Striking pressure defines where a fight goes

When Japanese MMA is evaluated, it is often pointed out that many fighters do not know how to do a proper weight cut. What I would also like to note is that most fighters do not fight in the weight class that is defined by their body frame.

For example, in boxing, Shinji Takehara is the world champion of the heaviest division. His division is middleweight (160 pounds), and he stands 6 feet 1 inch tall. Boxers have a more strict view about fighting at their proper weight. There are fighters in MMA with smaller frames who try to gain muscle for more grappling strength. Therefore, I can't say that everyone fits my theory, but still many Japanese fighters choose the wrong fighting weight.

Motonobu Tezuka fought against the clearly bigger Alex Caceres. After the fight, Tezuka said that he can drop down to flyweight. That makes me think that, when a Japanese fighter enters a major organization where foreign fighters have bigger frames, the Japanese fighter should drop down a division.

That's not to say that every fighter must do so. Certain fighters are not meant to drop the weight, such as the grapplers that I mentioned who bulk up in order to allow themselves to improve their grip on submissions or to maintain position on the ground. Those fighters excel by using their physical strength to their advantage and they would struggle if they cut weight and lost muscle. It becomes risky when they can no longer use their familiar fighting style once their strength is diminished.

There are also many fighters who choose to compete in higher weight categories because there often isn't as much money to be made in MMA's lower weight classes like flyweight, bantamweight and featherweight. Fighting in the higher weight classes leads to bigger paydays. Frankie Edgar, for example, captured the UFC lightweight title even though he only has a bantamweight frame. I am worried that there is too little investment in the lighter weight categories, which limits the sport's potential for growth.

In MMA right now, grapplers need to develop striking pressure to succeed at setting up takedowns at the highest level. Fighter need use strikes to keep opponents off-balance to set up takedowns.

Striking pressure can be made up of a fighter's reach, speed and power, but technique can be used to create space or to close the distance. Striking pressure can be overcome if you take note of distance, angles, combinations and so on. Shinya Aoki did try to do this in his fight against Eddie Alvarez after he had previously lost the pressure battle in his bout with Gilbert Melendez, but due to his lack of power and chin, Alvarez overwhelmed Aoki anyway.

When an opponent has a longer reach, and can adapt to any situation, the fight becomes tougher for a grappler with a shorter reach. This means that divisional flexibility has become much tougher than before.

In the past, you saw fighters trying to submit opponents from the bottom. Once elite fighters learned how to defend submissions from the top, wrestling became much more important in grappling. And now that fighters have become better strikers and have learned how to sprawl to defend against takedown attempts, it is difficult for grapplers to turn fights into grappling matches without first using striking pressure.

Big thanks to Robert Sargent (from MMA Rising) for English editing.  

Local prospects are in Bantam weight

Who are next generation of Japanese Mixed Martial Artist?At local Japanese organization,I can find Bantam weight prospect. Dream doing Bantam weight grandprix now..There are usual Japanese member who are former feather weight.But we will see new talent of clops in that division.I will list who is worth attention.

Shooto

Kyoji Horiguchi 20 years old

Krazy Bee's most promising prospect.At first heard about there is rookie fighter sparring partner for "Kid".It's sound wired when heard Major level fighter sparring with 2 to 3 fight rookie.Horiguchi show improve with fit his Karate skill to MMA.Currently have 4 KO streak. "Kid" says he should get Shooto title in one year.Horiguchi had only 4 armature shooto fight experience because too strong at categoy.


Kyoji Horiguchi

 He will face Naohiro "Chokugekigamon" Mizuno at September 23, Shootor's Legacy 04.

This year's Shooto rookie tournament have high level competition too.So we will see. Shooto's  Feather weight division (same as international Bantam weight division) will stacked.

DEEP

Tatsumitsu Wada 22 years old

Yoshida Dojo's prospect have experience karate and judo at childhood.He won 2007's future king tournament.He already have major win against Dream veteran Daiki "DJ Taiki" Hata.Hata can't handle Wada's punch speed.He will fight for DEEP title soon against Takafumi Otsuka. He can drop to Flyweight.


Tatsumitsu Wada

Yusaku Nakamura 25 years old

From Seiichi Ikemoto's style gym,Nakamura have Nihon Kenpo background.He stepped up as a late replacement of Darren Uenoyama at Dream. He had only 3 pro fight before he step up for Dream.This is shortest record of fight amount to fight Dream. His condition is not good since his injury didn't heal yet.But he shock people with knock down Atsushi Yamamoto.He lose but his reputation rise.


Yusaku Nakamura

He will face Seiji Akao at Septemvber 4 DEEP Osaka Impact.

ZST

Shunichi Shimizu 26 years old

From Uruno Dojo, Shimizu evaluated win against Manabu Inoue at SRC Asia Bantam weight tourny.He succeed to chain grapple against Inoue. He fought at feather weight recently.But he should fight for higher tier Bantam weight.

Pancrase

Motonobu Tezuka 24 years old

It's hard to choice Bantam weight prospect from Pancrase since their champ lose to ZST's Shimizu.But if I choice,Tezuka.From Dokonjonosuke Mishima's Cobra Kai.Tezuka show variety of takedown and lose split decision against Shintaro Ishiwatari.