Jason Statham sure moves like an MMA fighter in his movies, but does that guarantee success in the ring?
Long before Guy Ritchie was human or the star of countless action stunts, Jason Statham was a legitimate athlete. However, not in any form of struggle. Despite his martial arts knowledge and tough personality, Jason Statham started out as a diver with Olympic ambitions.
A member of the British national swimming team for 12 years, Statham competed as a diver at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand. The future Deckard Shaw earned his time as a diver by teaching him the focus and discipline necessary to succeed in life. After working as a model and street vendor, Statham landed leading roles in the films Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. It has since become the most profitable action film industry.
As a film star, his films are known for cleanly choreographed fight scenes. Still incredibly athletic in his fifties, Statham often coaches MMA, training alongside respected veterans of the sport such as MMA pioneer and former UFC heavyweight champion Boss Rotten.
So where does cinematic toughness end and real-life struggles begin?
How conditioned was Prime Minister Jason Statham?
Doing hundreds of dives a day and spending endless hours in the pool, Statham has developed great fitness, endurance and agility as a diver. He is also skilled in kickboxing, karate and wing chun.
Kickboxing is a handy offensive tool in the Octagon, as it trains the upper and lower body to work together when striking. This leads to more complex and dangerous combinations in which the fighter can attack the opponent’s upper and lower body with a single blow. Successful MMA fighters such as Henry Cejudo, Conor McGregor, Georges St-Pierre and Nick Diaz have also shown how effective karate can be for defense, explosiveness, and creating an effective fighting stance.
However, Wing Chun’s usefulness in the world of MMA is debatable. Designed for close combat, Wing Chen paid no attention to the defense of the takedown attempt. Additionally, getting close enough to an opponent to perform Wing Chun would be bad, to say the least.
While Statham’s speed, cardio, and flexibility will be a huge advantage in the cage, his fight experience will be a hindrance. Compared to the professional-level training of most professional fighters, Statham’s MMA skills may come up short.
Despite possessing all the major athletic tools of the trade, he will lead a slightly higher battle at the professional level in MMA.
So, how good would Jason Statham be at MMA?
At 5’10 and around 78kg or less for his films, the lean and mean Statham will probably fight in the middleweight division. There, his range, size, and strength match up well with most of his peers.
Statham’s cinematic career revealed his charisma, intensity and even comedic timing. With that in mind, it’s safe to say that he has…