The Rear Naked Column 07.16.10: MMA Misconceptions: One-Dimensional Fighters

Posted by Samer Kadi on 07.16.2010

Discussion of one-dimensional fighters and why it may be one of the most common misconceptions in MMA. Also, the MMA World Cup wraps up this week as Team Brazil battles Team North America!

In relative terms, mixed martial arts is a fairly new sport. Its history in North America dates back to 1994, but the MMA boom has only been out in full force since 2005. Therefore, on some levels, it remains a somewhat misunderstood sport. While ignorance regarding MMA's "human cockfighting" nature has grown tiresome, it will likely never cease to exist in some capacity, and the UFC's now epic struggles to get MMA sanctioned in both Toronto and New York are a testament to that. Uneducated assumptions about MMA are something longtime fans have grown accustomed to, thus lost most of its impact on this increasingly popular sport. The Ultimate Fighting Championship has become the premier PPV force, and with an ever-growing fan base, their place at the top remains tightly secured.

However, the number of conflicting opinions about the sport within MMA fans themselves is somewhat striking. From a tolerance (or lack thereof) to the ground game to a perception of what's "boring" or "exciting", the general acumen of the sport differs from one individual to another. But even among the sport's pundits, there seems to be quite a few misconceptions when it comes to their views on the fight game. Beyond the generic "lay and pray" complaints, some mistaken beliefs go much deeper. This week, "The Rear Naked Column" attempts to look at one rather common misconception, even among some of the sport's most respected personalities:

One-dimensional fighters: The general consensus seems set out on the idea that the three dimensions of MMA are striking, wrestling, and Jiu-Jitsu. Any fighter who excels at just one of these disciplines is labeled "one-dimensional". The overall concept isn't totally false, but remains severely flawed. By the same token, it might as well be forgivable to have an even more shallow outlook, and look at striking and grappling as being the two dimensions of MMA, thus combining the wrestling and jiu-jitsu aspects.

This superficial approach has led many to mistakenly give fighters the dreaded "one-dimensional" label. Look no further than Shinya Aoki. The Japanese submission wizard is largely looked upon as being just that, a submission specialist, hence the one-dimensional characterization. Except submissions mean very little if a fighter can't get the fight to the ground. Which is exactly what Aoki is so good at; finding a way to take the fight to the ground, despite not having the best wrestling in the world. Aoki's ability to force fighters into his guard and lock them up (a far more difficult task than it sounds), shoot for single legs, transition and force scrambles, is a dimension in of itself. Many seem intent on downgrading the impressiveness of Aoki's lightweight resume, but the fact remains he has beaten – and often times submitted – some of the top lightweights in the world. Aoki holds wins over Joachim Hansen, Caol Uno, JZ Calvancante, "Shaolin" Ribeiro, Eddie Alvarez and most recently, Tatsuya Kawajiri. Wins of this quality are too remarkable to be achieved with a one-dimensional style.

Aoki's ability to corner his opponents, close the distance, and secure trip takedowns or pull guard is by far one of the most underrated aspects of his game. He is easily one of the most diverse grapplers in MMA, and that very same diversity adds another element to his game. He is practically dangerous from any position on the ground, and is one of the few submission specialists who are equally as threatening from the top and bottom. His use of the rubber guard is arguably the best in MMA, and his ability to transition into submissions without having fully secured a dominant position is unrivaled.

His last fight with Tatsuya Kawajiri is the biggest indication of the eccentric Japanese fighter's brilliance. He shot for a single leg, couldn't finish it, and immediately switched things up and went for a leg lock. A few agonizing seconds later, Kawajiri was screaming in pain, left with no choice but to tap. Having such a versatile submission game is not that common, even among the sport's elite grapplers. Minotauro Nogueira, one of MMA's most successful submission artists, has never been a leg lock specialist. In fact, few BJJ fighters are. Leg locks are a tricky proposition, as blowing an attempt essentially means giving up a dominant position. Yet, fighters with a solid leg lock game have a tremendous ace up their sleeves, and Aoki is certainly one.



Aoki may not be the overall grappler that some of his peers are. BJ Penn's grappling is significantly superior. His top game, guard passing ability, mount and back control are easily ahead of Aoki's. Jacare Souza's positional awareness may just be the best in the game. However, Aoki has a serious case for being the best submission artist (rather than grappler) in MMA.

People often misuse the "one-dimensional" moniker, when "not well-rounded" is the more accurate term. Shinya Aoki is far from being a well-rounded fighter. His striking is non-existent, and his overall skill set is somewhat limited. The Gilbert Melendez fight showed how limited Aoki's game can be if he can't take the fight into his element, but that does not make him one-dimensional. The cage plays right into Aoki's detriment, where he is no longer able to pin his opponents down, close the distance and work from the clinch (another underrated aspect of his game).

Terms like "striking", "wrestling" and "Jiu-Jitsu" are simply too vague when attempting to weigh in a fighter's skill-set. Anderson Silva is a great striker because he is a versatile striker. His possesses great boxing, great counterpunching abilities, lethal kicks, and is deadly in the clinch. His footwork and head movement are the best in the game.



However, a fighter with good boxing who happens to have mediocre head movement and is totally clueless in the clinch cannot be labeled as a "good striker". It is simply too shallow to describe him as such. BJ Penn is one of the best boxers in the game, but rarely utilizes any kicks. Doesn't that take a dimension away from his striking? He is however, as well-rounded as they come when it comes to his overall MMA game.

Even someone like Chuck Liddell has had the misfortune of being called one-dimensional, which is criminal when you consider the quality of his takedown defense and his ability to regain his feet after being forced to the ground.



The "dimensions" of MMA should be looked at within each different discipline. Dan Henderson is an Olympic caliber Greco-Roman wrestler, therefore his wrestling is at his most efficient from the clinch. Conversely, his actual shot is quite poor and his takedown defense is surprisingly below par. Calling him a "good wrestler" without further elaboration can be misleading, in the same way that calling Aoki "one-dimensional" is misleading. Limited? Absolutely. One-dimensional? Not exactly.

Brock Lesnar has been called one-dimensional for a while now, when in fact his positional awareness on the ground, his overall top control as well as his ability to move so well for a man his size make him far more versatile than people are willing to give him credit for. Contrariwise, his actual wrestling is one-dimensional as he relies exclusively on an admittedly fantastic power double-leg takedown.

In closing, it is time to wrap up "The MMA World Cup" with the final that everyone has been waiting for:

Team Brazil Vs Team North America:

Minotauro Nogueira Vs Brock Lesnar
Junior Dos Santos Vs Shane Carwin
Shogun Rua Vs Rashad Evans
Lyoto Machida Vs Quinton Jackson
Anderson Silva Vs Jake Shields
Vitor Belfort Vs Chael Sonnen
Thiago Alves Vs Jon Fitch
Paulo Thiago Vs Georges St. Pierre
JZ Calvancante Vs BJ Penn
Shaolin Ribeiro Vs Frankie Edgar
Jose Aldo Vs Urijah Faber

Please take the time to vote (and leave feedback) in the comments section, and the results will be displayed next week. I would like to mention that I'm considering making the "misconceptions" topic a semi-regular feature where I discuss a different one every once in a while. Let me know what you guys think.