Quote:
Originally Posted by Flexin
I was watching a think on Frank Shamrock last night or the night before and it was showing some of this fights. It also showed a quick interview. I'm not sure when it as taken but he was talking about how he was learning more Boxing and Kick Boxing because that was where the sport was going. He said he was still going to practice his ground work but winning with striking was more exciting.
James
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What wins in MMA will always be cyclical. I could take the cheap shot and say that Frank Shamrock hasn't had a meaningful win in a few years (oops, I did), but he's got half the answer right. Boxing or Kick Boxing may be where the sport is going (though I have my reasons I believe he's wrong), but it wouldn't be a long term thing at all. A good, technical, well rounded fighter is going to have tools from a lot of different areas to give him as many options for securing victory as is possible. It wouldn't be surprising to see someone who is trained at various levels in boxing, kickboxing, or judo (for example) to not only have an effective stand up striking game, but to recognize and react to another fighters strikes. Same with having a mix of wrestling and jiu-jitsu to be able to attack and defend with a well rounded ground game. The time of one dimensional fighters who have one trick up their sleeve is coming to an end. So while a shift on boxing and kickboxing may be in the winds, I think it's more of a search for additional tools to give a fighter an edge in a field where almost all fighters are trained in multiple disciplines. If something works and is shown to be effective, it'll be just a matter of time before the rest of the competition trains in the same skill sets and the field starts to level again. The strong, proficient fighters will always float to the top, while the fighters who make strides by having one particular talent in something not seen will fall back to the bottom or middle as it becomes more common.