Aoki vs. McCullough: A Throwback
One of the most exciting fight cards of 2011 is set to take place at Saitama Super Arena on September 24th. Dream 17 has more to offer fans than almost any other card this year. It features two Japanese MMA legends in Kazushi Sakurba and Coal Uno, the debut of Tatsuya Kawijiri at featherweight, and of course the opening round of the 2011 Dream bantamweight grand prix, which is stacked with such fighters as former featherweight champion Bibiano Fernandes and the 2010 bantamweight grand prix champ Hideo Tokoro. In addition to all of that, there is a very interesting fight between Dream lightweight champion Shinya Aoki and former WEC champion "Razor" Rob McCullough.
Aoki vs. McCullough is somewhat of a throwback to the early days of MMA, when the pure striker was pitted against the pure grappler in a clash of styles. This type of fight is becoming less and less common today, and fans who remember early MMA events with nostalgia will appreciate this matchup. Below I will discuss the reasons why striker vs. grappler matches have become such a rarity, the difference between traditional and modern striker vs. grappler contests, and why everyone who enjoys MMA should relish the opportunity to take in the Aoki vs. McCullough fight.
To quote Ryron Gracie, "in 1993 my father Rorion Gracie created the Ultimate Fighting Championships to showcase the effectiveness of Gracie Jiu Jitsu to the world;" and that is exactly what it did. Ask most MMA fighters why they began training and they will tell you that they were inspired by a skinny Brazilian named Royce, who fought and defeated much larger men by taking them to the ground and submitting them. Royce won UFC 1, 2, and 4, using the art perfected by his father, Helio Gracie.
Many of Royce's matches in the early days of the UFC were fought against pure strikers. His very first match, for instance, was an unforgettable fight against the boxer Art Jimmerson, who fought with only one glove. Royce took Jimmerson to the ground with a double leg takedown, mounted him, and that was it. Jimmerson tapped out from being mounted. He simply had no idea how to escape the position and gave up out of frustration. Today, fights like this are referred to as "classic striker vs. grappler matchups." They are classic because they were a common occurrence in the early years of MMA, but as the sport grew and fighters added different elements to their game these types of matches became less and less common. These days every respected fighter knows at least a little jiu jitsu, a little wrestling, and a little striking.
There are still instances, however, in which fans are treated to a "classic striker vs. grappler match," to some effect at least. In modern times these fights occur when one of the two fighters, while relatively well versed in all aspects of MMA, is a specialist in standup fighting, and the other fighter, similarly well versed in all aspects, is a specialist in grappling. A good example of this type of match in modern MMA is one which took place in PRIDE between Mirco Cro Cop and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. While Nogueira is a good boxer, he was no match on the feet for the former K-1 kickboxing star. Cro Cop, on the other hand, was no match for the superb jiu jitsu skills of Nogueira. Throughout the fight Cro Cop dominated Nogeuira on the feet, refusing to go to the ground with the Brazilian. In the end, however, Nogueira was able to bring the fight into his world, and submitted Mirco with an armbar.
The more recent fight between Alistair Overeem and Fabricio Werdum is another good example. Alistair is no novice when it comes to grappling(he posses one of the best guillotines in MMA), but his strength is without a doubt his standup. He is such a good kickboxer that he was able to defeat legendary dutch Thai stylist Peter Aerts to claim the K-1 Heavyweight Grand Prix title last year. Werdum is just the opposite. While he is a decent striker who hones his skills under former Chute Boxe trainer Rafael Cordeiro, he is one of the best grapplers in MMA. He has even taken gold twice at ADCC, the most prestigious grappling tournament in the world.
The fight between Overeem and Werdum, which took place last June, was not the most exciting spectacle. Overeem tried to get his stiking underway, and did land some clean shots, while Werdum opted to wade forward with flurries of punches until he was close enough to pull guard and to try and grapple the Reem. Werdum even lid on his back and prayed for Overeem to get in his guard. Alistair, of course, did not comply and instead waited for the referee to stand Werdum back up. Surprisingly, Werdum actually landed more punches in total, due mostly to his flurries. It was Overeem, though, who landed the more powerful shots and seemed to be in control of the fight. For this reason the judges gave Overeem the decision in a very unusual affair.
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You never know what will happen during these types of matches. It could be a one sided beatdown on the feet, or a masterful display of grappling on the canvas. Or perhaps, like the later example, neither fighter will get any real offense going and the match will turn out to be a real bore. Either way, when one of these rare matches do take place, it is usually worthwhile to watch, as there is a certain nostalgia to them, and, like the examples cited above, the fights are often memorable.
The Aoki/McCullough fight has the potential to be very exciting. It is doubtful that it will digress into the bizarre bore-fest that we witnessed between Overeem and Werdum, mainly due to Aoki's approach to fighting. The Japanese superstar will use any means necessary to get the fight into his world. He will even take some damage if it means getting the fight to the ground. Aoki is not the best wrestler, so he finds creative ways to get his grappling underway. Sometimes he will take a kick to the body in an effort to catch a leg and finish a single. Other times he will duck under jabs to latch onto a body lock or double leg. He is even willing to butt-scoot towards his opponent to avoid standing exchanges and to try and drag his opponent to the ground. He might also simply shoot for his opponents legs without a proper setup. This approach often puts Aoki in danger's path, and he has paid dearly for it in the past, as in his mixed rules fight against Yuichiro Nagashima who knocked Aoki out with a knee as Aoki shot in recklessly for a takedown.
Rob McCullough is a multiply time muay Thai world champion whose standup technique is flawless and who packs a lot of power in his punches and kicks. Aoki has somewhat of a reputation for having a weak chin and only has fundamental striking, so it would not bode well for him to mix it up on the feet with Rob. Look for Aoki to get the fight to the mat as quickly as possible using one of the approaches stated above. If he is not able to get the fight to the ground, it is almost a forgone conclusion that he will lose. However, if the fight does hit the ground, just the opposite is true.
Rob's grappling skills are not on the same level Aoki's, who is one of the craftiest and most ruthless submission specialists in MMA. While it is true that McCullough has not been submitted in all of his 26 matches, it is also true that he has never fought a grappler like Aoki. McCullough does show glimpses of good defensive techniques when pressured on the ground, but he usually opts to use his strength and athleticism to escape from bad positions. For instance, he will often roll or slam his way out of trouble when an opponent has his back. He has also been known to give up his arms to mounted opponents while struggling to escape from that possition. McCullough will not be able use such tactics to any great effect against Aoki, who is a master at controlling any opponent, even high level black belts like Marcos Auralio. Aoki is also quick to capitalize on errors made by his adversaries(just youtube "Hello Japan!" for proof), so if the fight does hit the mats, Rob needs to work tirelessly to get back to his feet.
This fight will likely play out in one of three ways: McCullough will knock Aoki out on the feet; Aoki will take Rob to the ground and find a way to submit him; or, Aoki will be able to control Rob on the ground for much of the fight and pepper him with some weak ground and pound to take a one sided decision. The fight is not likely to go the distance if it stays on the feet. The chances that this fight will end in either a devastating knockout or bone crunching submission, however, are very high. It is a great match which has not been getting the attention it deserves. The entire Septem 24th card is fantastic, and this fight might just be the icing on the proverbial cake that is Dream 17.
By Matt King
ProFighting-fans.com MMA Staff Writer