Too big for mma?

empacher

This isn't a post about my physique, but on the physique of certain fighters.

Are some fighters too big for mma? Particularly the weight class they just to be in.

Take for example last nights title fight.

Jon jones 6'4 very athletic frame. Long arms long legs. Probably weighs 100 kg. long limbs gives him good dispersion of muscles. No particularly bulky, but build solidly across his whole frame.


5'11 probably a few kg heavier then jones. Considerably bulkier in his back, arms, legs. Pretty much all over. Compact muscles.

Bigger more compact muscles, require more oxygen, gas easier, especially when your swinging big hooks and uppercuts.

Jones doesn't generate huge power in his strikes in terms of brute force. What he does generate is huge momentum. Law of the lever e.t.c

Jones most lethal strikes coming from spinning attacks, elbows, kicks.




So my question to you, are their some high level MMA fighters that will never reach the championship level. Because

1. They can never go 5 rounds without fatiguing too much?

2. Having too much muscles mass hinders them Rounds 4/5?

3. Their explosiveness that won them three round fights, doesn't carry into later rounds ?

pablohoney87

Palhares at Middleweight I would say. Too short to keep safe from rangey fighters when he has them in his guard. Never seemed to have the gas tank either.
He probably could have gotten to title contention at welterweight if he could just learn not to assault fighters after the referee steps in.

Lombard perhaps. The next year should be an interesting one for him.

Mellor

empacher wrote: »

long limbs gives him good dispersion of muscles. No particularly bulky, but build solidly across his whole frame.

What do you mean by dispersion?
His long limbs mean his muscles are longer, but they start and end the same as everyone else.

Bigger more compact muscles, require more oxygen, gas easier, especially when your swinging big hooks and uppercuts.

How can something be bigger and more compact at the same time? What are compact muscles even?
If you are referring to the fact his muscles are shorter, then I don't know of any reason why they use more oxegen. Maybe they do, but I'm not familiar with any reason why.

Jones has around the same muscle mass as DC. So they would have the same requirements. DC gassed because jones made him work to get inside, not because of the shape of his muscles.

1. They can never go 5 rounds without fatiguing too much?

2. Having too much muscles mass hinders them Rounds 4/5?

3. Their explosiveness that won them three round fights, doesn't carry into later rounds ?

The idea of big guys always gassing because of muscle mass is largely made up, not entirely false, but extremely overstated.
As I said above, Jones has around the same mass as Cormier. He was noticeably tired by the fifth also, but not as mad because he is fitter, and because he made Cormier work.

Most people see a really lean fighter at 185 with muscle bulging and think "all that muscle" will wear out fast.
But a 205er who is slightly less lean, probably has more muscle mass, but people don't think it because they can't see it. BF% has a huge impact on perception of muscle mass.

Look at it this way, Cain has more muscle mass than every fighter LHW and below, and half the HWs too. His muscle don't gas. Obviously some of his ability is genetic, but I bet he also trains cardio fitness more than any other HW.

Big guys will always tire quicker, not because of how their muscles and frame are built, but because they simply use more energy. It's directly proportional to size. That's also why the flyweights zip around all day long.

Imo, the main issues for fighters who gas a lot are cutting too much (water cut) and not recovering by fight time - which is only som of them tbf. And not working on their cardio - all of them imo.

RoboRat

Imo, the main issues for fighters who gas a lot are cutting too much (water cut) and not recovering by fight time - which is only som of them tbf. And not working on their cardio - all of them imo.

Spot on, as you said, look at Cain, he doesn't seem to do huge weight cuts and he has cardio to burn... I could see him doing 10 rounds!!

Lombard perhaps. The next year should be an interesting one for him.

I think he could be the champ this year.

MartyMcFly84

If you think about it 3x5 15 mins of high intensity if quite suited to an explosive athlete. Most combat sports would have rounds similar if not longer in length.

Really if you are in the UFC you should have cardio to walk through and its really a case of conditioning. I think we will see less and less people in the UFC who struggle with a 15 mins fight.

I think the high density muscles would start to be an issue in a 5 round fight, 25 mins is a long time to keep up a high pace.

Kevhog1988

ID love to know what a typical fighters training regime would be.

Mellor

theemigrant wrote: »

ID love to know what a typical fighters training regime would be.

Pro or amateur?

Kevhog1988

Mellor wrote: »

Pro or amateur?

pro i suppose