Tactical Analysis: Machida vs Shogun

For most you familiar with Lyoto Machida, his style tends to be to back away from the opponent and then reset once safely away. Mauricio Shogun Rua did something that Machida was not prepared for. Shogun attacked Machida and bullrushed him while making sure that Machida ate a leg kick after every flurry. The issue was that Machida was so used to backing away that he would eat leg kick after leg kick.

Point: In a street fight, I advise you to not move away from your opponent. In fact, when you attack, move right into him. You may be wondering why. You see, when you attack, you do so with the element of surprise. You might say "Hey man, I don't want any -" and then strike his face a couple of times and run. Self-defence should not be thought of as countering an opponent's attacks, but rather preemptively disarming him or her before they can initiate their attack.

Tactical Analysis: Lawler vs Manhoef

I am beginning a series of these 'Tactical Analysis' posts. Basically, these posts are about analyzing and dissecting MMA fights and learning from them. You can search these fights online. I generally analyze fights that are readily accessible on YouTube.

Today, we will be looking at Robbie Lawler vs Melvin Manhoef.

Throughout the fight, Manhoef was annihilating Lawler's front leg with leg kicks. It looked like Manhoef was going to win. Then, near the end, Manhoef drops his hand for a split second, and Lawler unleashes a vicious punch to knock Manhoef out cold.

Point: Whether you are on the street or in a fight, keep your hands up because anything can happen. Even if you are winning, you can still lose with one good hit to the face.