Originally Posted by
36mafia
you wouldnt be concerned about a right leg kick if your opponent is winking, smiling, and high five-ing you all night
Cro Cop didn't have worry about kicks for a number of different reasons and it didn't have much to do with winking, smiling, or high fives. I've seen strikers smile, nod, or even give the other guy a high five during a fight. That usually happens right at the start of a round or when one guy has connected and it's a sign of respect. And I've seen a lot worse than that happened between Cro Cop and Barry. Robbie Lawler's fights with Scott Smith and Chris Lytle are two great examples of that. And that respect doesn't mean that these guys aren't trying to knock each other senseless in there either.
Also, Barry's height already put him at a disadvantage in terms of reach. Shorter legs mean he's got to kick higher to land an effective strike. And that means he's got to get closer and his foot literally has to travel further to connect. All of that adds time and that extra time is really enough for a guy like Cro Cop to see an incoming kick and either block or counter it.
Furthermore, Barry's a righty going up against a left handed Cro Cop. With kicks to the body or head, that distance issue is even more of a factor now. And using those low Muay Thai cut kicks to the leg? Not the smartest plan against a lefty with a reach advantage. Trying to do that means you're putting one entire side of your body in range of Cro Cop's strongest weapons his left hand and foot.
That leaves us with Barry's one real weapon here, his right hand. That's how you beat a lefty. Barry's power and speed allowed him to get inside and land a strike that Cro Cop couldn't block. You can't do that with a kick. It's the same hand I believe he used to knock out Hardonk and it's the same right hand he floored Cro Cop with. Once he broke that hand, his offense was done.