| Reavant |
11-19-2015 04:42 PM |
She has always had huge holes in her game. Watch the second Tate fight.
Mischa is a tough fighter, but she has terrible mechanics to her punches. There is no driving from the feet and turning over from the hips to the shoulder to the hands. Other than her overhand right, she throws only arm punches with nothing behind them. Despite that, she was consistently hitting Ronda in the face when they fought. Ronda was able to eat those shots and come forward because they posed no danger.
Ronda has improved her hands in that they move faster than they once did, and she has decent punching mechanics. She can come forward and deliver a Wanderlei like performance. However, like with the Tate fight, she has no head movement, her hands are down, and she gets hit in the face.
In walks Holm with a world boxing title to her name. Almost every punch she threw landed, except every punch she threw hurt. Ronda was systematically destroyed because she never addressed this hole in her game. Until now, there has never been anyone who could exploit it. You could see the look on Rondas face during the fight. She was desperate and tried to overcome that by preforming even more desperate. She rushed in, she chased, and she swung wildly. All things you never do to a skilled striker. Especially if that skilled striker is more skilled than you.
I also have never liked how Ronda hangs her hat on the headlock judo throws. There is a very good reason you don't see high level men use those throws. First is that men are stronger upper body and if you go to headlock throw a man, you run the risk of being picked up and thrown down on your head. Second, a headlock throw leaves you open to having your back taken. Did we forget the Liz Coarmouche fight? Ronda has been fighting girls that are like most girls in that they are more flexible, but have less upperbody strength. She met a fighter in Holly Holm, that had that upperbody strength which is why you saw her get picked up and dropped by Holly when she did that shit technique.
Unless Ronda's coach can fix this issue, or she can find a coach who can, I feel we will have another Dilashaw/Barao situation on our hands. I don't see anyone else beating Ronda, but I don't see Ronda beating Holm ever again.
What is interesting is that I think that Holm can be beaten. She almost was in her last fight. She is much like Anderson in that she plays the distance and counter punches, but I think the great girl wrestlers will still give her fits. A solid double leg might give her problems.
I don't mean to take anything away from Ronda. Shes a great fighter, but this hype train was so blind to what she was, that it was quite nauseating. I was on board with most people on saying that she was never going to lose, because I was unsure that any woman would be strong enough physically and mentally to take her on. Not only do you have to fight Ronda, but you have to listen to all that hype every day. It is hard to keep your confidence when everyone is saying youre gunna get killed.
Im glad we got to see the shakeup that we did. The rematch will be big money for sure.
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