One of the first posts I ever wrote for Bloody Elbow discussed the specific components of the sport of wrestling actually mattered for preparing a combat athlete to take his opponent down in a mixed martial arts bout.
The post identifies three parts to most wrestling shot-based takedowns: the set-up, the shot itself and the finish. I still agree with the post’s conclusion that the two most important skills for successful offensive wrestling in MMA are timing based set-ups, and clean, powerful and authoritative finishes.
In the prelims of UFC 178, Dominick Cruz annihilated Takeya Mizugaki, and in the process showed how the right kinds of set-ups and finishes, properly executed, can lead to the devastating application of wrestling skills in mixed martial arts. In this case, the wrestling skills are the wonderful set-up and finish of his double leg in the first round.
The set up:
1 and 2. 26 seconds into the first round, Cruz throws a right hand, and Mizugaki counters with a right of his own. Based on Mizugaki’s reaction to the right, Cruz now knows the next time he throws that punch, he will have an opening for a takedown.
3. Mere seconds later, Cruz throws the right again.
4. When Mizugaki responds in kind, Cruz isn’t there to receive the punch. In anticipation of the counter right, Cruz ducks immediately after throwing his straight right.
5-6.Mizugaki’s punch and Cruz’s subsequent duck under leaves the former champ in perfect position to finish to finish a double leg: head on the hip, hands and elbow defense cleared.
The finish:
1.Cruz, in on Mizugaki’s hips, wastes no time and launches into his beautiful finish.
2. Short and choppy lateral steps generate the necessary energy for the finish, which is a detail many young wrestlers get wrong – they either take too long of steps, or neglect to move their feet altogether.
3. Cruz directs the power from his deft footwork and drives his head into Mizugaki’s side, propelling him almost exactly 90 degrees to the right, while simultaneously lifting the Japanese fighter off the canvas.
4. Now with momentum carrying him to his left, with no weight on his feet, Mizugaki stands ready for a violent return to the ground. Cruz obliges him, easily flinging Mizugaki head over heels with a classic “dumping the bucket of water motion”.
5.Cruz follows his opponent to the canvas, and lands perfectly, with his hips low and across Mizugaki’s.
In UFC 178’s short glimpse of the long-absent Dominick Cruz, the former champ and his double leg from the heavens demonstrated how a well rounded-fighter with wrestling properly integrated into an MMA skill set can actually punish sound striking. Even more importantly, this abbreviated outing showed Cruz may still be the class of the Bantam weight division, and is still one of the truest mixed martial artists in the sport.