Ring vs. Cage

Ring vs. Cage

 

On June 22^nd     former Strikeforce welterweight champion and UFC title challenger Nick Diaz held the first WAR MMA event at the Stockton Arena in Stockton, California. During a great night of fights that featured modified rules in an attempt to prevent fighters from stalling by throwing ineffectual elbow strikes on the ground just to prevent being stood up by the referee, there was another element that was added to the mix…the use of a ring instead of a cage.

Even though WAR MMA is not the first promotion to use a ring instead of a cage, American fans are not all too accustomed to the subtle differences between fighting inside a ring versus fighting inside a cage. Other promotions like PRIDE, DREAM, and the IFL held events’ using a ring and it is the preferred modus operandi for Japanese fight promotions.

Some of the subtle yet significant differences of fighting in a ring rather than a cage is in the clinch and ground work. When a fighter clinches his/her opponent up against the ropes of a ring, there is always the possibility of both fighters falling through the ropes and landing in press row. Just as in a cage, when the fight hits the mat in a ring a fighter must either work for a submission or get up. However, when the fight hits the ground against the ropes of a ring there is less leverage that allows the bottom fighter to stand back up. This does allow a more pure form of grappling as the fighter has to use more technique to reverse position, hit a submission or get back to the feet. In a cage a fighter can use the fence to push off or “wall walk” and reverse position or even use the cage to prevent a takedown. When a fight stalls on the ground against the ropes of a ring, the referee must stop the fight, reposition the fighters in the center of the ring, make sure the fighters are in the exact same position and then start the fight. This wastes valuable time of a round and makes the official in the ring a more prominent element in the workings and possible outcome of a fight.

 

Cage sizes and heights can vary, but the octagon cage used by the UFC has a 30’ (~750 ft squared) diameter with 8 sections. Standing at 5’ 8” to the top of the octagon is much higher than the height of a ring with an average rope height of 5 feet. The difference in height and the elasticity of the ropes makes being clinched against the ropes a more dangerous proposition risking the fighter’s safety as he/she is subject to the possibility of falling out of the ring entirely.

 

On the flip side of the coin a ring allows a better view for the fans. The height of a cage and the surrounding fencing creates a semi-obstructed view. There are a lot of times that the view of the action is obstructed from the top and from the multiple corners of a cage/octagon, especially when the fight hits the mat. Fans at events held in a cage find themselves looking up at the monitors to see the action. In a ring the action is more visible because the ropes are a less prevalent obstruction.

Whether you prefer the cage or the ring, it all comes down to opinion. There are pros and cons of each fighting environment that can be debated for hours and still not agreed upon. It doesn’t matter to me. Either way, whether in a cage or a ring, I am always excited to see fights. I thoroughly enjoyed Saturday’s WAR MMA event and my hat goes off to the promotion’s staff and the fighters who competed for putting on a great show.

Have a great day and stay safe.

Randy Casjens

Twitter- SavageRandy