Striking vs Grappling: Which Is Better?
There’s something special about watching two MMA fighters going at it round after round. They make fighting art which is why millions of people enjoy watching these events on the edge of their seats. They receive attention as much as basketball and baseball and that’s why they also got the attention of online sportsbooks. Betting on sports is nothing new and today people can find countless sites, like 888sport online betting NJ or Bovada that take care of their needs. These websites will offer various betting odds when it comes to MMA and only the skilled bettors will make them work to their advantage.
It takes skill to place bets but it also takes skill to compete in MMA. Fighters train their whole lives just to get a chance to be in the ring. That skill along with patience gave the world a lot of legends in MMA that will be remembered for ages. The best thing about these competitions is that every fighter has their style. All styles of these fighters boil down to striking and grappling. Some fighters are naturally good at the former, some at the latter and some just know how to take a beating. These two fighting styles have sparked a lasting debate as to which one is better.
The Benefits of Striking
Conor McGregor’s rematch with Jose Aldo will go down in MMA history because it lasted 13 seconds. All it took for McGregor to win was across to Aldo’s face. The former, who’s going to make a comeback in 2020, walked away with another victory under his belt. One punch or kick could make all the difference in any fight. Strikers use precise punches and kick to destabilize their opponent and if possible end the fight on the spot. These fighters train to deliver knock-out punches but are also conditioned to take a beating. Chuck Lidell is one example of this type of fighter. He focuses on striking and sometimes it works for him, but when he faced Ortiz the third time-it didn’t. Most of his wins were either TKOs or KOs which means that an expert striker can end a fight quickly. But what about grappling?
The Benefits of Grappling
When you’re facing a stronger opponent then going for the knock-out isn’t always the best option. The fighter might be able to take a beating so you’d need to wear them down to win that fight. This is where grappling comes in. There are numerous examples where a grappler takes hold of their opponent and just waits for them to lose energy and focus. Khabib Nurmagomedov is a grappler that demonstrates this perfectly. He did this with McGregor and it got him another victory. It was thanks to Jiu-Jitsu that Holly Holm managed to beat Ronda Rousey. When it comes to these examples it’s clear that grapplers fare pretty well with strikers, but does it mean they’re better than strikers?
The Conclusion
Grappling and striking work fine as independent styles of fighting, but work even better when they’re combined which is the whole purpose of Mixed Martial Arts. A striker may beat a grappler, and a grappler may beat a striker but having both skills to succeed in MMA is essential. Fighters that find the middle ground can use both types of fighting to their advantage and better adapt to their opponents. George Saint Pierre and Mighty Mouse Johnson are all-around fighters that have unique fighting styles based on this principle. All in all, being good at either grappling or striking can work to your advantage, but a mix of both is needed if you’re looking to have a lasting career in MMA.
