MMA: Same Old Stuff

MMA is said to be the most unpredictable sport in the world.  Well, now a days it is very predictable.

Fighters only do certain things; there is never ever any change in what I see in matches.  The same take downs, face punches, and submissions.  There is just no variety in the sport anymore.

Back when the Gracies owned UFC, MMA as a sport was being revolutionized. Coleman had revolutionized the idea of "ground and pound."  Wrestlers had created "sprawl and brawl."  With every new event came some form of change in the way people fought in MMA.

Well today that is gone; everyone follows the same beaten path to victory.  MMA fighters only learn to do Thai boxing, Ju Jitsu, and wrestling.  And that is it.

There are hundreds of martial arts styles out there in the world, and MMA seems to have been limited to only three.  Now I do admit that these are the most effective, but there are other styles that can contribute to this sport.

Kung Fu has a long list of fighting styles; styles like Wing Chun, or Xingyiquan, that have several principles and moves that could fit in nicely with MMA.  Wing Chun masters are absolutely amazing up close; this would be perfect if someone was backed up in a cage.

Taekwondo with its incredible head kicks would be a great addition to an MMA fighter.  The leg is much more powerful than the fist.  With a lot of practice, those ineffective kicks could end up in the mouth of your opponent.

There are many martial arts that each have their strengths.  Personally, I believe that all fighting styles are equal, and that someone taking an unorthodox style as Silat could completely beat someone taking Wrestling.

It is all about training and commitment.  Muay Thai, BJJ, and wrestling are very easy and practical styles, while Kung Fu, and taekwondo take years to actually master.  Styles where a practitioner would have to do moves over and over to actually make sure in a real fight that it would be perfect.

I am not saying that these are better than the main three.  I am just saying they can be just as effective, but it takes more commitment and training to get good in these styles.

The most exciting and favorite fighters are those that bring something new to the table.  Many people love to watch Karl Pariysan fight, just because he does something different.  He is a Judo practitioner and does sick throws that make everyone go, "What the???"

Matt Hughes was very exciting because he had the strength to pick a person up and slam them back down to the ground.  Slamming people is a rare occurrence in the ring, but when it happens it always leaves a crowd screaming.

I just want to see someone that brings something different to the octagon.  It bothers me that no one has even tried to come into the ring with something new.  

If MMA doesn't keep changing, then I could see people getting just as bored with this sport as they do with boxing.