Long feng lost against Azula is because he lacked the drive to fight for power

[u/plogan56]

When azula makes her move and takes over ba sing se, she not only calls long feng out on being a sneaking spider-snake that would rather get others to do his dirty work rather than risk failure himself; his only real fight he gets no-diffed and taken out without issue by appa. Then after finally making his biggest move for power azula calls him out in front of his own men, forcing him into a situation where he has to fight for power on his ow....then he folds and surrenders without even trying. Azula's speech felt like she was goading him into making a move, maybe she was giving him a chance to die like a man or something, but when he folded without even trying she sounded disappointed with his lack of resolve or drive.

We all know azula, if the roles were reversed, would have immediately fought long feng, tooth and nail, for power because she has always been driven by ambition. That was the fundamental difference and why the Dai lee refused to move, they Needed confirmation that long feng was driven and strong enough to be worthy of following.

[u/NoPaleontologist6583]

"We all know azula, if the roles were reversed, would have immediately fought long feng, tooth and nail, for power because she has always been driven by ambition. "

I feel this gets it the wrong way around. There is little that is more stupid than dying for power for yourself, which is all that Long Feng wants. Dying for the Fire Nation, however, could be entirely rational. Or dying for Ozai.

Caring about something other than herself makes Azula more dangerous, not less. Caring about nothing other than himself makes Long Feng less dangerous, not more.

[u/plogan56 → u/NoPaleontologist6583]

You have to understand this wasn't just a random power grab, this was long feng's dream, he had been plotting and waiting for this moment to appear and when the only obstacle that stood in his way was azula, without help from the dai lee for either because as she said "they're waiting to see who's more worthy to follow" but he proved to both her and them that he wasn't worthy of ruling because he lacked the drive to fight for what he desires, meanwhile azula will gladly fight for her desires and ambitions; case in point, despite having no real reason to accept his agni kai, her ego refuses to allow her to stand down from a challenge towards her rule.

[u/NoPaleontologist6583 → u/plogan56]

This was Long Feng's desperation. He started off the episode in a prison cell. Someone who only cares about himself can be deterred by a threat to himself.

[u/plogan56 → u/NoPaleontologist6583]

Long feng had been plotting this coup by using the dai li for quite sone time even before his imprisonment because as azula stated he always sought out power, only this time he had no resources besides himself to get it.

Look I'm not disagreeing with you in the fact that him, seeing that refusing to fight her is the smarter/safer move; however, this moment mirrors jogo's moment with sukuna who blatantly calls him a loser for playing it safe by not using domain expansion to try and risk a tug-of-war agains't his own. What i am saying is that "playing it safe" to keep his own ass safe is why he lost this "game" and was never a player to begin with, because he lacked the conviction to take risks