Howcome Islam was able to headshot KO Volk but Yair wasn't able to?

[Dirty Frank]

He thought he had it blocked- but fighting a guy like Islam on 12 days notice is absurd. He was shredded and Volk had love handles..

 

[Pechan]

Because Yair is a kicker and Volk prepared for it, this mini camp was probably focused on the grappling, not to mention Volk has awful headkick defense.

 

[UppercutFromHades]

Levels are realized sooner or later.

 

[AstralPanda]

(Yellow belt thoughts)

Isn't Yair supposed to be a better kicker than Islam?

Threat of the takedown sets up striking

Adds other layers of things to worry about, which makes effective defense more complex.

 

[CryptoCreep33]

(Yellow belt thoughts)

Isn't Yair supposed to be a better kicker than Islam?

Islam got the power of Islam on his side

 

[Fedor Fan]

Volk spent a full camp bringing in Taekwondo experts to help deal with Yair's kicks.

He didn't have the same luxury of preparation for Islam rematch given his short notice focus on weight cutting.

 

[Fight Professor]

According to Mighty Mouse / GSP, since Volk is a shorter fighter, his field of vision of Islam is top-heavy, so a bottom kick would be harder to spot.
Also, Mighty Mouse said Volk defended from a bodyshot but didn't realize it was a high kick, so Islam was setting up the high kick from the beginning by alternating between mid and high making it harder for Volk to predict where it would land

Islam was probably throwing a body kick but Volk is just too short.

 

[GrantB13]

Because that's how shit happens. Geez. I'm tempted to porn nuke my account today.

 

[LiQuiD42]

It was because Makhachev's legs were longer. Volk cut too much height for the rematch.

 

[Zed237]

Volk didn't see that coming. Islam made a gigantic improvement in utilizing the left kick versus the first fight and Islam isn't known as a head kicker whereas Yair is primarily a kicker. Moreover, Volk can get out of kicking range because he can beat up Yair on inside with wrestling. Against Islam, he's stuck on the outside and can only blitz in and out because he's scared of getting taken down. His plan was to bum rush Islam but he fought on the outside (as he admitted) probably because it's easier said than done to just pressure a good wrestler. Reminds me of gaethje who said he'd meet habib in the middle and wrestle but spent the whole fight running away.

 

[updowniri]

We are just seeing the Caucus region guys do to MMA what they did to restling. Their training is super cerebral and high level. Their training methods are next level and they know everything about fighting. Its crazy watching guys who seem to be on the pinnacle of human potential, guys who you would assume had mastered all the best technical pathways, and are now just being pushed forward to greatness by their rare intangibles, getting smoked due to a technique gap, but it does happen.

 

[Mohawk Banditó]

They're different fighters

 

[NoBiasJustMMA]

(Yellow belt thoughts)

Isn't Yair supposed to be a better kicker than Islam?

The threat of the takedown helps set up strikes. Yair isn't much of a takedown threat so his opponents aren't having to guess if it is a takedown or strike when he level changes.

 

[drbolony]

Because one fight was on 11 days notice and he had a full camp for the other. Posters who think training camps are only for game planning and conditioning have never prepared for anything athletic in their life.

 

[storeybuckle]

(Yellow belt thoughts)

Isn't Yair supposed to be a better kicker than Islam?

Because all fights are different. Maybe there’s something about Volk style that Yair couldn’t land on him. Maybe Volk drilled head kick defence more when he was preparing for Yair? Too many variables

 

[swimba]

Let me think that for a while.

 

[DarthChen731]

Thread be dumb af

 

[Pious Augustus]

it's not about who's the better kicker or more flexible when he kicks, it's about implementing and setting up those kicks at the right time during the fight.

 

[Pious Augustus]

Thread be dumb af

seriously dumb

 

[French Canadian]

So basically the "threat of the takedown" (as undefeated Uncle Chael says) made it harder for Volk to focus on Islam's striking, whereas with Yair, Volk could just focus on the striking?

Or conversely: the threat of the takedown made Yair not as comfortable in his striking.