Why MMA Striking Is Not Boxing

Boxing technique transfers to MMA, but not unmodified. Four-ounce gloves block far less, so blocking becomes less reliable and distance management becomes more important. Punching combinations get shorter because a long string invites a level change underneath it. Head movement has to stay upright and compact, since ducking low in front of a wrestler is the same motion as offering your neck. Every punch is also a decision about whether you are willing to be in clinch range.

Key points

• Small gloves cover less surface, so a shell that stops punches in boxing will let shots through between the hands.
• Keep combinations to two or three strikes; longer sequences leave your hips unguarded for the duration of the string.
• Slip and roll shallowly and stay tall, because a deep duck puts your head at chest height where the front headlock waits.
• Punch with your feet under you rather than leaning in, since a leaning fighter is already halfway into a takedown.
• Treat every punching entry as an entry into kick and clinch range too, and plan the exit before you step in.

Common mistakes

• Importing a high tight boxing guard wholesale, which does little against knees in the clinch and offers a wrestler two convenient handles at the elbows.
• Pulling straight back from punches without moving the hips, which leaves the lead leg parked in range for a low kick.
• Throwing wide looping hooks that expose the back and the neck, turning a missed punch into a back take against you.

Put it into practice