Based on my experience, I find that a clinch (hold on to the other fighter) is for fighters who are either tired or hurt.mtt_c said:
The fighter that has the stamina to go the distance and hasn't been hurt has no need for clinches.
Are fighters in as good of shape today as they use to be?
As for most I would say they are not.
What your actually complaining about I see in near all fights today.
There's little exciting action today, but plenty of attempts at dancing and clinching by mediocre fighters and even by many so called world champions today too.
It didn't use to be that way, but it is now.
JC