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alright so ive been taking MMA classes for a few months now and i come from a BJJ backround so my stand-up is still nothing special but my boxing coach says i'm doing good for a newbie.

anyways today i was sparring (boxing) some guy that was probably around 10 lbs lighter than me (i'm 170) and this guy was like a little jack rabbit or something i mean he was all over the place hoppin around and shit and every time i would start a combo he would back up like really really fast. gah it's hard to explain and was really frustrating but i was basically chasing him around the mats the whole time.

I have pretty long reach and a stiff jab i caught him with a few times but every time he got hit he would just like run backwards or to the side. I would bait him in by lowering my hands a bit but i still couldnt really get any momentum going. I just kept walking towards him and he kept circling and would come in really quick with a little 1-2 combo or just a jab then boom, jump back and be way out of my reach again. Nothing he did hurt me at all and one of my jabs actually gave him a bloody nose but he was able to get a lot more punches in and that worries me cause in a scored fight he might get the decision you know?

Any advice for boxing these really evasive guys? also keep in mind we were sparring in a large open mat area as my gym doesnt have a ring.

[Darwinist]

boxing him as in boxing or in MMA(as those are the classes you are taking...)?

In boxing, cut him off and bully him into the corner. Beat him up there. Guys who cultivate this style are probably shit at fighting on the inside.

In MMA, same deal, except clinch and dirty box, or trip takedown and work your ground game.

[King Kabuki]

lol It's hard to describe what he was doing? I can sum it up for you in two words:

Good footwork.

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boxing him as in a boxing match. sorry i wasnt more clear on that. Of course the first thing i tried was getting him into a corner but man this guy would practically run out of it, he was very quick and moving backwards and side to side, in an MMA fight i could probably just run after him and score an easy double leg or just tackle him but as we were boxing i couldnt run after him with dropping my hands or crossing my feet.

[danny_171]

Originally Posted by Darwinist

In boxing, cut him off and bully him into the corner. Beat him up there. Guys who cultivate this style are probably shit at fighting on the inside.

You'd probably be surprised if you think guys with that style (like me) suck at inside fighting. While it's true we like to dance around and stick you, many of use have gotten used to be corned and beaten up so we practice in that position. While infighting isn't generally our strong-suit, you'd be a fool to assume that we didn't have some nice uppercuts and hooks waiting for whoever shoves us in a corner.

As for fighting guys like that, your best bet in a ring is to use your footwork and cut off the ring, and then back him into a corner and unload on him. Once in that position don't allow him to pivot our or spin you around, and throw the occasional overhand in your combos. That's the punch I seem to get caught with the most while backed up in a corner.

[Sig]

Originally Posted by King Kabuki

lol It's hard to describe what he was doing? I can sum it up for you in two words:

Good footwork.

ah, thanks for that wonderful reply of infinite wisdom oh great king, now do you have any advice on how to counter such a thing without the use of the ring. Like i said we were sparring on a very wide open mat area as my gym does not have a ring.

[Rinksterk]

lol like KK said, its called footwork. Work on your own footwork and try to cut him off instead of chasing him around. You can also make him come to you. Use his own game against him.

[Sig]

Originally Posted by danny_171

You'd probably be surprised if you think guys with that style (like me) suck at inside fighting. While it's true we like to dance around and stick you, many of use have gotten used to be corned and beaten up so we practice in that position. While infighting isn't generally our strong-suit, you'd be a fool to assume that we didn't have some nice uppercuts and hooks waiting for whoever shoves us in a corner.

As for fighting guys like that, your best bet in a ring is to use your footwork and cut off the ring, and then back him into a corner and unload on him. Once in that position don't allow him to pivot our or spin you around, and throw the occasional overhand in your combos. That's the punch I seem to get caught with the most while backed up in a corner.

yeah i would feint a jab then throw an overhand right that solidly connected a few times but since we dont have a ring its hard to corner people. hmmm, now that i think of it maybe i should just stand there and not follow him around, i have much more reach then he does and could easily out jab him. what do you think?

[Sig]

Originally Posted by Rinksterk

lol like KK said, its called footwork. Work on your own footwork and try to cut him off instead of chasing him around. You can also make him come to you. Use his own game against him.

yeah thats what i was thinking, thanks. I fell like an idiot for not doing that in the first place but especially when your fighting someone smaller then you, you just wanna pressure them and keep going after them. I cant wait till our next boxing session tuesday.

[King Kabuki]

ah, thanks for that wonder reply of infinite wisdom oh great king, now do you have any advice on how to counter such a thing without the use of the ring. Like i said we were sparring on a very wide open mat area as my gym does not have a ring.

The thing is, how do you expect to deal with this when you don't even know what it is? It's any wonder he ran you around. When you see guys who have better Boxing ability than you, watch them. See what they do.

The main thing you can do is move laterally. If he steps back and to the side, you don't step forward and to the side, you just step in the direction he went in. What you'll find is that you're still right in front of him.

If he relies a lot on head movement and his legs, the way to take away his legs and actually make contact is to hit him in the body. The head and legs might move, but the body doesn't. Use your reach to do that, you might even want to consider getting low.

You should also be stepping with your punches. Not like a jab and one step, then you throw two more punches but your feet stay rooted. You should be walking your punches in, moving forward AS you punch. This cuts distance.

Did your trainer not tell you any of this? Just curious, because it's basic stuff, how to fight someone smaller and faster.