Bringing You The Weird and the Wacky… Here’s a Reminder Why Muscles Don’t Matter in MMA…
When you look at a heavyweight fighter, you might be surprised by the fact that many of them have unathletic physiques. The likes of Daniel Cormier, Derrick Lewis, Roy Nelson, and Mark Hunt have all carved out successful careers at the highest level, while also making sure that they are well fed.
Too much muscle at the weight these gents are carrying around is not necessarily a good thing. We’ve seen Francis Ngannou – a supreme beacon of masculinity – gas out after a couple of rounds because he wasn’t able to cope with the pace and ferocity of Stipe Miocic’s wrestling game plan. Similarly, Anthony Joshua, the British heavyweight champion, has had cardio problems in the past.
This fight below might be a few years old, but it’s a perfect example of why technique and cardio are the most important factors for a fighter – and being super toned is not always in your best interest.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GI6zPdOb9PY
Memory Lane
Cage Rage might not be familiar to US MMA fans, but it played a key role in popularising the sport in Europe, and especially the UK where it originated. Starting in 2002, it played an instrumental role in developing some of the most iconic fighters of the modern era. The likes of Anderson Silva, Michael Bisping, Vitor Belfort, Paul Daley and ‘Bigfoot’ Silva all fought on the Cage Rage banner before it eventually went extinct.
As you can see from the physique of James Thompson in the video above, they obviously didn’t care too much about PED testing either. Now 39, the heavyweight veteran has fought for a host of promotions including RIZIN, Bellator, KSW, DREAM, and ELITE XC. In the footage, he fights former UFC veteran Rob Broughton and teaches an important lesson while losing.
Smashed
In the video, Thompson dominates Broughton from the beginning. He’s stronger and way more muscular and is able to use this to his advantage. However, he’s unable to get the finish and this costs him the fight because his own incredible physique becomes his own worst enemy.
A former bodybuilder, Thompson is clearly ripped. But all that muscle needs a whole lot of oxygen and when they can’t get enough, they start to fill up with lactic acid. That slows him down, as Broughton begins to land hands and knees. Thompson desperately gets the takedown, but gets ground and pounded into oblivion, with the referee taking ages to intervene.
Nightmare
Famed bodybuilder-turned-MMA fighter Martyn Ford might want to give this food for thought before he makes his professional debut under the KSW label. The 320-lb giant will have to deal with the fact that having a tonne of muscle doesn’t necessarily translate into optimum athletic success, especially if you’re not using them all.
This is why Tyson Fury has said he’d sooner be fat and fast than have too much muscle and be dead on his feet. Efficiency and physical aesthetics are two very different things.
