A brawler in MMA & Boxing is known as the slugger style used by fighters who have immense power in their punches and they prefer hitting single hard punches rather than combinations. They have slower mobility and use punches such as uppercuts to defeat their opponent.
Throughout their career, brawlers smack their fists into the face of their opponents with unimaginable power. They are categorized as a separate set of people who have the unique ability to know down their target with slugger style. A brawler mainly focuses on winning the fight in any case.
It required immense research to figure out who fought as the finest brawler in the history of MMA and Boxing. To become a good brawler, it is essential to learn from the top brawlers.
Roberto Duran is known as one of the greatest fighters in history, but his style of fighting was surely barbaric. The man had the hand of stone and due to this, he made his way through the weight classes rapidly to fight bigger, better, and stronger athletes.
Jack Dempsey is another name when we talk about brawlers, he challenged the enormous Jess Willard for the heavyweight championship a century ago, and the results of the fight were horrific. He won by Round 3 KO.
His fists were nothing but exploding hand grenades that blew up the opponent’s face when landed on it. There are several names in the history of boxing and MMA who made the brawling style famous.
In this article, we will be putting some light on what is a brawler in MMA & Boxing and the tips to fight one if needed.
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Table of Contents
What Is a Brawler in MMA & Boxing?
A brawler in MMA & Boxing is the fighter who does not have the finest physic and footwork in the arena but has remarkable punching power due to which knocking out the opponent becomes easier. Brawlers have slow mobility but win fights on the bases of their powerful fists.
They find it extremely hard to fight opponents with quick footwork and hitting style. They give their opponent single punches that are surely predictable. A brawler may also lack variety in the ring as they are not fond of fighting with combinations.
However, they are trained to absorb punches too. Brawlers have the highest chance to knock out their opponent as powerful punches are usually responsible for making the opponent go to sleep.
7 Tips To Fight A Brawler In MMA / Boxing
Let’s suppose you’ve entered the ring to fight a brawler. How will you win the fight? Here are 7 tips to fight a brawler in MMA/Boxing
1. Use your jab to keep him at bay
What’s better than using your jabs to keep him restricted? A fighter with a heavy blow can take any chance against you. You should take a quick step to use your jab to keep restrained before he knocks you out in the fight. A jab in the stomach would be perfect.
2. Keep your hands up and protect your face
You wouldn’t be wishing to get the deadly blow to your face. Your hands are your only defenses, use them right. Keep your hands up, in front of your face and predict the hitting pattern of the opponent, brawlers have slow mobility, try to use their weakness to benefit yourself.
3. Stay on your back foot and dodge his punches
A single punch can drain your energy. Try to stay on the back foot and dodge the punches of the opponent, it’s easy to predict a brawler’s punch, try to dodge it as much as possible, it will shrink his energy and you will have the upper hand.
4. Use your speed and reflexes to take him down
A brawler is slow with poor reflexes. Use your speed to hit him as much as you can. Use combinations to attack him. Show all your variety in the ring, try to be as diverse as you can, as it will make your opponent super confused. Make every blow unpredictable to the other fighter.
5. Use your opponent’s momentum against them
Another way to win the fight against a brawler is to use the momentum right. Try to dodge and hit as much as possible. Use his technique against him. It is extremely hard to hit with power repeatedly, try using the opponent’s momentum.
6. Stay calm and don’t get emotional in the heat of the moment
Staying calm is the key to winning every fight. Going up against a brawler is surely frightening, but you need to hold your nerves. Try thinking rationally in the ring, and don’t melt away in the heat of the moment.
Think about every move and analyze the style and movement of the brawler standing right in front of you.
7. Use the ropes
Ropes can give immense benefit in kickboxing or boxing, as you can hold them tight if you’re getting him by the opponent. Ropes will help you to keep your balance and avoid getting knocked out.
Many fighters use this technique to win fights against the toughest brawlers in the ring. It is one of your best shots to come out as a winner.
Striker Vs Brawler: What’s The Difference?
Strikers have accurate and precise striking techniques as they have a background in martial arts, but on the other hand, brawlers can take punches and hit them back with full force.
A striker may be faster and more diverse than a brawler, as they have fast mobility and can use combinations to hit their opponent. Brawlers use their strength to take down their opponents. They both belong from quite different fighting styles.
Also Read: Consequences Of Hitting The Ref In UFC & Boxing (+Videos)
Fighter Vs Brawler: What’s The Difference?
A fighter has a much faster and long-range punching style than a brawler. Their jabs are frequently employed but don’t have the same capability to knock down their opponent due to weaker blows.
A brawler has more strength to knock down the other combatant but lacks speed and range. A fighter throws as many combinations as possible toward the opponent, but a brawler does not have a similar style of fighting.
Who Is the Greatest Brawler of All Time?
The man with “Hands of Stone”, Roberto Duran is known to be the greatest brawler of all time. He is categorized as the greatest lightweight in history due to his remarkable boxing skills.
He was trained by legends such as Ray Arcel and Freddie Brown. Duran had some of the finest defensive skills in history, along with a hand that use to land as a hammer on the opponent’s face.
He is known for gaining world championships in four weight classes, lightweight, light middleweight, welterweight, and middleweight. He is the second boxer who remained active for five decades.
Is Muhammad Ali a Brawler?
Muhammad Ali can be categorized as a brawler after he won two fights against Joe Frazier with his brawling ability.
Joe started bursting on him with blows but Ali’s defense ability was at its peak. Ali was known for delivering heavy punches too. There are several fighting styles attached to his name, but he surely stunned the world with all these styles.
