"How Not To Punch" by Jason Lambert

It's a slow news day and an American holiday to boot.  So I'm rewatching Saturday's fights to kill some time.  The Lambert/Gouveia fight just ended and it's just frustrating as all hell to watch.

If you've been paying attention to our site since Saturday afternoon you probably read my live blog of UFC 80 where I said the following in regards to Jason Lambert getting knocked out by Wilson Gouveia:

Then when Nick Thomas posted the Knockout/Submission/Fight of the Night honors he also posted this GIF of the KO:

Let's break it down:

Lambert has Gouveia against the fence, key to establishing distance when he drops both hands to his waist and starts to throw a long right hand from his hip pocket.  Wilson's punch is also a little on the long and looping side but it's thrown from higher up (right around nipple high) and as such gets there quicker.  To top it off watch Lambert's head.  Throwing a punch from your hip pocket naturally forces your chin away from your body and leaves it up to be knocked into the third row.  If he throws the right hook from a more sound boxing stance the punch is delivered quicker, your right shoulder remains in place to partially protect your chin, and your left hand is available to come across your face and deflect the return shot.

Chin down, hands up, and short, crisp punches.  That's how you box.  You start breaking those rules and you can have a fight that is going your way turn on you very quickly.