As noted earlier, there were two phases of the fight, Ano and Kato Pankration. The Ano phase involved all the striking and clinching aspects prior to the combat going to the ground. Which is something that would almost inevitably occur. The Kato phase involved all the wrestling, locks, strikes and submissions on the ground.
A Pankrationist would seek competency in both phases of combat just as modern MMA fighters today strive to have good ‘standup’ and ‘ground game’. Fighters would also design their fight strategies and training regimes around the skills and abilities of other fighters. Weakness in either phase of combat would be exploited by a well rounded opponent.