Icons of Precision: Fighters Who Turned Timing Into Art

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For those who are new to fighting sports, raw aggression and strength may seem as the main drivers of success for athletes. While MMA, boxing, judo, and other contact sports rely heavily on physical ability and stamina, technique is arguably even more important than raw strength, and most professional fighters are well aware of this fact.

Timing can be everything in a fight: One wrong step, or a delayed reaction, and the fight could be lost within seconds of it starting.

For punters, odds can turn on their head in a dime, which adds to the thrill of betting on fighters. MMA is especially popular among punters, thanks to the rise of the UFC and mainstream attention.

Punters who want to wager on MMA can do so using several different ways, such as crypto sportsbooks, prediction marketplaces, and Betway sister sites, among many others.

Some fighters have mastered the precision and timing required to beat opponents convincingly, and they have quickly become fan favorites in the process.

Israel Adesanya

The former kickboxer Israel Adesanya has revolutionized what it means to be precise in the Octagon. A mixture of feints, footwork, and timing, Adesanya has been nicknamed “ The Last Stylebender” by fans and other fighters alike.

A seminal moment in Adesanya’s career came during UFC 243 against Robert Whittaker, where Israel Adesanya knocked out Whittaker by timing his strikes to perfection, landing a right-left combination that sealed the deal for the fight.

What sets Israel Adesanya apart is his proactive approach - He does not wait for timing to arise, but actively seeks it out by exploiting defensive errors in the opponent. Fatigue and loss of concentration are what Adesanya looks for in a fight, and in many cases, finds it.

Anderson Silva

Anderson Silva is perhaps the textbook example of what an MMA fighter who exploits timing looks like. Ruthless and precise, Anderson Silva rose through the ranks and carved out a legendary name for himself by disarming opponents and beating them at their own game.

Anderson Silva had an uncanny ability to anticipate opponents’ movements and time strikes to his advantage - A skill that showed itself during the 2009 knockout of Forrest Griffin, dropping him in a swift short right hand.

Fighters have been noted for saying that Silva fights like he is in slow motion, which is a testament to his ability to read the fight, manage his energy, and strike when it matters most.

Now, Anderson Silva is considered to be a legend of MMA, and many beginners try to emulate his ability to notice small cues during an intense fight and time their moves to full effect.

Conor McGregor

Another legend of UFC, Conor McGregor, is equal parts fury and precision. While new fans may know more about the Irishman thanks to his antics, no knowledgeable fan can deny the sheer precision and timing of his left hand.

UFC 194 was the most notable example of McGregor’s precision, as he knocked out Jose Aldo in only 13 seconds, exploiting his aggression and timing a left hand at his chin perfectly. The fight was over before it properly began.

Conor McGregor was special in how he focused on the efficiency of his strikes, as opposed to volume, which played a major role in his success over the years.

Max Holloway

Many associate Max Holloway with pace and volume. However, his strikes are often impeccably timed. Holloway places traps in the form of high-volume strikes, which create openings to land a strike that rattles the opponent and gives him the edge in the fight.

Jabs and body shots create cracks in the defence of his opponents, which he then exploits to put them off-balance.

What is interesting about Max Holloway’s fighting style is how he places himself in high-pressure situations, which allow him to make the most of his reactions and land strikes up close.

Petr Yan

Russian fighter Petr Yan is nicknamed “No Mercy” for a reason. His timing is sharpened by discipline, with technical precision and ruthless execution. Petr Yan does not rush into a fight. He studies every move of his opponent, looking for flaws and wrong moves.

Yan focuses on punishing resets and overwhelming them with a barrage of combinations, which break through the defenses. Opponents often lose composure, which became evident during his fight with Jose Aldo and Cory Sandhagen.

With every fighting generation, a new type of precision fighter emerges, one who measures everything their opponent does and uses it to full advantage.