Why are MMA fighters regressing?

[Pitbull9]

Is it just me? Fighters seem to be so one dimensional these days. They all want to just punch. What happened to leg kicks, body kicks, mixing up TDs with kicks and punches, throwing combos as oppose to just one in, out, one or two in, out. What's the deal? I get some people talk about if you kick you can get taken down but there are plenty of opportunities to mix up kicks and get back out before someone shoots in.

 

[Andrewsimar Palhardass]

I don't think they're regressing. I think a lot of fighters think it's best to be REALLY good at one thing and good enough at the other aspects to defend and/or avoid them. I think the level of competition is the best it's ever been.

 

[member 3289]

 

[dacofty]

It seems alot more fights are going to the incompetent judges who only see a punch, why train in take downs when the judges done understand what it is

 

[Pitbull9]

I just don't see the versatility that I feel I used too. It just looks like everyone is trying to punch and no one is actually mixing it up. Takedowns are much sloppier these days, I get that TDD is better but not that much. Guys just shoot in with no regard. Fighters fence fight for like half the fight, the ground work is gross, transitions and sweeps are pretty much non existent. Again am I wrong?

 

[Yossarian]

Maybe this is a correct reflection on last night's card. Don't know about UFC in general.


But yeah...

Definitely this....

 

[Mix6APlix]

They're regressing because of made up Twitter beefs and demanding 'money fights' they haven't earned.

 

[Pitbull9]

Maybe this is a correct reflection on last night's card. Don't know about UFC in general.


But yeah...

Definitely this....

I didn't even see last nights cardz

 

[member 3289]

I didn't even see last nights cardz

Go watch the Mike Perry fight BOYYYYYYYYYY

Iaquinta-Sanchez was decent as well

 

[kneeblock]

I just don't see the versatility that I feel I used too. It just looks like everyone is trying to punch and no one is actually mixing it up. Takedowns are much sloppier these days, I get that TDD is better but not that much. Guys just shoot in with no regard. Fighters fence fight for like half the fight, the ground work is gross, transitions and sweeps are pretty much non existent. Again am I wrong?

I think what we're seeing is a generation of MMA fighters who actually know how to box trying that skillset. Once you train boxing it's hard to do things "wrong" even though it might open up kickboxing or takedown opportunities. I feel like early MMA the thing to learn was subs and sub defense, then it was wrestling and takedown defense, then it was kickboxing, then cardio and strength training, then the clinch game, then standing back up or reversing, then footwork and head movement became a thing and now it's offensive boxing.

We're still not quite at the day when people have credibly figured out how to mix it all together as one art. We've seen some prototypes of it like Fedor, GSP, Jones to a degree, but we haven't quite seen that total excellence at everything. Mighty Mouse comes closest as do a couple other smaller guys and debatably some women's strawweights, but we're not quite there.