I know in MMA you have to be strong and have some skill. Does this mean you should have a perfect balance of both or should you be concentrating more on one then the other? I am curious cause some of these guys look ripped, but then do terrible to a scrawny guy.

Bulky muscles definitely would add some strength but you lose your agility and speed. It is a plus if you're a wrestler because you can definitely dominate on top by using ground and pound.

In terms of the MMA you definitely need to have a good amount of actual fight skill. You can be as huge as you want, but if you're against someone who is extremely proficient in fighting you're probably going to lose.

Thanks for the quick replies! I have a friend who was debating going in, but he is a little on the scrawny side! Now I know what to tell him so he does not go out and get hurt in his first match!

Isabellas2007 wrote:Thanks for the quick replies! I have a friend who was debating going in, but he is a little on the scrawny side! Now I know what to tell him so he does not go out and get hurt in his first match!

Tell your friend to shred the muscles and fat to make him lighter which can give him an advantage on the stand-up. He'll just need to learn how to defend takedown attempts so he won't get his ass kicked.

Okay, I can do that. He has been training, but he seemed a little to ripped for me to go into the matches. I know that sounds odd, but his muscle mass seemed to be slowing him down to the point he could be a punching bag!

No if anything it slows you down. You have too pump more blood to the muscles, which requires oxygen. This can be seen with all the body builders that have tried to transition to MMA. They are all out of gas by the second round.

Jeremy Green wrote:No if anything it slows you down. You have too pump more blood to the muscles, which requires oxygen. This can be seen with all the body builders that have tried to transition to MMA. They are all out of gas by the second round.

Yeah, I also agree on this one, most heavy muscled guy seems to get tired quickly. He should do more cardio if he likes to do well in MMA.

spiderman wrote:

Jeremy Green wrote:No if anything it slows you down. You have too pump more blood to the muscles, which requires oxygen. This can be seen with all the body builders that have tried to transition to MMA. They are all out of gas by the second round.

Yeah, I also agree on this one, most heavy muscled guy seems to get tired quickly. He should do more cardio if he likes to do well in MMA.

Agreed, it is a detriment to themselves by putting so much muscle on their bodies.

An impressive physique in no way determines how good of a fighter you are. Think of fighters like Fedor and Roy Nelson who have a "soft" looking body. They do not look to be in good shape at all but are some of the best fighters in their division.

Also, think of fighters like Andrei Arlovski who has an impressive six pack but have lost quite a number of fights. Having big muscles may be aesthetically appealing but it does not appear to help you as a fighter.