Could PAULIE win an MMA match with just a Jab?

[Larry the boss]

no...........

[Real King Kong]

If you can control space, you can dictate a fight.

Jon Jones has done it, 'Wonderboy' Thompson has done it, Lyoto Machida did it, Chuck Liddell did it. All basically with the same principle.

It's likely got to be the right guy, and he likely needs a few other tools (the basics of sprawl and brawl for sure), but Malignaggi has been able to box his way to being a two-division world champion with hands that failed him for basically his last decade as a fighter.

Paulie's knowledge of space is well beyond sharp enough to dictate an mma fight behind the stick.

It's a skills race though, to see how high up the talent chain he could go

knowledge of space purely with boxing, and with kicks etc involved are 2 very different things. with paulie's closed boxing stance, he'd get his front leg chopped down inside a round.

[Scipio2009]

Conor vs Khabib is SO far removed from the early days of the ufc. Lets be fair

Khabib and Conor would have never lost back then. Ever. They dont all have complete sets of skills in the sense that everyone is world champ level at every discipline, but within the sport, they’ve honed what mostly works.

Takedown defense and being a devastating striker (for the sport) is never going to become ineffective. But the complete LACK of skill and understanding in what worked for MMA was light years behind now. Now you have guys growing up in the sport. Not just doing karate at your local plaza and wonder why they got wrecked by a boxer or thai fighter with actual fighting experience. Most wrestlers now are at least proficient enough to hang and create opportunities vs the higher level strikes in the sport.

Gone are the days of a big lumbering and stiff wrestler who had absolutely no idea what to do on the feet...or strikers not knowing BJJ to defend against wrestlers etc etc

If you magically had a rule that explicitly demanded that Conor had to grapple while Khabib had to strike, you'd end up with a terrible fight.

Calling it old-school UFC may have been a bit of a hyperbole, but what really is the difference between what Mark Coleman was doing back then and what Khabib is doing now? Maybe Khabib's technique is a little cleaner, but that's it.

Conor McGregor has the "touch of death", but let's not act like you'll ever see him roll with anyone in a fight.

[NearHypnos]

If you magically had a rule that explicitly demanded that Conor had to grapple while Khabib had to strike, you'd end up with a terrible fight.

Calling it old-school UFC may have been a bit of a hyperbole, but what really is the difference between what Mark Coleman was doing back then and what Khabib is doing now? Maybe Khabib's technique is a little cleaner, but that's it.

Conor McGregor has the "touch of death", but let's not act like you'll ever see him roll with anyone in a fight.

That fight would be horrendous. I’d rather watch Devon Alexander fight.

But come on, Mark Coleman would have wanted to be Khabib when he grew up lol. Khabib has a muuuuch better understanding of MmA than Mark Coleman did. Mark Coleman was basically a brute among brutes. I remember how badly gassed I saw him get once and he had zero survival instincts or any idea if what to do. He’s actually a great example. Outside of ground and pound he had nothing else.

That’s why he wasnt just stopped by the kickboxer/thai type guys, but also submitted multiple times. That better understanding of the existencd of BJJ and of boxing has led Khabib to an impressive record and title against all types of styles.

[boliodogs]

Of course not. Paulie is kind of puny and probably can't wrestle and he can't punch. the MMA guy could eat a few jabs and grab Paulie and through him down and beat him up. To beat an MMA guy under their rules you need somebody like a prime Tyson with fast hands and one punch fight ending power who can knockout his opponent before the fight goes to the ground where boxers don't know how to fight.

[Scipio2009]

because the conversation is taking place in the context of a fight with paulie malignaggi, a boxer, under MMA rules.

durr...?

Argue age and all that, but Paulie likely fights 145lbs today, with a shot at 135lbs when he was a younger fighter.

No one is saying that Paulie was going to be "King of the Mountain", but there are clear non-elite wrestlers that Paulie could beat, and the level goes up if he can get some of the basic rudiments down.

Teach Paulie 'sprawl and brawl', to go along with sharpening out his boxing brain (shots will vary, but understanding how to change speeds, bait openings, punch in between punches, and properly placing shots all helps round things out) and you're arguing that Malignaggi couldn't beat an MMA fighter who just had toughness over 3 5's (having that 12-round boxing shape muscle memory, if he's fit, might actually give him the gumption to pressure the pace)?

[Vlad_]

He could fist your asshole with just a jab.

[New England]

Argue age and all that, but Paulie likely fights 145lbs today, with a shot at 135lbs when he was a younger fighter.

No one is saying that Paulie was going to be "King of the Mountain", but there are clear non-elite wrestlers that Paulie could beat, and the level goes up if he can get some of the basic rudiments down.

Teach Paulie 'sprawl and brawl', to go along with sharpening out his boxing brain (shots will vary, but understanding how to change speeds, bait openings, punch in between punches, and properly placing shots all helps round things out) and you're arguing that Malignaggi couldn't beat an MMA fighter who just had toughness over 3 5's (having that 12-round boxing shape muscle memory, if he's fit, might actually give him the gumption to pressure the pace)?

you never said anything about teaching him anything.

you asked if he could win an MMA mathc with just a jab. i told you he couldn't get out of a 5:00 minute round. which he couldn't.

[GGG Gloveking]

Not if the mma guy lands a body shot

[Scipio2009]

knowledge of space purely with boxing, and with kicks etc involved are 2 very different things. with paulie's closed boxing stance, he'd get his front leg chopped down inside a round.

I'm not an MMA expert, but you're drastically overstating the ability level of fighters in my opinion.

At 145lbs, the weight class Paulie would be fighting at, the number of fighters who can kick is lower than you think, nevermind the number who can effectively kick, nevermind the number who can effectively leg kick, nevermind the fighters who are adept enough at leg kicks to immobilize the lead leg in 5 minutes.

Just like everything else in MMA, throwing a proper debilitating leg kick is about as universal as a proper mata leao, or a proper plum knee; meaning not all that universal.