Nelson is an accomplished and from what I say yesterday, very efficient and knows exactly what he is doing. But his conditioning has to be at the very bottom of all UFC-level athletes. He doesn't need to be Sean Sherk, but why would he let himself get like that?
At the same time, perhaps he thought he was done with the sport and this chance just happened to fall in his lap. In that case, he starts the season as the best on the show and has a lot of room to improve over the months and even the next year or two just by losing the belly
At the same time, perhaps he thought he was done with the sport and this chance just happened to fall in his lap. In that case, he starts the season as the best on the show and has a lot of room to improve over the months and even the next year or two just by losing the belly
His cardio and gas tank is amongst the best at heavyweight despite his appearance. He likes the extra weight because it makes his ground game that much more dangerous. He's extremely hard to get off of you once he gets in a good spot because of that weight. It's not flashy but it works for him.
Does he have a lot of gas in the tank, or is he simply efficient enough that he doesn't have to use very much against less abled opponents?
It will always be far superior for anyone to cut down to 265 and not be fat, than to come in at a fat 265. No question at all about that
Obviously extra weight is good, but if it is so necessary, I can't see how choosing fat weight over muscle weight would ever be the best way to go
It will always be far superior for anyone to cut down to 265 and not be fat, than to come in at a fat 265. No question at all about that
Obviously extra weight is good, but if it is so necessary, I can't see how choosing fat weight over muscle weight would ever be the best way to go
Regarding the weight, take a look at NFL players. All these linemen six foot tall and 300+ lbs. The weight is needed and works for them, in a lot of cases it's not possible for it to be muscle, you just cant get that heavy without fat. THe most ripped linemen often get run over on run downs compared to the fat slobs.
Obviously any extra bulk helps, but if a fat 265 is comparable to a lean 235, what does that mean for the lean 265? Right now there are a few and the number will only increase
Also an NFL lineman goes hard for a few seconds, than takes a break, UFC fights are five minute rounds. Conditioning will always be a chief concern. Comparing a lineman to a heavyweight fighter is like comparing what Usain Bolt does to a mile runner. Some of the principals are the same, some are far different
Umm... If you are getting hit at all and are not in a spot where you can defend yourself then the fight is stopped. That is how MMA works. Kimbo had a hematoma (not sure if I spelled that right) on his head after the fight and would have gotten hit with those "soft" punches for another 3 straight minutes. He wasn't going anywhere. Getting hit in the face for a few minutes straight without the ability to get out is a reason to stop the fight. You don't have to break the arm in an armbar for the fight to end. Why should you have to knock your opponent completely out? A standup there would have gotten Dean fined by the athletic commission for completely avoiding the rules.
