Chin (combat sports) explained

In combat sports such as boxing, kickboxing and mixed martial arts, a fighter's chin is the ability to tolerate physical trauma to the head, in the form of concussive or sub-concussive blows, without being knocked unconscious or severely disoriented.

Overview

A fighter is known to have a "strong chin" if they have the ability to absorb blows to the head without being struck unconscious or visually impacted by the blow through a loss of control . These fighters are commonly referred to as having a "granite chin", an "iron chin", or similar. Generally, the jaw portion of the skull, and specifically the point of the chin, is the area most vulnerable to a knock-out blow and therefore having an exceptional tolerance to punishment in this area is a great advantage to a fighter.

Fighters are said to have a "weaker chin" if they exhibit limited ability to absorb punishment to the head before they are severely impacted. Some boxing experts, such as Teddy Atlas, believe it to be a mindset.

The "chin" of a fighter is widely considered genetic, but is generally agreed to be affected by the amount of blows the fighter takes throughout their career. Many athletes formerly known to possess a 'good chin' have been known to develop a reliance on this attribute, and this reliance eventually leads to them taking additional concussive blows, which can damage them long-term. The cumulative damage to the brain affects its ability to recover from trauma, weakening the person’s ability to take a punch in the long-run.

Certain factors are speculated to be the size and shape of the skull, strength of the neck as well as overall strength and weight. Other factors could be less visible, such as the brain being more efficient at replenishing the electrolyte balance after trauma, or more cerebrospinal fluid to protect the brain.

Many analysts have observed that the ability of a fighter to absorb blows to the head without loss of consciousness can be affected by the process of weight cutting. Combat sport athletes are known to dehydrate themselves at weigh-ins in order to make their optimal weight class class for competition. Weigh-ins for competitors usually take place the day before competition meaning that the athletes may not be fully hydrated by the time of their contest. This can reduce the amount of fluid surrounding the brain, exacerbating the damage caused by blows to the head. [1]

Notable chins

Athletes well regarded by pundits and fans for possessing a strong "chin" are listed below:

Boxing

Kickboxing

Mixed martial arts

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Concussion worse after MMA and boxing weight cuts University of Essex . 2024-06-04 . www.essex.ac.uk . en.
  2. Web site: The Fight City - An independent boxing websiteThe Fight City . Bestboxingblog.com . 2016-03-02.
  3. Web site: Gennady Golovkin vs. Canelo Alvarez ends in a split draw . www.washingtonpost.com . 2017-09-17 .
  4. Web site: Houston, Graham . 2008-01-08 . The Ten Best Chins in Boxing History . ESPN . 2011-04-17 .
  5. Web site: Best I've Faced: Nigel Benn - Ring TV . Ringtv.craveonline.com . 2013-08-15 . 2016-03-02 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160305005338/http://ringtv.craveonline.com/news/180269-best-ive-faced-nigel-benn . 2016-03-05 .
  6. Web site: Top ten chins in heavyweight history . Livefight.com . 2016-03-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170706203954/http://www.livefight.com/news.php?news_id=1971&y=2012&m=06 . 2017-07-06 . dead .
  7. Web site: Jake LaMotta. International Boxing Hall of Fame. 28 October 2023. AT THE RING MAGAZINE'S gala 75th Anniversary Dinner, Jake LaMotta was recognized as having the best chin in boxing over the last 75 years..
  8. Web site: Respecting the great Larry Holmes . 2019-05-25 . 2020-11-23 . boxing247.com.
  9. Web site: Heavyweight Kickboxing Hardest Heads . June 13, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110912023216/http://www.centralkickboxing.org/Articles/hardheads.htm . September 12, 2011 .
  10. Web site: LiverKick . LiverKick.com . 2016-03-02.
  11. News: Boxing gloves . 12 October 2023 . Rdx Sports.
  12. Web site: UFC on ESPN 44 pre-event facts: Will Arnold Allen crack Max Holloway's historic chin?. MMAJunkie . April 13, 2023.
  13. Web site: Marvin Vettori overcomes a massive Paulo Costa who blamed an injury for weight issue . Yahoo Sports . 23 October 2021. April 16, 2022.
  14. Web site: 5 fighters with the strongest chins in recent UFC history. sportskeeda . April 27, 2021.
  15. Web site: Dustin Filloy. Ranking the 7 best (and worst) chins in MMA history. [Bleacher Report] . 2014-09-14.
  16. Web site: UFC Power Rankings: Nick Diaz and the Top 5 Chins Right Now . . 2012-08-04 . 2012-07-27.
  17. Web site: http://www.fightersonlymagazine.co.uk/features/viewarticle.php?id=4928 . June 12, 2011 .
  18. Web site: UFC 131 Results: Shane Carwin's Face after Junior dos Santos Bloodied It . . 2011-06-12 . 2016-03-02.
  19. Web site: Dustin Filloy . Ranking the 7 Best (and Worst) Chins in MMA History . . 2014-09-17 . 2016-03-02.
  20. Web site: Mike Henken. Iron Chins: The 10 Toughest Fighters in the UFC. LowKickMMA. 2016-03-21. 2017-01-03. https://web.archive.org/web/20170103235736/http://www.lowkickmma.com/lists/iron-chins-10-of-the-toughest-ufc-fighters-today/8/. 2017-01-03. dead.
  21. Web site: Why Frankie Edgar Is the Toughest Fighter in MMA Today . . 2013-02-01 . 2016-09-04.
  22. Web site: 5 Reasons Why Fedor Emelianenko Could Beat Dan Henderson | MMA News . Fighters.com . 2014-06-20 . 2016-03-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160305223352/https://www.fighters.com/07/28/5-reasons-why-fedor-emelianenko-could-beat-dan-henderson/ . 2016-03-05 . dead .
  23. Web site: Justin Gaethje Wasn't Stunned at Tony Ferguson's Chin, Doesn't Understand Recent Knockouts. 28 May 2020.
  24. Web site: Lima . Orlando . Don Frye vs Tank Abbott - The 50 Best Submissions in the History of MMA . Complex.com . 2011-08-26 . 2016-03-02.
  25. https://www.bloodyelbow.com/2021/8/20/22633613/diggin-deep-on-ufc-vegas-34-can-cannonier-crack-the-chin-of-gastelum Diggin’ Deep on UFC Vegas 34: Can Cannonier crack the chin of Gastelum?
  26. Web site: Liam Ward . Strikeforce Columbus: Dan Henderson and the Top 10 Chins in MMA Today . . 2011-03-06 . 2016-03-02.
  27. Web site: Mark Hunt . Best MMA Fighters . 2016-03-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120325153051/http://www.bestmmafighters.com/profiles/mark-hunt.html . 2012-03-25 . dead .
  28. Web site: Mark Hunt Recalls the Several Times He has Seen the Grim Reaper . bjpenn.com . 2015-06-15 . 2016-03-22.
  29. Web site: Darren Wong . The Top 10 Threats To Fedor Emelianenko (and 12 Non-Threats) . . 2010-03-02 . 2016-03-02.
  30. Web site: Dana White picks his ultimate UFC fighter. sportbible.com. 28 July 2020 .
  31. Web site: Experts debate: How dangerous is Dominick Reyes for Jon Jones? . 2019-11-23 . 2020-11-23 . espn.in.
  32. Web site: Dominick Reyes Gives Huge Compliment to Jon Jones After Five Round Battle at UFC 247. 11 February 2020.
  33. Web site: Ten greatest light heavyweight fighters in MMA history: Jon Jones tops the list, but who's No. 2?.
  34. Web site: Dustin Filloy . Ranking the 7 Best (and Worst) Chins in MMA History . . 2014-09-17 . 2016-03-02.
  35. Web site: Joe Rogan on Yoel Romero: "The man is made out of some other worldly material". 18 August 2019.
  36. Web site: Ranking the 10 Best Chins in Boxing Today . . 2014-06-13 . 2014-06-17 . Briggs . Seekins.
  37. Web site: Insane stat shows Robbie Lawler's insane ability to absorb damage. sportsjoe.ie. 3 January 2016 .

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