Quote of the Day: UFC lightweight contender Gray Maynard on finishing fights
by Matt Bishop on Aug 31, 2010 10:01 AM EDT
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Top UFC lightweight contender Gray Maynard spoke with David St. Martin at our parent site SBNation.com and had this to say about finishing fights:
You have a reputation as not being able to finish fights, always going to a decision. Is that a result of your fighting style or just fighting tough guys? None of these guys you've fought recently are getting stopped too often.
That's what I keep telling people! Who is stopping them? Name a name and I'll bow down, but who is stopping these guys? That's why I can't pay attention to these people. If you're a true sports fan who enjoys MMA and really try to understand it, you'll get it. Look at Edgar. He's only ever lost to myself. Look at Clementi, who has 52 professional fights and has only been stopped a handful of times. Jim Miller has only lost to the champion and myself. Huerta has never been stopped. Pretty much the same thing with Nate Diaz. Florian did get stopped by Penn, but you see what I mean. It's an excuse, but that's just how it is. I'm asking for the top guys. The decisions are just part of it. The sport is growing so much that these fights are just going to keep getting closer and closer. I don't know what people are going to do, but there are going to be a lot more close fights. More fighters are able to pull in the cash you need to hire the top coaches and eat and train right. We're going up against the guys where that's all they do year round. They train everyday. The gap is going to start to close on these title fights. Guys are getting better and better. People will start to appreciate it, it just takes time.
You can read the rest of the interview here.
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The decisions are just part of it. The sport is growing so much that these fights are just going to keep getting closer and closer. I don’t know what people are going to do, but there are going to be a lot more close fights. More fighters are able to pull in the cash you need to hire the top coaches and eat and train right. We’re going up against the guys where that’s all they do year round. They train everyday. The gap is going to start to close on these title fights. Guys are getting better and better. People will start to appreciate it, it just takes time.
Do yall agree or disagree with this part of what he says?
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I would agree more and more guys are going to
“gameplan” a way to a victory which is to say try to take a win with as little risk as possible. But this happens in all combat sports, even boxing, and as time goes, some will evolve down a different path where they look to finish all the time.
People more and more, like Gray, you can tell look to get the takedown at the second half of a round, so that he expends his energy and then keeps the fight where he is on top, and though being busy, not taking any real chances of getting caught, and at the same time, can stay busy enough to end a round throwing punches from in a guy’s guard, so judges take the impression of him winning the whole round to the cards then.
But the fact is, throughout MMA, this has come and gone. There are always going to be adjustments and people will adapt. The one trend I dont like in MMA, from the local level to the highest levels is an insane amount of weight cutting combined with developing a skill set and game plan that look to take zero chances, and win decisions unless the opponent makes pretty much the hugest mistakes possible, that isnt good long term for MMA, but I think it will iron itself out over time. What will have to happen is alot more guys will need very aggressive guards. Alot of folks hear a guy is a Black belt in BJJ or has won titles at it, and assume he is very good off his back. THis isnt not always the case at all, and in the future up and comers I think will focuse much more heavily on having a real attacking guard, way too many folks now have guards for stalling or trying to explode to their feet, forgetting that if a guy is good enough a wrestler to put them on their back, they may need more than just the ability to stand back up to deal with said wrestler.
I agree. I understand that many fans think Maynard is boring, I think many fans have a ridiculous expectation that every fighter should be able to compete like other fighters do. Everybody in the NBA can practice day in and day out but will never have the skills or ability to finish a game like Kobe Bryant or Lebron James.
GSP basically made the same argument. He did not finish Alves, Fitch or Hardy. THE GAP IS CLOSING. GSP will not be able to do the same thing he did to Fitch again, he may win but don’t expect a finish. GSP vs. Koscheck will be very competitive, will somebody win via stoppage? I doubt it.
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VEe is ANIMated!
by VeeisAnimated on Aug 31, 2010 2:34 PM EDT up reply actions
i don’t think Gray even looks to finish….i mean look at the fight with KenFlo…at what point was he even putting in 110% to finish, other than to get a takedown partway through the round to win in the judges’ eyes.
Gatti. Dekkers. Pele. Aoki. Kang. Vanderlei. Basillio. Harry Greb.
by theworldsoldestsport on Aug 31, 2010 10:11 AM EDT reply actions
well
it’s not like Florian was setting the world on fire either…why would Maynard just go wreckless in there throwing strikes when Florian is better technically…and good at countering? Maynard landed 82%(41/50) of his strikes on the ground…and landed waaay more ‘power’ shots than Florian while standing according to computstrike(which admittedly I’m not a fan of).
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by Kelvin Hunt on Aug 31, 2010 10:19 AM EDT up reply actions
That’s what I keep telling people! Who is stopping them? Name a name and I’ll bow down, but who is stopping these guys?
Eddie Alvarez, Shinya Aoki, and (when he wins) BJ Penn. Just bow in whatever direction Gray, because dudes who finish fights are all over the place.
I don’t think it’s an issue that he isn’t finishing the top-tier fighters, as much as it’s that with a lone exception he’s NEVER FINISHED ANYONE. Of his last five opponents, only one (Jim Miller) has never been finished, but others have. He talks about Rich Clementi like he’s some awesome fighter with “52 wins and has only been stopped a handful of times”, but being stopped NINE times speaks to the contrary.
You know what's really fun? Not being a raving lunatic. Give it a try some time, you might just like it!
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well
to be fair…Miller, Diaz, Huerta, Edgar, and Florian are all pretty difficult to finish.
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Oh, for sure
But this is a dude that’s talking about 155 like nobody finishes fights, when it’s quite the contrary. Like, he’s defending his lack of finishes by this notion that everbody that he’s fought are some unstoppable fiends, and that nobody else is doing it either.
You know what's really fun? Not being a raving lunatic. Give it a try some time, you might just like it!
Live previews and reviews of all major fights! LightsOutRadio.com
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