Does anyone think Nakamura was stupid to remove his gi when he was fighting Silva?

Question

Personally, I think that if you wear any equipment, it should always be on for the entire duration of the fight.

Answer 1

Not that it would affect the final outcome if he had not done that, it was the really dumb move non the less. I agree with you completely on this, MMA fight is not a movie and a fighter should never remove the equipment he's wearing during the match, unless the judge stops the action for a moment and gives him the signal to. In my opinion if Nakamura's strategy had been to engage Silva in stand up, he should never have worn the gi in that match in the first place because it slows down the hand movement and makes it more difficult to throw punches. When Kazuhiro realized that and decided to take it off he left him self completely unprotected for a moment, and Silva, being a true sportsmen and fair player that he is, took advantage of that, rushed in, knocked him down and finished the fight on the floor right afterward. So yes, it was a big mistake from Nakamura that he'll probably never make again, specially not against someone like Wanderlei Silva.
But I personally can't wait for this Sunday and Mirko to get this punk. I think that he'll teach him a lesson about MMA and behavior in the ring that he won't forget for the rest of his life.

Answer 2

No I don't think that it was stupid, in effect it was prob'ly a good tactical move which would've forced Silva to work harder during the match.

In the UFC, they no longer allow the competitors to wear uniforms, Gi's or clothing except for the fighting shorts, as it gives a sizeable advantage for the opponent; allowing for more grabs as opposed to relying more on their trapping and application of other locks and techniques.

and to add to the fact that clothing absorbs sweat, whereas if it's on your body you are more prone to slip out of a grab, thereby making the technique harder to apply.

the only gear they should keep on is any hand or foot protection allowed by the competition rules.

but yes I have to agree that taking the gi off in the middle of the match was a big mistake by Nakamura, instead of waiting for a break in the match to take it off, as was said he couldn't be ready for Silva to attack while he was focused on removing the gi, and Silva capitalized on that moment of distraction. and that was a costly mistake that he'll hopefully remember.

Answer 3

Yeah. The gi didn't matter if it was being worn or not, but Silva took advantage of the moment and knocked him out.

Answer 4

Yes. He could have used the Gi to his advantage. He could have obstructed the breathing with it and also used it for choking techniques.

Answer 5

yes