MAYBE YOU WANT TO TRAIN IN A CAGE BEFORE YOU THE FIGHT.
Aoki was probably the nine hundredth time we've heard of a highly regarded Japanese fighter competing on a HUGE show against top level opponents who has never trained in a cage before.
Aoki had no idea what to do in the cage and Melendez took advantage of it.
It wouldn't have mattered.
^ Oops Engrish fail. haha I'll leave it in.
It wouldn't have mattered but it wouldn't have been so one-sided. Given all the pre-fight hype, it looks like Cesar Gracie's school single handedly colonized Japanese MMA.
yeah, all the cage experience in the world wasn't going to make him a good enough wrestler or boxer to deal with melendez
You are absolutely correct. When pushed up against the cage Aoki had his mobility and game completely shut down. Cage changes the guards effectiveness 100%
Slowshot - yeah, all the cage experience in the world wasn't going to make him a good enough wrestler or boxer to deal with melendez
True, but in a ring, where there's a lot more give and a corner and a bottom space to slide around in and not get crushed up in, his sub chances were substantially higher.
The first couple times Aoki ended up against the cage, you could see him try to swing under the ropes, realize he couldn't do it and go "shit, now what?"