What is grappling in a cage like anyway?

[leiff]

The canvas in a cage is not nearly as soft as a mat, but during a fight you don't really feel anything anyway.

I remember when my coach fought in a ring (I know the question was for a cage but I'm fairly certain they are the same material). He shot for a double and ripped a huge patch of skin off his knee due to the canvas. He doesn't drop to his knee now when he shoots, I wonder if fight had any influence on it.

[RyanR]

Honestly you won't even notice any mat burn or how hard the mats are. I've had 10 fights and if anything it seems the mats are softer, but then again it's probably because I'm pretty pumped up.

The biggest thing is the cage itself, you could write a book itself about the subtle differences between the two.

[Kenny from MD]

its not quite as soft, but since they are generally hollow underneath there is some give. it sounds worse than it actually is when someone gets slammed because the floor is sometimes mic'ed and you are essentially fighting on top of a giant drum due to the way its built. most of the cages ive fought in have had a nylon-ish cover which makes puddles of sweat or water/blood spots that are missed and not mopped up get very very slick. i havent had a trouble with mat burn

[350 lbs fist]

Man, am I the only one who thinks getting pinned to the fence especially head/face first hurts like hell? And getting taken down with your head/face sliding down the chain link is no better.

Maybe the pressure from HW's grappling is the difference?

Or maybe I'm just a pussy?

[rarmonio8920]

Originally Posted by 350 lbs fist

Man, am I the only one who thinks getting pinned to the fence especially head/face first hurts like hell? And getting taken down with your head/face sliding down the chain link is no better.

Maybe the pressure from HW's grappling is the difference?

Or maybe I'm just a pussy?

I'm sure face first hurts like hell.

For me though, getting my toe caught in the chain link fence was the thing that really hurt.

[Brian McLaughlin]

The padding on a cage changes so drastically from even to event. I fought in a cage that was basically just plywood and then another than was practically a mattress. The canvas sucks though, it tears your skin right off. fighting in boxing rings tend to give me the worst mat burn.

The thing that sucks for the octagon are the slippery logos. i remember for TUF rolling in the octagon for training was great because it was on the regular wrestling mat, but once the fights started they put down the canvas with all the sponsors on it and it was Hell trying to keep my footing.

[HEAVY GRAPPLER]

Clinch wrestling/graco/judo seems more important and effective against the cage. Also, the cage can be a real help in getting up to your feet. Wall-walking up the cage with your shoulders is a crucial skill and must be practiced.

If you have an MMA match, or a grappling-in-a-cage match coming up - you are at a real disadvantage if you can't train in a cage. You should at least try to have a wall incorporated into your mat area.

I'm no pro fighter, but we are lucky to have a UFC-sized cage in our gym. I train MMA just to be a piece of meat for the real fighters and to increase my knowledge of MMA as a fan.

One thing I noticed the first time is how big the area is compared to the ring area for wrestling or BJJ. I also think psychologically, you don't want the first time you step into a real cage to be at fight time.