Interesting Article on a UFC fighters opinion on Sparring

[Drose427]

Former UFC fighter Jamie Varner warns young fighters Too much sparring can lead to early retirement - Bloody Elbow

He says limit it to a time or two a week.

I know many of use spar more using hard contact and makes me curious how much damage is actually being done.

I also think he may have done more damage to himself than need be by regularly sparring with larger guys. It's something that should be done but the increase risk and injury, at least to me, means its not something to be doing 3 times a week...

His MMA record was something like 35-11, and up until his last six fights he was doing very well. Something changed in him apparently, and this is what he thinks was his downfall....

 

[marques]

Brain damage in the long run. That's sure. Anyway, there are people able to support more or less strikes.
This is why I only spar within my rules (slow and "perfect technique", but also intention and potential power), or don't spar. Like that I can spar everyday (the best training part to me).
Hard sparring is for professionals or crazy people, IMHO.

 

[Danny T]

Sparring is an important aspect of the fight game however, it is not the most important. Should be done for as a part of the training but not the practice aspect. Hard sparring should be done only periodically and with a specific goal in mind. More time should be spent doing hard drilling, pad, and heavy bag work to develop technique applications and responses in my opinion.

 

[Tez3]

Spend the time on fitness and conditioning instead of sparring so much.

 

[FriedRice]

Sparring is an important aspect of the fight game however, it is not the most important. Should be done for as a part of the training but not the practice aspect. Hard sparring should be done only periodically and with a specific goal in mind. More time should be spent doing hard drilling, pad, and heavy bag work to develop technique applications and responses in my opinion.

This is how it is, already. Nobody spars more than they drill on pads, heavy bags, etc.

The bigger problem is that there's not enough sparring. Even less so for hard sparring in trying to KO your partners.

 

[Tez3]

This is how it is, already. Nobody spars more than they drill on pads, heavy bags, etc.

The bigger problem is that there's not enough sparring. Even less so for hard sparring in trying to KO your partners.

Are you a professional fighter or coach? MMA fighters do what is considered best for themselves, if they feel they need to do more they will but on the whole there is more than enough sparring done.

 

[Danny T]

The bigger problem is that there's not enough sparring. Even less so for hard sparring in trying to KO your partners.

If you are sparring to KO your partners you are an egotistical fool. Sparring is about learning and keeping yourself or training partners sharp. It is not about knocking your partners out or seeing how much damage you can take. Those who do aren't in the fight game for long while spending the rest of their lives with neurological disorders.

 

[FriedRice]

If you are sparring to KO your partners you are an egotistical fool. Sparring is about learning and keeping yourself or training partners sharp. It is not about knocking your partners out or seeing how much damage you can take. Those who do aren't in the fight game for long while spending the rest of their lives with neurological disorders.

Sure it is. If you're scared of it, that's fine. Obviously, there are risks. Sounds like you've never been to a Boxing gym. The average Boxing gym spars hard way more than any MMA gym I've been to. But now at your age, you shouldn't be going hard anyway.

 

[Drose427]

Sure it is. If you're scared of it, that's fine. Obviously, there are risks. Sounds like you've never been to a Boxing gym. The average Boxing gym spars hard way more than any MMA gym I've been to. But now at your age, you shouldn't be going hard anyway.

no, no they dont.

My coach (Mike Sheppard for anyone interested) has won a myriad of boxing and kickboxing titles.

He spars twice a week with hard contact, but nobodies getting KO'ed or out for blood. Nor does he let our pros or us ams spar like its a bout.

At our gym, going for Ko's all the time is how you get a coach to pair with up with someone hes already told to drop you.

No gym is just letting their guys treat sparring like a bout.

 

[Danny T]

Sure it is. If you're scared of it, that's fine.

Yes, there are a few gyms with coaches that don't know better and there are practitioners like yourself who think going for a ko is good training. You are in the minority.

Sounds like you've never been to a Boxing gym.

Right.

The average Boxing gym spars hard way more than any MMA gym I've been to. But now at your age, you shouldn't be going hard anyway.

You know not of what you speak.
At my age going hard is not a problem. However, going hard doesn't mean going for knock outs.
In the excellent high level training professional gyms sparring is hard, but going for knock outs only happen when idiots come in wanting to prove themselves and get put into their place.

 

[RowdyAz]

Unless you are sparring with contact it's useless. It allows for the I could have done this or the I could have done that or but if I done that. In the end it doesn't achieve a thing if you can't land you get a false sense of security. The students leave training thinking they are a world beater without being able to take a punch. Sparring has it's place for sure.It more or less becomes shadow boxing with a willing partner. Source 18 years freestyle karate, muay thai and go ju ryu.

 

[Drose427]

Unless you are sparring with contact it's useless. It allows for the I could have done this or the I could have done that or but if I done that. In the end it doesn't achieve a thing if you can't land you get a false sense of security. The students leave training thinking they are a world beater without being able to take a punch. Sparring has it's place for sure.It more or less becomes shadow boxing with a willing partner. Source 18 years freestyle karate, muay thai and go ju ryu.

Contact yes

Trying to Ko or annhilate? no

Heck, even with UFC fighters it really only happens the last few spars before a match and its still frowned upon I.e. Aldo injured a couple guys before his last title defense

 

[RowdyAz]

Contact yes

Trying to Ko or annhilate? no

Heck, even with UFC fighters it really only happens the last few spars before a match and its still frowned upon I.e. Aldo injured a couple guys before his last title defense

Exactly, to beat someone senseless at training proves nothing. That's why in every good club it's called controlled sparring ( knowing when to back off) the main thing to take away from sparring is gauging distance. With some students they will throw a technique from a foot or so away only to have there partner unleash with half a dozen techniques of their own and in essence they aren't learning from that type of exchange. I'm all for sparring providing its only used as a learning tool and is performed in a constructive way.

 

[FriedRice]

Yes, there are a few gyms with coaches that don't know better and there are practitioners like yourself who think going for a ko is good training. You are in the minority.


Right.


You know not of what you speak.
At my age going hard is not a problem. However, going hard doesn't mean going for knock outs.
In the excellent high level training professional gyms sparring is hard, but going for knock outs only happen when idiots come in wanting to prove themselves and get put into their place.

It's just hard sparring baby. But I can tell it's not for you and you've obviously never done it.

You should spar with these ladies, no wait, they're going too hard:

 

[FriedRice]

Contact yes

Trying to Ko or annhilate? no

Heck, even with UFC fighters it really only happens the last few spars before a match and its still frowned upon I.e. Aldo injured a couple guys before his last title defense

Wrong.

 

[FriedRice]

no, no they dont.

My coach (Mike Sheppard for anyone interested) has won a myriad of boxing and kickboxing titles.

He spars twice a week with hard contact, but nobodies getting KO'ed or out for blood. Nor does he let our pros or us ams spar like its a bout.

Looks Mike Sheppard don't think that you're good enough or can take it, to allow you to spar hard. Otherwise you'd know that it's not easy to KO someone who's equally trained using 16oz Boxing gloves; and rarely does anyone gets KO'ed.

No gym is just letting their guys treat sparring like a bout.

Been to a lot of gyms now have we? Or is this your first MMA gym?

At our gym, going for Ko's all the time is how you get a coach to pair with up with someone hes already told to drop you.

Yeah, this is what we tell the noobs also too so they don't go crazy.

 

[Tez3]

How a very good coach trains fighters Interview John Kavanagh on coaching methods diet gurus fancy gym equipment more - Bloody Elbow and yes I do know John doesn't have them sparring hard all the time.

There is of course a lot of online machismo around, sitting typing at the keyboard wearing Tapout tshirts and fight shorts I imagine.

 

[Tez3]

Interesting that Friedrice finds John Kavanagh funny, a coach who has train several UFC fighters is amusing to him.
Sparring yes, hard sparring yes, aiming to KO no, why risk the payday, if a fighter is KO'd then they fail the medical so no fight.
What It Takes to Be a UFC Fighter

 

[drop bear]

I would say hard sparring is risking ko,s. But not necessarily setting out to cause the.

But it is tough to find that acceptable line. Fighting is about being competitive. If they turn the heat up you turn the heat up.

 

[Tez3]

If they turn the heat up you turn the heat up.

Depends where you are though, if they are sparring partners for a pro fighter going into a fight then the coach's instructions will be carried out, if it's some kid in the gym/club looking to make a name for himself by sparring hard with a fighter then well it rarely ends well for the wannabe lol, though it gives the rest of us a laugh.