Van vs Taira was by far the most exciting fight in #UFC328. From the beginning of the fight, I could've sworn that Taira was going to win - he was taking down Van clean, holding full mount. However, punch by punch, the difference in skill level between these fighters just got bigger and bigger until it was undeniable that we had a possible mismatch here. Still both fighters are so young - we are going to see a lot more from both of these guys!!

So what makes Van’s boxing so good here?

First, let’s talk about the age old question - who is more likely to win in a fight of style vs style, a striker or a grappler?

To be honest, I lean towards the striker winning. HOWEVER, if a grappler had the striking defense (head movement, ability to slip, block, parry etc) then the boxer is toast. Similarly if a boxer had good grappling defense and was able to escape guard and get back up IF the fight went to the ground at a high level, the grappler would inevitably lose.

What we saw at UFC328 was the latter. Van had great boxing skills but Taira had great takedowns. But every time Taira took Van down, Van got back up, was able to break Taira’s full mount, etc. When the striking began, Taira was not able to keep up with Van and his face was like a thermometer in boiling water for the rest of the fight - it got redder, and redder and redder.

I can’t wait to see what’s next for both fighters!

Come to the dojo! at http://www.hawkmma.com

UFC328 Van vs Taira FULL FIGHT HIGHLIGHTS - a BOXING IN MMA MASTERCLASS

Have something in mind that we can help with? USE THE FORM BELOW