Ward dominated but you can't deny he's dirty

well Ward is the big american hope and that makes it a great strategy rather than dirty fighting apparently.

 

Holding occasionally to stop your opponents momentum is not the same as basing your entire offence around throwing 1 punch and holding.

 

There was nothing intentional nor dirty in that fight at all. The so-called "holding" was negligible. I agree with your description however. Ward was amped due to the fight's significance and its location. He fought with focus and was energized by his early success and Mikkel's inability to do ANYTHING meaningful (like punch or defend ). Those head clashes were all accidental. Ward was coming forward pressing the action. Calz rammed his grill into BHOP's many times in their fight because he couldn't control the distance and both fighters were moving into each other's space. Kessler just didn't have the answers. ESB is loaded with excuses however. The problem wasn't any headbutts - it was that Ward was far far quicker, far more active, and that he kept pressing the action and straight out kicked Kessler's ass rather than waiting for Kessler to find his game.

 

This.

Also in the Froch fight the ref let Froch get away with a lot of dirty tactics and wasn't penalized.

And again most of the time it was Kessler that was holding and Ward let one hand free to punch him. But he did on a few occasions hold and hit.

 

Both used the tactic excessively in my opinion.

 

I think Ward looked really great the first half of the fight. First few rounds I didn't notice any dirty tactics. His hands were quick and hes feet even quicker, Kessler wasn't doing anything to adjust. After Ward started getting more confidence and pushing Kessler back he was very sloppy, I wouldn't say it's completely intentional but dirty nonetheless, it did upset me as well after that 2nd headbutt but for Kessler to whine like that made me laugh and turn the tv off :bart

 

I think he's careless with his head, as I don't think he does it intentionally.

..and to the people bitching about fighting out of a clinch.. go **** yourself. We wish people ALWAYS did this. You have a hand free, punch. Until the ref steps in and breaks, fight. Ward was pulling both hands and punching when they got tangled up. Half the time Kessler was clinching hoping for a break as he would be getting uppercutted.