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      10-20-2010, 01:04 PM   #303
Nautik
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Drives: 2009 AW M3 DCT
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Definitely some great fights over the weekend! That KO by Condit vs Hardy was great, both throwing the same punch at the same time. I was not expecting a KO like that, not from Condit. I almost couldn't believe it. But then when watching the replay, you could see how much power was in that swing and it was right on the button.

But that fight just supports the theory that unless your name is Anderson Silva, striking is just not a reliable way to win fights. You can be a great striker, but anyone can be knocked out at any time. Sometimes the better fighter even gets KO'd. It is just a matter of time.

I think going the GSP route (and I suspect Reshad Evans is doing this too after watching his fight with Rampage) is going to keep you champion for a much longer time-frame. The strategy is avoid the striking game as much as possible and work the wrestling, clinch, and then BJJ game. Just take the freak KO element out of the game as much as possible. GSP I think learned this with Matt Serra, Evans with Machida.

You can really see this progress with GSP. He used to strike a lot, but now he does very little striking from the feet. He does just enough to make the other fighter respect it, then moves in for the takedown or clinch. But you may have noticed that has ended up in a lot of 5 round fights. Why? Because other top level fighters are good enough to avoid being ground and pounded into a TKO (not to mention the refs are much more generous in championship fights). So wrestling alone is not going to finish the fight at that level, you gotta have the submission game and I think you can really see GSP developing this. When GSP fought Hardy you could really see GSP's progression in BJJ. That is the next step in his evolution I think. I mean he will ground and pound if he can, but ultimately against guys like Fitch, Alves, Hardy, etc. that is not going to finish the fight. He will have to built his BJJ up to his wrestling level. Once he does that, I don't see anyone beating him for years (short of the freak KO, but obviously he trying to avoid the striking game from the feet as much as possible due to that)

I think outstanding wrestling combined with very strong BJJ and submissions is the way to keep that belt around your waist for a long period of time. Why take a chance at the striking game on the feet? You don't get beat in BJJ because the other guy got lucky. You get submitted because YOU messed up. There is no luck about it.
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