I don’t get too many emails asking me to address certain things in columns so when I do, I feel special. I’m always happy to answer emails from readers so don’t hesitate to send them. Here’s an email I received about the difference between the cage and the ring.
“It may not be [relevant] for you to address in your column but you mentioned in the bit about Denis Kang how Japanese guys struggle with the fence/cage rather than ropes. I have heard this said so many times (e.g I think Dan Henderson had it mentioned about him when he first came into UFC) but never really understood the reason for it.”
-Neil from Zurich
There’s really no one explanation for why the Japan/ring guys struggle in the UFC and the cage. The biggest difference is the ropes as opposed to the fence. With the ropes it’s easy to fall through them when you’re clinched up against them or when you’re trying to drive someone through with a takedown. It’s also easy to escape under the ropes if you’re near them and in a bad position. In the cage, you can push your opponent up against the cage and work your ground and pound, leaving them with little place to go. Watch any Tito Ortiz fight not against Chuck Liddell and you’ll see that after every takedown, Ortiz slides his opponent up against the cage and begins throwing punches and elbows. In the ring, the opponent would just slide under the bottom rope and force the ref to reposition them, allowing the fighter to catch his breath.
Striking is a bit different in the ring and cage as well. It’s easier to cut off a ring because there are four distinct corners that you can back your opponent into. Guys like Kalib Starnes find it easier to run in circles in the cage because there’s no true cut off point. Some people have learned how to cut off the cage at certain points but rest assured that they’ve had years of Octagon experience.
The success (or lack thereof) of the Japan guys goes beyond just the ring to cage transition though. The judging is different, the rules are different, the crowds are different, testing is more strict, ect…. There’s no one answer as to why PRIDE rulers struggle in the UFC because not every top guy in PRIDE has struggled. For every Mirko “Cro Cop” there’s a Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
