Thursday, November 28, 2013

Boxing & MMA Are A Natural Pair

By Nolan Barias


While ground fighting is clearly a big part of MMA, honing strong striking skills cannot be underestimated as an important part of your arsenal as a fighter. A strong, solid punch requires little movement or energy and can be a quick way to disable an opponent. Many of the world's best mixed martial artists have fought in professional boxing matches or have extensive training in boxing.

While Georges St.-Pierre holds black belts in several forms of martial arts, including Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Kyokushin kaikan and Gaidojutsu, his boxing ability has been key to several of his victories, including knockouts in several of his 22 wins. During UFC 48, for example, St. Pierre knocked out fighter Jay Hieron in less than a minute and a half into the bout. He takes boxing seriously enough to train with Freddie Roach, a legendary trainer with his own solid pro boxing record. His strength in multiple skill areas has helped him defend his welterweight championship in his last six fights.

When you think about the best MMA fighter of all time, Anderson Silva's name is always up for consideration. However, he also fought two bouts as a professional boxer back in Brazil, winning one of the fights by knockout. Silva obviously sees the importance of having a wide arsenal of skills. In addition to boxing training, he is one of the top Muay Thai fighters in the world, holding a black belt. Of course, he also has a black belt in Judo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Taekwondo, as well as a yellow rope in the Brazilian art of Capoeira.

Brazil has produced many of the sports best fighters, including former UFC light heavyweight champ Vitor Belfort. This versatile fighter not only boasts a 21-9 record in professional MMA bouts, he also took part in one pro boxing fight defeating his opponent during the first round in less than a minute. Boxing is part of Belfort's regular training schedule, as are other styles of fighting. In addition to his boxing skills, he is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, having studied under Carlson Gracie.

K.J. Noons, who trains out of The Arena MMA in San Diego, maybe be one of the most versatile athletes in the world. Not only does Noons have a strong mixed martial arts fight record (11-5), he also has a 12-2 pro kickboxing record and has won 11 of his 13 pro boxing bouts. More impressively, he was fighting in all three pro sports concurrently. He is a black belt in Kenpo Karate and also won a gold medal at the Long Beach International Karate Championships in 1997.

Learning essential boxing skills will improve the overall performance of any fighter, so if you are currently working toward a career in MMA, make sure you add boxing classes along with your Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai and wrestling classes. Select a professional-level MMA gym that offers a variety of classes, including boxing, for one flat monthly fee.




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