Middle wieghts trying to get to the next level
Play to your strengths
When you start your journey in combat arts, especially mixed martial arts, there are going to be particular skills you are gifted at, gravitate towards, appreciate and glaring weaknesses that must be strengthened in order to compete at a high level. As a middleweight fighter your body type and opponents fighting style can dictate your success sometimes at a particular skill set.
If you’re tall and have excellent reach, you might love grappling, but striking accurately could be more effective in the long term. If you possess a six inch reach advantage over your opponent who has proven wrestling pedigree, defends the takedown well and has a smothering top game, i.e. Chael Sonnen as the taller fighter, it may not be in your best interest to get into a grappling match with such a fighter. Effective striking from the outside, takedown defense and getting up from the bottom might be skills, no matter how much you loathe them, need to be developed for your success in ANY style of fight. It is more imperative for a tall fighter because their hips are exposed at a higher level. A shorter, stout fighter can time a takedown and explode to the hips without much resistance if not properly versed in defending and use of effective strikes.
As a stout fighter all elements are important, but footwork, counter striking and clinch work are essential elements to a stout fighter’s success in the middleweight division. If you are a short lean fighter in that division going against a taller fighter, more than likely you will have the edge in strength. You have the same amount of muscle packed onto a smaller frame and that can prove to be advantageous. A strong striker whose has a significant reach advantage can keep you on the end of his strikes and out point you round by round. Using his momentum, timing, movement and strong counters off their attacks can negate any advantage. Placing a taller fighter on the cage and dominating the clinch can also dispel any power they may possess by activating their hips into their strikes.
Takedowns and effective grappling for all fighters are important, but are set up through the effective use of other elements within MMA. At the highest level, just going in gun hoe for a takedown no longer is effective. MMA has evolved where at the top relying on a single style to be a champion is no longer successful. You may have a particular strength, but you must process proficient skills at all other aspects to be a champion.