Co-authored with Behavior Analyst Francisco Gomez
In our previous articles we broke down styles into three classifications and provided a brief description of the behavioral characteristics. To further illustrate styles, let’s look at champions and popular fighters who will serve as standards in boxing and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). After, we will examine the importance of understanding style match ups.
- Short-range style:
- Boxing = Mike Tyson, Joe Frazier, Floyd Patterson
- MMA = Brad Pickett, Quinton Jackson, Ross Pearson
- Mid-range style:
- Boxing =J ulio Cesar Chavez, Felix Trinidad, Oscar De La Hoya
- MMA = Donald Cerrone, BJ Penn, Robbie Lawler, Alistair Overeem, Mike Brown, Tito Ortiz
- Long-range style:
- Boxing = Vladimir Klitchko, Tommy Hearns, Tyson Fury, Larry Holmes
- MMA = Anderson Silva, Lyoto Machida, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Junior Dos Santos, Rory MacDonald, Stephen Thompson, Dominick Cruz
Note: Because mixed martial artist’s are able to use kicks and knees as part of their arsenal, short-range styles in MMA will likely never be as pure as those employed by boxers.