🥊 Examining the Impact of Height and Reach in MMA

PLUS: 🐍🧠 How to Calculate and Compare Fighter Reach Efficiency in Python

Author

Haresh Suppiah
June 16, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 14 minutes

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Hello there,

In today’s edition:

• Influence of height and reach on fight-ending punches in MMA

• Responses of team athletes to high-intensity cycling training

• Isotemporal substitution of sedentary time and body composition

• Energetics of underwater swimming in apnea

• Impact of menopause on hypoxia responses

and several more…

In focus: The Impact of Height and Reach on Fight-Ending Punches in MMA

Did you know that a fighter’s height and reach can significantly influence their effectiveness in delivering fight-ending punches in mixed martial arts (MMA)? Recent research, such as the study titled Does Anthropometry Influence Technical Factors in Professional Mixed Martial Arts?, indicates that height and wingspan correlate with key techniques used in the sport, particularly in weight classes like heavyweight and welterweight. The findings suggest that these anthropometric variables can inform tactical decisions, emphasizing the importance of training tailored to a fighter’s physical attributes.

Moreover, the analysis presented in Tall, Long, and Lanky: The Effect of Reach Advantages in MMA highlights that fighters with a reach advantage win approximately 51.65% of the time across various matchups. This advantage becomes particularly pronounced in higher weight classes where a reach advantage of three inches can lead to increased success rates. Notably, this aligns with findings from the A 5-Year Analysis of Age, Stature and Armspan in Mixed Martial Arts, which reveals that while armspan provides an advantage mainly in the heavyweight division, other nuances exist depending on the weight class and the opponents’ characteristics.

Altogether, these insights underscore the necessity for fighters and coaches to integrate anthropometric considerations into their training strategies. By understanding how height and reach influence fight outcomes, teams can better prepare their athletes to capitalize on these advantages during competition, ultimately enhancing their performance in the cage.

-Haresh 🤙

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In Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), a fighter's height and reach can greatly influence their ability to land effective punches. A longer reach can allow a fighter to hit their opponent from further away, potentially increasing their chances of landing a fight-ending blow.

Here is a basic example in Python:

def calculate_effectiveness(height, reach):
    # Create a list to store effectiveness scores
    effectiveness_scores = []
    
    # Loop through given heights and reaches to calculate effectiveness
    for h, r in zip(height, reach):
        score = (r / h) * 100  # Calculate effectiveness as ratio of reach to height
        effectiveness_scores.append(score)  # Append the score to the list
    
    return effectiveness_scores  # Return the list of scores

# Example data
heights = [175, 180, 190]
reaches = [185, 190, 200]

# Calculate effectiveness
print(calculate_effectiveness(heights, reaches))

Your Task:
Modify the function to return the fighter with the highest effectiveness score along with their score.

Here’s what that might look like:

def calculate_effectiveness(height, reach):
    effectiveness_scores = []
    for h, r in zip(height, reach):
        score = (r / h) * 100
        effectiveness_scores.append(score)
    
    max_effectiveness = max(effectiveness_scores)  # Find max effectiveness score
    index = effectiveness_scores.index(max_effectiveness)  # Get index of max score

    return (index, max_effectiveness)  # Return index and max score
        
heights = [175, 180, 190]
reaches = [185, 190, 200]

# Find the fighter with the highest effectiveness score
index, max_score = calculate_effectiveness(heights, reaches)

# Print a descriptive message
print(f"Fighter {index + 1} has the highest effectiveness score of {max_score:.2f}. (Height: {heights[index]} cm, Reach: {reaches[index]} cm)")

This modified code not only calculates the effectiveness scores but also identifies the fighter with the highest score. When you run it, it outputs the index of the fighter with the best reach-to-height ratio and their effectiveness score, showcasing the fighter’s potential effectiveness in delivering punches.

This figure illustrates the distribution of combined height and reach differences across four punch types (Hook, Overhand, Straight, Uppercut) in UFC fights that ended with a KO/TKO. Each subplot shows how the combined difference varies among these punch types. For example, the uppercut punches tend to land when fighters have a negative combined difference (mean ≈ -7.93 cm), indicating smaller or disadvantaged reach/height compared to the opponent. Conversely, straight punches have a positive mean (≈ 3.62 cm), suggesting they are more common when the attacker has a reach and height advantage.

Key finding:

Height and reach significantly influence the likelihood of specific punch types leading to knockouts in mixed martial arts.

How they did it:

  • Methodology: The study analyzed 264 MMA fights that ended in a knockout (KO) or technical knockout (TKO) from 2020 to 2022, focusing on punch types (hooks, straights, uppercuts, overhands), assessing factors like height and reach differences using video analysis from publicly available sources.

  • Results: The analysis revealed that hooks (51%) and straights (35%) were the most common punch types leading to KOs/TKOs. Multinomial logistic regression showed that for each 1 cm increase in reach difference, the odds of a hook increased by 8% (OR = 1.08, p = 0.026) and a straight punch increased by 10% (OR = 1.10, p = 0.008).

  • Height Influence: For each 1 cm increase in height difference, the odds of a straight punch increased by 10% (OR = 1.10, p = 0.024). At a +40 cm height advantage, straight punches were 76% more likely than uppercuts or overhands (p < 0.05).

  • Combined Metrics: The combined model of reach and height differences showed that for every 1 cm increase, the odds of a hook increased by 4% (OR = 1.04, p = 0.041) and for a straight punch, there was a 6% increase (OR = 1.06, p = 0.006).

  • Innovation: This study employed a novel performance analysis approach, focusing specifically on critical punches in live combat, thus providing practical insights for fighters and coaches regarding punch selection based on individual height and reach advantages.

Why it matters:

These findings shed light on the specific ways that height and reach influence the effectiveness of different punch types in MMA, particularly how straight and hook punches are more likely to lead to knockouts when fighters have similar dimensions or one has a reach advantage. With a staggering 76% higher likelihood of using straight punches at a 40 cm height advantage, coaches and athletes can fine-tune their strategies based on an opponent’s physical attributes, ultimately boosting performance in the octagon.

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Key finding:

Short 15-second high-intensity cycling intervals enhance performance and minimize fatigue in team sport athletes compared to 30-second intervals.

How they did it:

  • Methodology: Sixteen trained male team sport players participated in a randomized crossover design study, completing two high-intensity interval training (HIIT) sessions using cycle ergometry with 15-second and 30-second work intervals at 120% of their maximum oxygen uptake (ṗVO2 max). Each session involved a total of six minutes of intervals, with a five-minute passive recovery between sets.

  • Results: The 15-second HIIT intervals resulted in a higher absolute mean VO2 (40.8 vs. 38.4 ml/kg/min, p=0.0257) and relative mean VO2 (80.7% vs. 76.1% ṗVO2 max, p=0.0275) compared to 30-second intervals, alongside a greater total time spent above 90% VO2 max (176 vs. 102 seconds, p=0.0257). Blood lactate concentration was lower in the 15-second HIIT (8.4 vs. 10.6 mmol/L, p=0.0257).

  • Perceptual Outcomes: Participants reported lower perceived exertion across various measures (dRPE-L: 65.2 vs. 73.3, p=0.0495; dRPE-B: 59.7 vs. 70.1, p=0.0495) with 15-second intervals compared to 30-second intervals, indicating that shorter intervals were perceived as less demanding.

  • Neuromuscular Impact: Both HIIT formats resulted in a reduction in maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVC), with a greater reduction following the 30-second intervals (20.9% vs. 14.5%, p=0.0495), suggesting that longer intervals may lead to greater neuromuscular fatigue.

  • Innovation: This study is unique in demonstrating that team sport athletes can achieve superior physiological responses, specifically increased time near VO2 max and lower perceived exertion, using shorter 15-second work intervals instead of the more traditional 30 seconds for cycling-based HIIT training.

Why it matters:

These findings highlight the benefits of using 15-second work intervals in high-intensity interval training (HIIT) for team sport athletes, showing a 7% increase in oxygen volume consumed near maximum during exercise compared to longer 30-second intervals. This translates to more time spent training at peak intensity with reduced perceived exertion—a win-win for athletes looking to improve their fitness while managing fatigue and muscle recovery more effectively.

Aging and Athletic Longevity

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Female Athlete

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Injury

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Injury

-Reduced hip flexion during landing after fatigue predicts a higher risk of patellar tendinopathy in volleyball players.

Nutrition

-Replacing sedentary time with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity may reduce body fat in individuals with prediabetes.

Physical Education and Pedagogy

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Physical Education and Pedagogy

-PE teachers effectively manage student refusal by utilizing digital media and classroom strategies, enhancing learning outcomes.

Psychosocial Factors in Sport

-The study establishes a reliable framework for assessing sport team personality that aligns with established human personality models.

Sport Physiology

-The efficiency of underwater swimming in dynamic apnea is influenced more by oxygen use than by energy cost per distance.

Sport Physiology

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