i noticed recntly that almost all of the great champions currently have a really effective jab. bj, GSP, Anderson, and Torres seem to have mastered it. this seems to contradict the original thought in mma that the jab was a useless punch becasue the lack of power and the possibility of it leaving you ope for a takedown. does this signal a change in the evolution of mma and soon guys will have to devlop a jab to be relevant in striking or is it more based on the style of the fighter such as guys like fedor and urijah faber who use mostly lead rights to do their damage? what do you guys think?

imo the jab is essential and if anything can help you setup your own takedowns since you dont have to commit as much

Most fighters telegraph their jab.

The jab is such an incredible weapon. If anything, the jab should be even more effective in MMA than it is in boxing because of the smaller glove size. You can really mark a guy up bad with the jab. I really love Anderson's jab.

thats how i feel too, the jab can do so much damage but is underused. bj demolishing sherk with it was incredible.

guys like gsp and anderson can use their kicks as jabs as well making them even more effective. I think jardine did it vs chuck & can see rashad doing so as well.

the kick as jab seems to be used by guys who can avoid takedowns and/or reverse & finish you on the ground or as in jardine vs chuck when the other guy wont take you down

^You're talking about that front/push kick right?

I always loved how Semmy used that. It was long and lightning fast just like a jab.

both the teep/front push kick like tim boetsch used vs david heath and the low kick

I mean jab in the sense that both arent necessarily power shots but used as a range finder, to upset your opponents flow & footwork, set up combos/power shots & defensively to keep them off you

Bas Rutten is pretty much MMA's only power striker. In ALL his DVD's, except the Street Fighting DVD (go figure), he says it's a useless strike in actual combat.

A fighter has to use his jab like a pitcher uses pitches: throw them fast, slow, half speed,low and high.

I was in a street fight where I threw two punches and landed one, both were jabs. I fainted a jab to the body and laded the second right on the nose. The guy didn't want to fight after that.