Why is Muay Thai So Effective in MMA?
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Muay Thai is among the most popular and effective striking martial arts. It is known as a very hard style that puts a lot of emphasis on powerful kicks, clinch work, and hard training. It became very popular all around the world due to the rise of modern MMA where Muay Thai plays a key role.
Muay Thai is very effective in MMA and it is often seen as the best striking art for MMA. As we know, MMA is a sport where fighters can fight in the standup, clinch, and on the ground. Fighters need to be experts in multiple fighting styles so that they can fight in all elements. But when it comes to standup fight and striking, Muay Thai has emerged as one of the best.
In this article, we will explore what makes Muay Thai so effective, and why you can’t expect to succeed in MMA without these set of skills.
Muay Thai is superior to other striking arts in MMA
The reason why Muay Thai is so effective in MMA is due to the fact it works much better than other striking arts. Don’t get us wrong here, we are not saying other arts are bad for MMA. But over the years, Muay Thai has emerged as top style, and here is why.
For instance, boxing is also good for MMA but it only teaches you punches and footwork. Kickboxing may look the same as Muay Thai but it won’t teach you how to fight in the clinch using elbows and knees or how to use/defend against trips.
Many MMA fighters have a strong background in boxing or taekwondo for instance. These fighting styles stand for a good MMA base on top of which you can add other skills. But as a single style, Muay Thai is the best because it prepares you for any type of standup fight in MMA.
Muay Thai kicks are crucial for MMA
Muay Thai puts a lot of emphasis on fast and powerful kicks which crucial for MMA. In fact, vicious leg kicks have become one of the best weapons in standup. Nowadays, fighters are beating their opponent using leg kicks only.
The most powerful ones are, of course, the famous roundhouse kicks. These kicks can quickly lead to serious damage and pain. A skilled kicker needs to land just a couple to make his opponent suffer. The masters in doing this are Jose Aldo and Edson Barboza who are both skilled Muay Thai fighters.
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Next, the other very useful weapon is a body kick. In Muay Thai classes, you will learn how to rotate and generate a lot of power in a body kick. I mean, nothing beats a well-placed and timed body kick. A single one is often enough to shut down the liver or empty the gas tank.
The best instance of what we are talking about is a fight in which Barboza demolished Dan Hooker with fast and strong body kicks at UFC.
Muay Thai plays a key role in the clinch battle
Clinch is very important in MMA and it is a place where Muay Thai fighters shine. They enjoy being in the clinch where they can land knee and elbow strikes which are very effective weapons. Not to mention the power they can generate in these strikes in such a small space.
MMA fights often end in a clinch against the fence. This position is great for wrestlers who can change their levels for a single or double-leg takedown. But it also favors Muay Thai fighters who can do huge damage using knees and elbows. In fact, they are often the ones who tend to initiate the famous “Thai clinch”.
There are a couple of variations when it comes to how you do damage in the clinch. The key is to control the opponent’s neck and head, forcing them into a broken posture. From this position, they would unload with knees to the body. Not a man of this planet can take too many of those.
However, knees are just one of many weapons you can use in the clinch. Such a close distance is ideal for short punches and vicious elbow strikes. Elbow strikes are very brutal because they often lead to deep cuts and severe bleeding. The point of the elbow is really sharp when you throw it at the right angle and can easily open up a cut.
Most useful Muay Thai techniques in MMA?
The best thing about Muay Thai is that you can apply all of its techniques in MMA as well. The techniques we have listed and explained below are really effective and can win you a fight in MMA.
Roundhouse kick (Te Chiang)
This kick is often seen as the most powerful kick one can throw in both Muay Thai and MMA. When timed and placed right, just a single one can produce huge damage and pain. You can find a similar kick in other arts, but the way you throw it in Muay Thai is a bit different.
When throwing a roundhouse kick, Muay Thai fighters keep their leg stiff without bending a knee. And they land it with the lower part of the shin which differs from kickboxing where they land it with their foot.
Low kicks
Fast and powerful low kicks have become one of the most effective weapons in MMA. For many years, low kicks had not been seen as a weapon that can finish or change the course of the fight. Initially, MMA fighters used just to stay busy, keep their range, or set up a combo.
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But nowadays, low kicks play the biggest role in a standup fight, notably calf kicks to the lead leg. This is because landing just a few early in the fight can take away the opponent’s ability to move and make them stationary. Then it becomes even easier for you to land more kicks until the lead leg is all busted up.
The best instance of this scenario is the fight between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor. Poirier used calf kicks to quickly punish the lead leg, which was the beginning of the end for McGregor.
Elbows (soks) and knees (Ti Khao) in the clinch
Muay Thai fighters are masters in doing damage in the clinch, and this is great for MMA as well. Once in a clinch against the cage, they will unleash the barrage of wild knees to the body and elbow strikes over the top.
Depending on the position, fighters would step slightly back to create more space. This allows them to generate more power before pushing their knee to the opponent’s stomach or face. Or, they can also land side knees to the stomach which may not do much damage but will force the opponent to react.
What are the drawbacks of Muay Thai in MMA?
Despite being very effective in MMA, Muay Thai also has a couple of cons. The biggest issue is that it doesn’t include any grappling. You will learn how to execute or defend against trips and sweeps, but that’s not enough for cage fighting. Muay Thai fighter would be completely lost the moment the fight hits the ground.
The second big issue is the lack of footwork and head movement. Muay Thai fighters tend to be stationary and standing flat-footed in front of their opponent. This is bad for MMA because it leaves you wide open for various takedowns for instance. Any skilled wrestler would walk right through a fighter who decides to stand in their line of attack.
The third big issue is the lack of head movement. Keeping your head in the centerline makes you a much bigger target and easier to hit. Muay Thai won’t teach you how to use head movement to keep your head off the centerline and this is bad for MMA.
Over the years, we have seen many great Muay Thai fighters getting KO’d in MMA simply because of the lack of head movement.
The best Muay Thai fighters in MMA?
Throughout MMA history, there have been many MMA fighters who had a strong Muay Thai base. In fact, some of the greatest UFC fighters came into the sport from Thai boxing. And we don’t have to mention these fighters are also famous for scoring many great KOs.
Here is a list of the five best fighters in MMA. If you want to learn more about their history in Muay Thai and MMA, be sure to check our article on “The Best Muay Thai fighters in MMA history”:
- Anderson Silva- Silva is a black prajied in Muay Thai and one of the greatest UFC fighters in history. He defended his 185lbs title an amazing 10 times and he scored many KOs using his elite Muay Thai skills.
- Edson Barboza- Barboza might be the purest Muay Thai fighter the MMA world has ever seen. His kicking skills are second to none and he used them to score many brutal finishes. One has to be either too brave or crazy to stand and trade strikes with him on the feet.
- Valentina Shevchenko- as her nickname “The Bullet” suggests, Shevchenko is fast and deadly. Prior to winning the UFC title, she spent many years fighting in Muay Thai where she won around 15 world and European titles.
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