Now, I’ve been going back and forth with this for the last few days and though the fight has already been decided it left me with a pretty interesting question. What exactly constitutes a draw? While we could talk about the scoring system all day, we have consider all manner of thought processes that occur while watching and judging a fight. For a grappling enthusiast it’s easy to say that Demian Maia clearly won and for a striking aficionado that Jorge Masvidal did more damage and deserved the win. But I’m starting to believe that the truth falls somewhere in between.
By now someone has already reached this point in the article and is saying “This guy is just a crybaby, pissed that the striker didn’t win.” I invite you to finish the article and see if you’re still thinking that way by the end.
First and foremost, I’m an MMA fan much like anyone else that visits sites like these or other MMA related pages. Breaking down fights is a pleasure and finding differing opinions has always helped in seeing the intricacies of the game. As such, I happened to come across BJJ Scout’s breakdown of the Demian Maia/Jorge Masvidal bout. To get the details you can watch the video below
To some things up, BJJ Scout was able to breakdown what worked for each fighter and what didn’t work. Jorge Masvidal played a kicking game with Demian Maia. Maia secured takedowns through small inconsistencies in Masvidal’s game. It was a true chess match with each men implementing their game plans in the exact manner that they envisioned. The problem for me is that neither man clearly out dueled the other.
Masvidal was certainly landing more shots and did more damage throughout the bout, that is certain. But he couldn’t prevent Maia from taking him down and controlling position. At the same time, Maia was able to secure positions but was able to finish. In the first he had clear control, but then Masvidal landed some quality shots that made you scratch your chin and wonder, “did that just negate everything that came before?” The third round literally saw Jorge Masvidal dominate the striking realm for half the round and then Demian Maia took over to do what he does.
This begs the question, what does it take to get a draw?
You have two men both implenting their game plans, both being successful in their realm of expertise. Masvidal had the damage advtantage and Maia the positional advantage. Do strikes trump control or does positioning rule the day? It’s what makes judging so damn difficult in the first place. The purest in me believes that this fight was the definition of a draw. On the other hand, holding up the welterweight division isn’t particularly ideal, so having Demian Maia come out the winner was simply the best logical decision, especially when you consider that he finished on top.
What did you make of the Demian Maia vs Jorge Masvidal?
Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.
The post Fallout: Was Demian Maia vs Jorge Masvidal The Definition Of A Draw? appeared first on Cagepotato.