Why Fighters Fail

Many great fighters fail not because they lack the skill to win, but because they lack the stamina to finish the fight. This is true not only in the boxing world but also in the arena of mixed martial arts (MMA).

One of my favorite fighters in the UFC is Mark "the Hammer" Coleman. He has dominated a period in the history of martial arts when fighters in UFC has not yet universalized their skills. Coleman created the technique "ground and pound" where, because of his well-sculpted, muscular, he-man, body, he would "take-down" his opponent at will and pound them to submission, or until they are knocked out. I especially remember his fight with Don Frye which is a classic.

During my exciting days as a youth introduced in the world of the octagon, I have not yet seen Don Frye lose. He always won with style and his skill inside the octagon was impeccable. Then came "The Hammer". I saw Coleman fight and I said to myself there is no way this guy is going to lose to anyone. He was very hard to take down because of his bulky built and muscular physique. So you can just imagine the thrill of watching these two excellent warriors fight. It was a no-holds-barred edge-of-your-seat gladiator clash.

Marc Coleman grounded and pounded Don Frye like there was no tomorrow and the result was a devastating victory for the Hammer. I have never seen Frye's face punished to submission.

However, the UFC was evolving fast with the entry of various fighting styles from different schools. Pete Williams fought Marc Coleman in the UFC and it was a fight I did not want to remember.

Coleman lost steam, he lost stamina during the final rounds and I could remember him breathing hard holding into his knees looking at Pete before Pete delivered that powerful punishing kick to the face. Yes, a kick to the face as clean as a whistle. This brought to the sunshine Coleman's weakness. He could not fight effectively in the late rounds because of lack of stamina.

Boxers face an equal roadblock. I have seen it in the fights of Oscar de la Hoya with Shane Mosley and Tito Trinidad. Oscar could have won if he gave it his all in the last remaining three rounds.

This is one reason why boxers need to jog long and hard during their training. They need at least six to eight weeks of cardio exercise, meaning exercise involving the conditioning of the heart. Boxers need to be prepared to fight thirty rounds.

Have you seen the fights during the early 1900s where boxers had to fight for forty 3-minute rounds? If the fight went the distance, they would have fought for 120 minutes, or 2 hours. Imagine 2 grueling hours of hand to hand combat with the same man exchanging blows until the other guy fell to the canvass.

But, boxers need to be prepared for long fights not because they need to satisfy the crowd or anything but because they need to be strong and physically and mentally fit after to fight for the sake of their health. One of my favorite fights which I will not mention here, ended up with the other boxer becoming brain dead. This is because the other surviving fighter trained hard to fight well after 15 rounds.

As of now, I like the training regiment of Oscar Larios, the Mexican champion who fought Manny Pacquiao a few years back. I heard he was a long distance runner which allowed him to go the distance with the Pacman during their bout.

In conclusion, stamina plays a very important role in the destiny and success of a fighter. Though ensuring a strong stamina will not guarantee victory, it will improve the chances of a fighter, coupled with dedicated training and improvement in skill.