After Roy Nelson defeated Cheick Kongo via spectacular knockout at UFC 159, many fans are already clamoring for a title shot for Big Country. The question is, would Nelson’s skills be enough to defeat the champ? Or is he one of the great strikers …
After Roy Nelson defeated Cheick Kongo via spectacular knockout at UFC 159, many fans are already clamoring for a title shot for Big Country.
The question is, would Nelson’s skills be enough to defeat the champ? Or is he one of the great strikers whom many thought are bound to win a championship but in the end have fallen short?
Over the years, there were several fighters in the UFC who became contenders due to their superb striking skills. But to the dismay of many, their KO prowess was not enough to bring them to the top echelon.
Here is my list of powerful strikers who are overrated contenders.
Each UFC champion has his own skill set that makes him stand out among other competitors in his respective division. Having analyzed the promotion’s current list of champions, it’s nice to see some of them resembling former fighters that ar…
Each UFC champion has his own skill set that makes him stand out among other competitors in his respective division.
Having analyzed the promotion’s current list of champions, it’s nice to see some of them resembling former fighters that are now included in the UFC Hall of Fame.
The following slides detail the similarities of four of UFC’s current champs with its Hall of Famers.
UFC 158: St. Pierre vs. Diaz became the stepping stone to one of the most intriguing title fights in UFC history when the Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre successfully defended his title, and top contender Johnny Hendricks defeated Carlos Condi…
UFC 158: St. Pierre vs. Diaz became the stepping stone to one of the most intriguing title fights in UFC history when the Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre successfully defended his title, and top contender Johnny Hendricks defeated Carlos Condit.
After the victory of both fighters, it was announced that the next challenger for St. Pierre will be no other than Hendricks.
But as much as most pundits think that the new challenger has the Champ’s number, I would not want to jump this early on the bandwagon.
Many say that Hendricks’ wrestling and powerful striking will present great trouble for St. Pierre. But for me, this actually should work the other way around.
Striking
The challenger surely can hit hard, but the Champion has proven several times that he can make a fight a technical boxing match, wherein he can utilize his jabs and angles to avoid being hit by a powerful knockout punch. One instance of this is during his fight with Josh Koscheck, wherein the fight remained on the feet, working well to St. Pierre’s advantage.
If the Champ can make his matchup with Hendricks a technical boxing match and avoid the latter’s powerful left hand, I believe he can neutralize the challenger’s strength in the last rounds.
During Condit vs. Hendricks, the striking advantage swings to the “Natural Born Killer” at Round 3. If the fight has two more rounds, Condit may have gotten the decision for the fight.
Predictability is the key. St. Pierre’s striking is more diverse than Hendricks’. If the Champ can get accustomed to the challenger’s striking rhythm, he can use his angles to avoid hard shots and land his own strikes.
Wrestling
In my opinion, wrestling will be neutralized in this fight, given that both fighters are highly skilled in this aspect.
This would actually favor St. Pierre. When the fight turns out to be a striking match, Hendricks has the tendency to go for takedowns when he is being outstroked. The Champ should use wrestling in reverse to avoid being taken down.
Meanwhile, if Hendricks gains success in his takedowns, St. Pierre will not be in trouble as the former’s ground striking can be neutralized with excellent jiu-jitsu techniques (see Hendricks vs. Condit). The Champ can also easily work his way up, given his tremendous upper body strength.
Conclusion
Hendricks is not the fighter who could dethrone St. Pierre. The Champ should be able to defend his title by another unanimous decision.
UFC 158 features two of the most highly rated MMA welterweights in the world in a bout which determines the best fighter in the UFC’s multi-talented welterweight division. In analyzing the fight between UFC welterweight champion St. …
UFC 158 features two of the most highly rated MMA welterweights in the world in a bout which determines the best fighter in the UFC’s multi-talented welterweight division.
In analyzing the fight between UFC welterweight champion St. Pierre and challenger Diaz, it could be a good idea to compare the percentage of success of each fighter when it comes to striking and grappling offense, as well as defense.
Continue reading on the following slides for the analysis.
UFC 157: Rousey vs. Carmouche on Saturday at The Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. features several intriguing bouts, and one of them is the fight between former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida and Pride two-division champ Dan Henderson. The…
UFC 157: Rousey vs. Carmouche on Saturday at The Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. features several intriguing bouts, and one of them is the fight between former UFC light heavyweight champion LyotoMachida and Pride two-division champ Dan Henderson.
The most interesting part of the fight is the contrast of style between these two competitors. Machida likes to utilize his karate skills, going in and out to hit his opponent without earning damage, while Henderson likes to pick his shot and puts enough power on them to score a knockdown.
Still, many believe that Machida will pick up the win here and that he has Henderson’s number. This can attributed to Machida’s technique and the number of weapons he can use come fight night.
UFC 153: Silva vs. Bonnar features what many pundits are considering one of the most lopsided matchups in the history of mixed martial arts.The fight between consensus No.1 fighter in MMA Anderson Silva and The Ultimate Fighter runner-up…
UFC 153: Silva vs. Bonnar features what many pundits are considering one of the most lopsided matchups in the history of mixed martial arts.
The fight between consensus No.1 fighter in MMAAnderson Silva and The Ultimate Fighter runner-up Stephan Bonnar is scheduled to take place on October 13, 2012.
What will happen when the Spider steps inside the cage with the American Psycho?
UFC 158: St. Pierre vs.