Crosstraining and Excellence

[M.C.]

I think the big issue is, people like silva and GSP can dictate where the fight is happening and then play there more freely than others.
Silva likes the stand up and in order to get him to the ground, you have to get into his range. Hence you have to play in his backyard.
GSP can take down pretty much everybody and thus negate other peoples stand up or make them worry so much that their game is reduced to a level that he can handle. And his guard passing is very good as well.

[bigstu31s]

I think the big issue is, people like silva and GSP can dictate where the fight is happening and then play there more freely than others.
Silva likes the stand up and in order to get him to the ground, you have to get into his range. Hence you have to play in his backyard.
GSP can take down pretty much everybody and thus negate other peoples stand up or make them worry so much that their game is reduced to a level that he can handle. And his guard passing is very good as well.

How do you rate GSP's stand up?

[M.C.]

Well, I would say it is good but I say his take downs and ground game is way ahead.

[Matt Phillips]

I’ve always likened MMA fighters to Decathletes in Athletics.
A Decathlete would seek world class training in Sprinting, Pole Vault, Long Jump etc .
Because a Decathlete is so good at so many events this makes them IMO the ultimate Athlete similar to GSP being an Ultimate fighter

I'm wondering how good you or I could get at the Decathalon by taking Pole Vault classes at the local MMA gym, and never going to track and field events.

You'll also hear Rogan going on and on about how the fighter with a wider knowledge base has an advantage because his opponent "has more to worry about". From that angle, even if you aren't world class, developing as many skills as you can seems like it can give you a good advantage."

Something to think about: Who's going to give you more to worry about staying on your feet, Mark Schultz or a TUF alumnus who's supplementing the standard freestyle he gets from his gym with Judo and Greco... but has never been to a competition in either, much less taken part?

[PointyShinyBurn]

Something to think about: Who's going to give you more to worry about staying on your feet, Mark Schultz or a TUF alumnus who's supplementing the standard freestyle he gets from his gym with Judo and Greco... but has never been to a competition in either, much less taken part?

Actually, that depends. GSP is widely regarded as a stupendous 'MMA wrestler' because he takes down everyone he faces, even those with massively better competition wrestling credentials than himself (Koscheck, Fitch). However, a guy I know who has trained with him says that, under freestyle rules, he's been regularly beaten by guys in local competitions who you've never heard of. GSP is not a better wrestler under wrestling rules than many, many people who he would effortlessly take down in an MMA fight.

Similarly Anderson Silva, the guy is widely regarded as the greatest 'MMA striker' on the planet, but he has no world class achievements in boxing or MT.

On another level, what's your point exactly? That it would be good to be as good at wrestling as Mark Schultz? Well, yeah, that would be nice. So what? Everyone needs to be an Olympic/world class athlete in another sport before they compete MMA? People who already fight should do a ****-load of rule set specific practice in boxing or wrestling?

What exactly are you suggesting people do, here?

[selfcritical]

Gegard Moussasi didn't seem to have any issues whipping people under k-1 rules.