Removing an exit
In open space, a fighter under pressure can circle away and reset at range, but once their back is near the cage, that option disappears. Fighters who are skilled at pressure do not simply walk forward; they cut angles that funnel an opponent toward the fence, removing the space the opponent needs to reset, so that pressure and cage positioning are really the same tactic viewed at different distances.
Takedowns that use the structure
Against the cage, a takedown does not require lifting an opponent off their feet or exploding through their hips the way an open-space double-leg does. A wrestler can trap an opponent against the fence, control a single leg or the hips, and walk them down using the cage itself as a wall that prevents escape, which is a lower-effort, higher-percentage takedown for a fighter who has closed the distance correctly.
Cutting off the cage
Cutting off the cage is a specific footwork skill: moving on an angle rather than straight forward, so that an opponent's circling run actually shortens the distance between them and the fence rather than lengthening it. Fighters who only move forward in a straight line get outmanoeuvred by circling opponents even while appearing more aggressive, which is why the best pressure fighters are usually praised for their feet as much as their output.