On the path to UFC enlightenment there are many pitfalls. It can be very easy to lose your focus and become frustrated when opponents are continually defeating you. I am here to give you some advice so the next time you step in the octagon you may leave a winner.
lol
Seriously though, there are several key things you need to do to become an effective combatant in this arena, so it is very important to get the basics down first. Use the pause menu in matches and look at your action list when you are in different positions/stances to figure out what moves your fighter has.
1. Block Your Head!
This is the single most important thing you can do to prevent instant KO's and most serious damage in general. If you are in striking range of your opponent then they are too so you want to keep your guard up. Blocking your head is even more important than blocking body shots because of three reasons:
You cannot be instant KO'ed with a body shot (you can be rocked however)
Damage and cuts to your face cause more stamina to drain over time and increases the chance of a KO more than body hits do in the short term.
You can hold RB or RT and still preform high/low counters, clinch, and takedowns.
That does not mean you shouldn't block mid/low attacks but it is better to try to avoid them by keeping your distance or countering them outright as they are usually easier to telegraph than the faster head strikes.
2. Practice...Practice...Practice...
Focus on one thing and do it until you get to know every little nuance of that ability then focus on another. Whether it's standing punches/kicks, submissions, or takedowns you need to know the damage and ranges for each of your attacks so you will know which one to launch in any given situation.
3. Learn The Ground Game
This is the most difficult thing to do in the game as you probably well know but there is simply no way around it if you want to compete with veteran players. At worst you want to at least know how to defend against it or prevent it outright if possible, but eventually someone is going to take you to the ground.
They key things to remember are that you don't have to flick the RS left/right to BLOCK a transition, you can hold it and you prevent their transition. Keep in mind that if their ground grappling skill is high enough they can occasionally transition even if you block it.
That is why it is important to learn the correct timing to counter the grapple instead if possible. Not only is it a guaranteed transition block but you will also come out in better position.
4. Your Stamina Is Vital, Do Not Abuse It
It is directly linked to how vulnerable you are to strike damage, instant KO's, and submission defense as well as how effective your attacks are against your opponent.
Keep your stamina as high as possible whenever you can, don't just wade into your opponent and strike relentlessly. While this tactic will work to some extent on most people, an experienced fighter will be able to capitalize on your low stamina if you cannot finish what you started and possibly get a win out of you because your fighter is to tired to defend.
5. Work With Your Fighters Strengths.
It goes without saying, if you are a good striker keep the fight standing up, if you are a sub/takedown specialist then do just that. I have fought many people online who do not use the fighter they selected in the way they were designed to be played.
Not to say that it isn't a good idea to mix up your technique but you need to maximize your fighters potential by doing what they do best.
Many people who are using fighters with Wrestling and Muay Tai skills but are not utilizing said skills, they prefer to just stand up and fight. You need to be working with your strengths. The slams and grapples from wrestlers are very good at PERMANENTLY draining stamina and they leave you in good position.
When you are using a Muay Tai fighter it is in your best interest to use the clinch. Muay Tai clinch is very dangerous if you can use it correctly. The knee strikes have a very high damage/KO ratio and your opponent can have a hard time breaking the clinch if you mix your strikes up. If you don't use MT clinch then there is no point in using that style because their strikes are not as good as other styles.
These are just a few things to keep in mind. I hope this helps some of you out there and if it didn't then you probably know all of this already. Oh and for those that can't take a loss... well get used to it. If you quit when you face adversity at a video game then I would hate to see how you react to real life challenges. Your mentality is the only thing that needs real training in this case.
Send me a friend request if you want some real sparring lessons when I have the time. My gamertag is Element H and I usually play later at night or in the afternoon. Make sure you put something about a match or lesson in your message somewhere so I don't erase it.
