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RONDA ROUSEY, STUDENT OF ALI?

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via telegraph.co.uk

Is Ronda Rousey a teacher or a student? What have we learned?

Muhammad Ali loved to talk about how pretty he was as a young man, how no fighter could lay a glove on him, cut him, or beat him.

And he was right for quite a while before the big hits landed.

Young Ali made skilled fighters look like amateurs and came out looking refreshed from the experience.

My face is so pretty, you don’t see a scar/ which proves I’m the king of the ring by far.” – Muhammad Ali

One of his early opponents, 2-time heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson, came out of his fights the opposite of Ali, all beat up. He hid the damage behind costumes and hats and shades.

Ronda Rousey, the freshest face in UFC could relate after her Holly Holm fight, saying she was “ashamed of her face” according to TMZ sports. Don’t all fighters feels that after a loss? They should if they plan on fighting again.

She just needs to remember she’s not the first high profile fighter ashamed of their face after getting it drilled in a match.

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via si.com

Floyd Patterson had his face beat on after calling Muhammad Ali Cassius. The press called it disrespectful of the new champ’s conversion to the Nation of Islam. They said Ali tortured him instead of knocking him out. Maybe true, maybe not.

Sports On Earth has a different take in an author interview.

“I found a fascinating interview with Ali that Howard Cosell conducted shortly after the fight, in which Ali explained what was going on. He knew that Floyd was hurt, and to his way of thinking, it would bring him no pride to injure a man who was already hurt.

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Ali backing off Patterson. via www.iconicphotogalleries.co.uk

“So he essentially backed off, waiting for the fight to be stopped. But the ref let it go on. Patterson was perplexed. Floyd said later that he’d never been hit with such soft punches.”

Floyd Patterson is a great example for MMA fighters because he took his face seriously, and got it worked.

Disguises seem like a good idea.

As hard as it was to see Rousey forced into the walk of shame through LAX, it’s part of the fight game.

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via reddit.com

No one wants to see a girl’s face bruised and battered, but if she’s a fighter it happens. And you’ll probably be in public.

Like Rowdy Ronda, Ali took his face into the ring against pounders. He faced Joe Frazier and caught punches that would drop trees. And him. In his first fight after serving his draft suspension he came in with too much to prove.

He took his mug into the ring against Ken Norton and got hit so hard his jaw broke and he didn’t stop the match. In fight after fight, long after he should have retired, Ali took the sort of beating no one wanted to see. But they paid to see it.

The worst of the bunch was his fight with Larry Holmes. Holmes pounded Ali back into the retirement where he should have stayed.

Ronda Rousey isn’t about to retire. She assured fans she’ll be back. She’s saying the right things. Let’s hope she’s back with a few more tools in her MMA game. We’re here to help.

How did she lose to Holly Holm? It wasn’t movies, or writing books, or spending time with too many celebrities.

UFC 193 was the biggest fight in MMA history and she was the biggest star. She’s got the whole package of media darling, flashy smile, and allure. When you see her outside of the octagon she shows a beautiful side.

On match day she puts on that face, the one you need to fight like her. And it’s effective. And it’s too much.

No one expected her to lose, ever. She would pound her way through all the competition and leave the UFC a better place. She probably still will.

So what happened with the Holm fight? From a wrestling point of view, not martial arts or boxing, she got caught. More than once.

One of the moves I’ve seen her do, which is what I hope to see others do, is a hip throw and head and arms. Rousey does them better than anyone, just not against Holm.

The key to a successful hip throw, or head and arm, is holding your opponent, getting them on your hip, and whipping them downward. For a head and arm example, overhook your right arm on the opponent’s left arm near their shoulder while your left hand grips their neck.

You’ll find your right hand near their ribs or sternum. If you make a fist your knuckles may grind against the bones.

Hold on and push them back, and when they swing forward to catch their balance pull their left arm with your right hand at the same time you swing your left upper arm in a chop on the side of their neck and turn your left hip. It’s coordinated.

If you load them up on your hip and get a quick turn they go flying. Do it slow and you go flying.

During the Holm fight Ronda attempted to throw several times. Each time Holly had the perfect defense, which is hopping over the hip and lifting. Getting body slammed from a couple of feet in the air takes too much out of anyone, even a World Champion like Rousey, an Olympic judo medalist.

Holly Holm worked the ring like Ali, letting Rousey chase while drilling punches. Then a big left leg neck kick followed by pouncing on a knocked out opponent for more punches to end the fight.

We learned Ronda Rousey can be beat, the same way we learned Ali could be beat. It’s never pretty. It’s not supposed to be pretty. The only question left is how Rousey comes back.

Will she learn how to block a left leg high kick, how to block a forearm to the face, and how to fake a throw and use the counter as an offensive weapon?

This writer’s advice for Ronda Rousey? Bring Greco-Roman wrestlers into your next training camp. Do that and the win is in the book.

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via dailymail.co.uk

 

About David Gillaspie

I am a writer. This is my blog story day by day.

Comments

  1. in sight out of site says

    as well schooled student on the deepths of the fight game i say holly holm used serious distance control and greco roman wrestling hand fighting to her advantage .
    now all this was very modifed to suite a muay thai type posture with hands and elbows used prestigiously with devestating results .

    holly utlized an excellent lunge step with angles as needed . wrestlers and muay thai -boxing,
    use the same tool as needed.

    however!!

    BAND COLLAR TIES were employed to create distance and disorintation with beauitful results.
    bang collar ties are very usefull weapon and holly used them very well indeed though modified to here needs vs classic wrestling deployment of said movesl.

    holly had other moves used as well. extra hard shoulder bump to a push away -more space.
    did anyone see the SNAP DOWN befor the big kick ??
    yes holly snapped runda `s way down – excellent form for wrestling . then shoves runda and kicks her
    to the neck ….

    all the hand fight – aids and help out the boxing .
    hand fighting was diffinently there all fight long .

    • David Gillaspie says

      Very nice analysis. Wrestling was key. Ronda needs to quicken up. And avoid the forearm to the face.

      Good review. Thanks