POSTS TAGGED : sports

Edgar Gonzalez: How Combat Sports Boxing and MMA Compare

Combat sports

photo credit: Bruno Bueno / Pexels

Key Takeaways

  • Boxing focuses exclusively on punching technique, while MMA incorporates striking, grappling, and submissions under a broader rule set.
  • Training in boxing emphasizes footwork, timing, and defensive movement, whereas MMA requires cross-training across multiple combat disciplines.
  • Fight pacing differs significantly, with boxing centered on rhythm and distance control, and MMA shaped by constant threats of takedowns and submissions.
  • Scoring criteria vary, as boxing prioritizes clean strikes and ring control, while MMA evaluates striking, grappling, and overall dominance.
  • Career progression and financial structures differ, with boxing following a traditional ranking ladder and MMA operating under centralized promotional organizations.
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Jeff Scafaro: How Pete Sampras Redefined All Court Coverage

Pete Sampras

photo credit: Levg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

Key Takeaways

  • Pete Sampras redefined all-court tennis by combining a dominant serve with exceptional speed and net attacking instincts.
  • His shift from a baseline style to a serve-and-volley game under coach Peter Fischer shaped his championship career.
  • The 1990 US Open final against Andre Agassi demonstrated Sampras’ ability to control both baseline rallies and net play.
  • Unlike many contemporaries who emphasized side-to-side movement, Sampras used a north-south approach to court coverage.
  • His movement style and success on fast surfaces, especially grass, influenced both opponents and later court design changes.
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