An MMA professional breaks down House of the Dragon’s wedding event battle

Photo: Ollie Upton/ HBO

This week’s House of the Dragon brought a whole lot to the ritualistic table: scheming power couples, bold fashion choices, and also eventually, an especially unpleasant quarrel.

It’s that last little bit that we’re right here to speak about today.

[Ed. note: Significant spoilers follow for the fifth episode of House of the Dragon.]

One of the greatest occasions of the episode is the wedding event in between Rhaenyra Targaryen and also Laenor Velaryon, strengthening the bond in betweentwo powerful Westerosi houses As is usually the situation for political marital relationships, the partners have their eyes on others: particularly, their corresponding fans, Ser Criston Cole and also Ser Joffrey “The Knight of Kisses” Lonmouth.

At the wedding event, Ser Joffrey reasons that Ser Criston is his equivalent in this four-sided partnership. Joffrey makes an effort to strike up a discussion, allowing on that he learns about Criston and also Rhaenyra’s trick, and also recommends that both knights keep an eye out for every various other.

That goes … incredibly badly. Soon later, a turmoil bursts out on the dancing flooring, with Criston in addition to Joffrey, whaling on his confront with careless desert. It’s a ground-and-pound scene right out of a contemporary MMA battle (albeit with one fighter putting on a complete coat of mail).

Photo: Ollie Upton/ HBO

Luckily, I operate at the exact same location as MMA Fighting, the very best MMA internet site in business. So I connected to elderly press reporter Damon Martin, that is likewise a self-described “massive” follower of the Game of Thrones world.

Martin was thrilled by Criston’s ground-and-pound battling, and also contrasted the knight’s technological method to that of heavyweight competitorCurtis Blaydes But he stated the young competitor can still tip up his game.

“Credit to Criston Cole on his technique with the quick takedown and moving into mount, where he just began raining down blows on the ‘Knight of the Kisses,’ who really needs to work on his defense on the ground, although now it appears he’ll never get the chance,” Martin stated. “The only real improvement that Ser Criston needs to make would be mixing in some elbows to go along with the punches if he really wants to inflict maximum damage, but he seemed to be doing just fine with his fists.”

As for Joffrey, the loser in this certain fight– there was no main verification regarding his condition, however he sure searched in extremely poor form at the end of the exchange– Martin offered some notes on just how he can have prevented his bloody destiny.

“Poor Joffrey just never got the opportunity to showcase any of his fighting skills once he was on his back,” he stated. “It looked like he had never taken a single grappling class in all those years he was serving House Velaryon in Driftmark. At the very least, Joffrey should have known how to pull guard on the bigger, stronger opponent to keep him close so he could at least mitigate the damage he was absorbing. Making Ser Criston work to get free to posture up and throw punches would have likely tired him out, considering he had about 80 pounds of armor weighing him down at the time.”

Photo: Ollie Upton/ HBO

What regarding Criston progressing? We see at the end of the episode that Queen Alicent quits him from eliminating himself. If Criston places his mind to it, Martin assumes he can come to be a genuine celebrity worldwide of Westerosi MMA.

“Ser Criston certainly appears to be the full package,” Martin stated. “He’s obtained power, rate, and also a ruthlessness that will likely bring him much in future battles. But battling with feeling can be a double-edged sword, so he could intend to maintain his temper in check. Because the day will certainly come when Criston will certainly encounter an analytical challenger, that can capitalize on his failure to divide the work from something a lot more individual.

“If he keeps working on that wrestling, he might contend for a WFC title one day (Westeros Fighting Championships, of course).”

.

Source: Polygon

.