling that when two MMA strikers fight, it seems so random who wins. not only that during the fight is often so achingly tentative is almost horrible to watch. And then there's a flurry and one of the fighters goes down and I'm left thinking what does that really prove.

Also, I am ashamed to say, but I am getting a little squeamish about the brutality, particularly against fighters that you get to like over the years. I was genuinely worried for Rich Franklin when he went down.

Anyway onto the positive, I never thought I would say this, but I've really started to love watching dominant wrestlers. It almost seems like a non-violent martial art, but it's absolutely hilarious how a dominant wrestler can completely shut another fighter down. I give you the 'Stun Gun' to me that was the most enjoyable fight by a mile.

I agree with your point. I don't want to see people "have a war" or "stand and bang". I want to see someone genuinely beat someone else (which cung did btw. Weird you'd complain about a KO when there are so many early stoppages out there.)

Give me a Royce submission over a Tito or Chuck KO anyday.

Usually the smarter striker wins it isn't random. Condit/Diaz is an example of this in one way and Cung/Franklin is in another way. The former took away what his opponent does best while standing the latter used what his opponent was doing to knock him out.

Well said Sir!!:thumbsup:

Check out some more vids, but if you get a chance train at your local gym. They usually offer free trials. If you enjoy it continue for a few months or so. Within that time frame you'll gain a better perspective on the training regimen that goes on with recreational fighters then times that by 10 and you'll see how much work gets put into training alone for pros. Luck is still an element in any sport, but over the long term it is skills that differentiate from the lower to higher tiered fighters.

I consider it an art form when mastered. If you think about it, fighting in it's purest form is chaotic. It's now become sanctioned with referees and you see practitioners who have trained all their lives putting on shows.

I know what you're saying, and I agree, but I'm not sure the Le/Franklin fight is the best example. I still think Franklin wins that fight 4/5 times, he just got caught.

He didn't get caught. Le checked the kick and immediately threw a hook that connected right on the button. It's not like Le is an abysmal striker who got lucky. He knew what he was doing.

That just means you're a big fan, I was nearly reduced to tears after Alves/Kampmann and I still to this day refuse to watch that and BJ Penn vs. Nick Diaz. Even though those weren't KO's like Le/Franklin it's just a part of the sport. That Franklin KO was nasty though, especially the way he went down, complete face plant into the canvas.

And yeah, the Stun-Gun fight was awesome completely owned him in every aspect, Paulo's a pretty decent grappler too, Fitch/Silva and Stun-Gun/Paulo are good fights to watch for some exciting grappling.

This guys articles do a great job of clarifying a lot of the mess that is MMA striking. Check out his Macau breakdown. Makes what goes on a lot less random and more intelligible.

http://www.sbnation.com/users/Jack%20Slack/blog

I don't agree with anything the OP said.

Maybe Franklin does win 4/5 times. He wins 0/5 times using the same strategy though. A vet like Rich gave a ***** leg kick (to Cung Le of all people) and then raised his chin into the air as if to say "here you go!". It was an amateur move by Rich, who knows better.

If he came in 5 times with his chin exposed like that he would lose 5 times.

Cung is a KO artist and lifetime striker. There was nothing random about that. He saw his chin sitting there, he threw a hard punch, he landed, Rich went down. He probably trains automatic right hand after a leg kick to that side every day of his life.

As for the OP...Cung Le as a big underdog at 40 years old, just had the biggest win of his career. The first UFC event ever in China...and you want him to be less ecstatic about it? Very odd.