What makes Conor’s striking so special?
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There are many factors that make McGregor such a dangerous striker: power, speed, durability, confidence, but in the case of his last fight with Eddie Alvarez it was his balance that made the difference.
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Eddie Alvarez is a very skilled fighter whose striking primarily focuses on his hands. The problem with relying on arm strikes is reach plays a bigger factor and in the case of his fight with Conor resulted in a 5 inch reach disadvantage. Early in this fight Eddie used some kicks which frustrated Conor but abandoned the strategy.
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Conor maintained balance and counter struck every time Eddie was unbalanced. Three of the four knockdowns occurred when Eddie initiated a strike he uses often, the ‘dart punch’ where he lunges forward. This unorthodox punch helps to compensate for his reach disadvantage but also caused him to he be temporarily unbalanced. During his state of unbalance he was unable to properly defend Conor’s counter strikes.
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This video is an example of poor distance management where Eddie missed and Conor was able to land several punches before Eddie was able to re-balance himself.
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Controlled movement and proper balance are what separate good strikers from great strikers.
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