Sun Tzu wrote The
Art of War thousands of years before Mixed Martial Arts existed.
Though he aimed to breakdown what aspects of military planning decided the
winner of a battle, we can adapt his vision to the sport of MMA. So, what does
one of the world's greatest military minds have to say about Saturday's match
up between Johnny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler?
1) Which of the two
sovereigns is imbued with the moral law?
- Both guys have battle tested chins that make it hard
for opponents to finish. However, more than half of Robbie Lawler's losses
have come by submission, and though it was a long time ago, he was knocked
out by Nick Diaz earlier in his career. Hendricks on the other hand has
never been finished in a fight. He took hard shots in his fight with
Carlos Condit and faced big punchers like Koscheck and Story without
being phased. As far as durability and toughness goes Hendricks has the
edge.
2) Which of the two
generals has most ability?
- Both guys have phenomenal trainers and teams behind
them. Hendricks is part of Team Takedown which is run by Marc Laimon. A
true mastermind when it comes to martial arts, Laimon knows how to coach
fighters. Few people have the ability to analyze fights and think up
strategies off the noggin like Laimon. However, Lawler's move to American
Top Team in Florida was a turning point in his career. Ricardo Liborio's
ATT produced some of the world’s best Mixed Martial Artists and have a
history of excellence few teams can rival. Though Marc Laimon and Team
Takedown are without a great asset to Hendricks, Liborio and ATT have a
long track record of producing killers. Got to give this one to Lawler.
3) With whom lie the
advantages derived from heaven and earth?
- Lawler is coming off a tough win over Rory McDonald
which gives him a lot of momentum going into Saturday's fight. Few people believed
Lawler would be back in UFC title contention but here he is after going
3-0 in the welterweight division. Hendricks on the other hand seems to be
the uncrowned champ at 170. Most people though he won his last fight and
it remains to be seen how his mindset is going into this fight. Neither
guy seems to have a big contextual advantage going into this fight,
Hendricks looks like a guy that is determined to prove he's the real
champ, and Lawler feels like this is his time.
4) On which side is
discipline most rigorously enforced?
- Neither guy has a reputation for being a cardio
machine, but both have fought 5 hard rounds before. Both exert a lot of
energy when throwing those nasty bombs at people, and both have slowed
down towards the end of fights. I don't think either guy has a decisive
advantage over the other in terms of a gas tank.
5) Which army is
stronger?
- Hendricks was the only guy to ever bully GSP, but he
has been pushed around by guys like Pierce, Koscheck, and especially Rick
Story. Lawler fought most of his career outside the UFC at 185 pounds and
never looked vastly overpowered. That being said, there's a reason they
call Johnny Hendricks "Big Rig." Hendricks likes to run through
guys with brute strength at times, and I doubt Lawler will be able to push
him around. Advantage: Hendricks.
6) On which side are
officers and men more highly trained?
- One doesn't reach this level of competition without
excellent technique and being well rounded. Both guys are generally
brawlers who look to land power shots on the feet but there is a sort of
method to the chaos. Lawler has a bigger arsenal of weapons standing up: flying
knees, head kicks, and power punches have all brought him success. However,
Johnny Hendricks won 2 NCAA titles in wrestling and trains under
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu guru Marc Laimon. Hendricks has the ability to
take the fight where he wants, but Lawler isn't exactly a joke on the
ground. The x-guard Lawler used against Koscheck was a thing of beauty,
but I've seen Hendricks grapple before and he is more than able to nullify
top level guys on the ground. Given that Hendricks's stand up is just as
dangerous as Lawler’s, and he is able to bring the fight down to the
ground where I'm sure Marc Laimon has him well trained, I got to think
Hendricks has the advantage here.
7) In which army is
there the greater constancy both in reward and punishment?
- Both guys can finish the fight. Both guys have scary
power that can only be matched by the asteroid from "Deep
Impact." So it's very likely that this fight ends with one fighter
waking up with a flashlight in his eyes. Hendricks says his jiu jitsu is
his best kept secret but we've never seen it, and while Lawler has been
finished by subs before, his training at ATT seems to have rectified that
hole in his game. We can't assume Hendricks can finish on the ground, but
we do know he can finish on the feet, a place where Lawler excels. Seeing
as both guys can knock out a water buffalo, and we’ve never seen Hendricks’s
submission game, I got to say this is push.
THE PICK: Hendricks is
most likely stronger, is more well-rounded, and is tougher to finish. Both guys
can finish the fight on the feet, but "Big Rig" has more options.
Hendricks by UD
No comments:
Post a Comment