Are subs becoming rarer in MMA competition?

columok

To discuss Randy couture's theory...

Well I think its like saying there'll be no knockouts only decisions in a few years. I think subs will become rarer over time but I think this only applies to the top of the pile. I think amateur and semi pro and even smaller shows will remain the same. At the top with equally versed combatants there are so many stalemates -w.r.t takedowns, submissions and striking.

Dragan

I think for a long time subs ruled, because when the UFC first got going, there was not a huge amount of knowledge about how to fight and escape a RNC, armbar , heelhook etc and this gave the submission time to cement itself in the mind of the fans as being a pretty dominant way to win a fight, and for a while it looked like a good grappler really would dominate over a good striker.

Then came the rise of MMA ( i honestly don't think of anyone , or at least very few , of the "origianl" UFC great as mixed martial artists as the phrase encompases today, the were fighters, brawlers, grapplers, etc ) and suddenly people were learning everything, we had gys who could strike, clinch, grapple, go for takes downs, go for subs etc and the playing field became far more even because people were learning more, the actual sucess of the UFC itself allowed these gyms to exist where you COULD train in everything!

I think over the last few years the KO has come back strong as that is what a lot of the crowd wants to see. I think the numbers of people watching UFC/Pride and supporting all the local shows that go on world wide has grown a lot but these people didn't see the "golden days" of our sport, when subs ruled all!!! So the attraction to the knockout that people long to see in boxing is very much a factor in todays crowd!

But...... people still win by knock out, and people still win by sub and sometimes a fight will go to a judges decision.

I don't think we will every see the day where decisions are the larger percent of how fights in the top promotions end! I think there will always be an embalance in the skills of one man versus the other.

Put two fantastic strikers in the cage and someones getting sparked. But too fantastic grapplers in the cage and someones getting tapped.

I think thats always just the way it's going to be, even with the calibre of fighters in general increasing all the time, there will always, always be the best of the best.

dlofnep

Not to mention that the fight is stood up alot when it hits the ground to suit the fans, in some cases not actually suiting the fighters. Subs will always be there. Anyone can be caught.