The Ultimate Fighting Championship is an amazing showcase of various skills across all the martial arts platforms. Bringing the strongest, nimblest, and most powerful fighters together in one place probably sounds like a recipe for disaster, but the collaboration is filled with good vibes and impressive physical prowess!
Because of the mixed styles of fighting, the UFC betting odds can be hard to navigate, as can their rules. Both will need to mix knowledge and understanding to create a realistic outcome and path to follow!
Today, we are going to share the top 5 principles that all UFC fighters stick to!
Striking is the Number One Aim
This is a bit of a generalization, as you can have strikers and grapplers in the cage! But if you can aim a strike so good that you knock your opponent out, then you will win the round.
You can strike someone by punching, kicking, using your elbows, and even your knees. Because the attack is so fierce, a lot of viewers and fighters recognize it as a powerful way to dominate the game. Remember that dominating the round is the main focus, and if you can add in multiple strikes, then you can top up your scores bit by bit.
The best strikers tend to be those who study Muay Thai, Boxing, Taekwondo, Kickboxing, or Karate. Each of these sports aims to land a strike against their opponent, making them primed to earn domination.
Even a slight touch is enough to boost your numbers.
Grappling Techniques Need To Be Utilized
Knocking someone out is a prime way to dominate a round, but grappling your opponent is often easier. Knocking them off their feet and claiming their attention through takedowns, holds, clinches and submissions mean you can keep them in place as you count the seconds to victory.
To grapple someone, you need to have a great sense of the body and put your opponent in such a position that their defense cannot hold against your strength.
The best grapplers tend to come from a history of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Sambo, Wrestling, Judo and Luta Livre.
It is extremely important that UFC fighters are experts at both types of fighting before entering the cage, as an inability to hold your own against a grappler can mean spending all of your time on the floor. And if you cannot block a strike, then no matter how long you keep them down, they can rack up points from every little strike.
Study Your Opponents Style
Because there are so many styles that your opponent can use, studying your opponent is an important part of the game. Strength is an important principle, as is training. UFC might seem like a brawl to the untrained eye, but there is a lot of technique, control, and strategy in every round.
The best players will have a truly mixed knowledge of martial arts, knowing as much as they can about every style. Even if the fighter knows they cannot perform well fighting in the Judo style, understanding how it functions means predicting what your opponent will do.
This also means that no one style of martial arts will outperform another. Every form you can try will have its advantages and its disadvantages. Knowing where your opponent’s struggles mean, you can focus on training that element of your fighting style. But remember that they will be doing the same to you!
You can be the strongest fighter in the room, but if you haven’t done your homework, then you will not win.
Avoid Fouls As A Must
Penalties will be awarded if a fighter breaks the rules, and if they are genuinely playing an unfair game, the contestant may be removed.
Fouls include:
- Biting or spitting on an opponent
- Butting heads
- Gouging out eyes
- Fish hooking (which is when you put your finger or hand into someone’s mouth or nostril and then start to pull away)
- Laying your fingers outstretched towards a player’s face
- Groin attacks
- Pulling hair
- Striking the throat
- Downward pointed elbow strikes
- Standing on an opponent or stomping
- Holding onto the opponent’s gloves or shorts
- Holding on to the fence
- Throwing the opponent out of the ring
- Pinching or twisting the flesh
- Being Timid (like faking an injury or avoiding the fight)
- Using abusive language
- Attacking the opponent outside of the ring
All of these rules are considered sacred, and although some are worse than others, all are treated with respect. Creating a foul in a round is looked down upon by the crowd and by the other opponents, but it is understood. Continuously fouling may force the UFC authorities to intervene.
The Fights Not Over Until The Ref Says So.
A big principle in a UFC game is around staying until the referee declares the winner. Even if the match seems to be heavily one-sided, you cannot know what the judges will think. Wait until the round is over before you grab a new drink, as the underdog could smash their opponent in a heartbeat.
Jumping the gun is not only considered rude, but it means you could miss out on the event of the evening!
Summary
We have spoken about these principles as if you, dear reader, will be in the game, but that’s how you have to think when placing a bet! What will the fighters be best at in the ring? What would they have studied before playing? Are they likely to get frustrated and foul?
These are the things the players will be thinking about, and so should you!
