(Note: This is part one of a two-part article. Part two comes out this Thursday, March 5th)
It’s been a while since we last saw the Tech Recap ‘round these parts, but with seven spectacular finishes and a main event almost completely devoid of striking, UFC 184 was just the event I needed to bring this feature back. For those unfamiliar with the series, the Technique Recap is essentially an analyst’s highlight reel, comprised of the best, worst, or otherwise most interesting tidbits of technique and strategy from last weekend’s fights.
As always, I like to find a running theme for the breakdowns. Three fights stood out in my mind, and lo and behold, all of them were contested in the clinch. A thorough grasp of clinch fighting is absolutely essential in MMA–as in the old days of boxing, nearly every high-level MMA bout ends up in the clinch sooner or later, and when that happens it tends to become very clear who hasn’t done their homework, and who has.
THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE
Featuring: Tim Means
The tricky thing about clinch fighting is the range at which it takes place. Some would tell you that the clinch occurs after the distance has closed–an experienced clinch fighter might disagree. Tim Means is that experienced clinch fighter. As a long and tall man, one might expect him to win his battles at long range, but it is in the clinch where he excels, his height giving him the advantage in leverage when it comes to a battle of collar ties–a battle that Means almost always wins.
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1. As Lima steps forward with an attempted left hook, Means counters with a teep that pushes him back into the fence.
2. A right jab occupies Lima’s eyes.
3. And Means follows up by leaning in with a left straight.
4. Lima tries for the same hook again, but Means pulls his head back and the punch falls short.
5. Then, realizing that Lima’s feet are completely square, Means steps in to deliver another hard straight.
Means is a perfect example of the advantages of reach on the outside and height on the inside. Here, he uses his long legs and arms to out-distance Lima’s strikes, aided by his vastly superior footwork. But despite his kickboxing attitude, Means has the clinch in his mind all the while. The moment the opportunity presents itself, he pounces.
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1. Means measures Lima with his jab once again . . .
2. . . . but Lima leans awkwardly into him, forcing him to abandon his straight left.
3. Instead, Means quickly wraps up Lima’s neck in a double collar tie.
4. As Lima tries to pummel his right hand (circled) inside Means’ grip, Tim drives his left knee into his ribs.
5. This gets Lima to drop his right hand in an attempt to ward off other knees. Means, his eyes on Lima’s chest, notices.
6. Means lifts his right leg, suggesting another knee, and Lima’s hand flails to stop it.
7. But instead of committing to the knee, Means steps to his right, shifting weight toward that foot . . .
8. . . . and smashing an elbow into Lima’s temple, left unprotected by his lowered right hand.
Means is truly at his best when he can flow from one technique to the other, and from one phase to the next. From boxing range, he is always looking for an opportunity to utilize his vicious clinch knees and elbows. And from the clinch, he is more than happy to release his grip and return to boxing. The effect on his opponent is clear: Lima is so unprepared for Means’ initial decision to clinch that, from the moment Means grabs his neck, he is stuck playing catch-up. Once Means has Lima reacting to his attacks, he can use his reactions against him, attacking the open body with knees, thus opening the head for elbows.
That elbow put Lima briefly on the canvas, and initiated some thirty seconds of patient, measured assault that saw Means win his first stoppage in the Octagon since 2012. From the looks of things, there may be plenty more to come.
FORCED ANGLES
Featuring: Alan Jouban
In striking, as in grappling, position comes before attack. The advantage of the grappler is that, when he finds himself in an advantageous position, he can secure it, and plan his attack from there. Mount, side mount, back mount, half guard, north-south–these are positions of control. Even in slippery no-gi or MMA, an opponent can be pinned in one of these positions and then attacked with a submission, or even strikes.
On the feet, however, positions come in the form of angles–the result of movement to right or left, up or down–and they are decidedly less stable. Unless the opponent is asleep on his feet, any proactive movement is bound to be met with a reaction. A step to the left prompts the opponent to step to his right. A clockwise pivot will be met with one just like it. Fighters mirror one another on the feet, and thus keep themselves facing one another directly, keeping themselves in position to counter any attack that should come their way.
Position is a constant battle on the feet, and there is little that can be done to force an opponent to give up an advantageous angle. Instead subterfuge, suggestion, and downright slickness are required. That is, except in the clinch. In the clinch, grappling and striking meet. The fighter still pursues his angles, but now he has leverage with which to force those angles on his opponent. Alan Jouban, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite fighters to watch, used the clinch brilliantly in his bout with Rich Walsh on Saturday.
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1. Jouban, the southpaw, and Walsh trade lead hooks.
2. Both men miss, but Jouban’s punching arm wraps around the back of Walsh’s head.
3. Jouban turns his failed punch into a collar tie, and frames against Walsh’s shoulder with his other hand. He begins to turn himself toward Walsh so that he appears to be looking at the other man’s ear–strong head position.
4. Stepping back and pivoting to his left, Jouban improves his position by pulling Walsh with his right hand and pushing in the same direction with his left (circled).
5. Now Jouban is facing Walsh from a near 90-degree angle, while Walsh is forced to catch his balance.
6. Jouban takes his opportunity, using his collar tie to pull Walsh into a hard left elbow.
Jouban’s footwork in this sequence is a little sloppy, but his use of grips to create an angle is perfect. In Muay Thai, nothing is more prized than balance. Likewise, the Thai clinch, wherein various grips are used to facilitate strikes, is centered on the disruption of balance. Too many mixed martial artists begin attacking immediately once they’ve achieved a collar tie, expecting their grip alone to keep the opponent in a vulnerable position.
As Wanderlei Silva learned against Chris Leben (GIF), or Anderson Silva against Chris Weidman (GIF), this doesn’t always work out. Clinch striking, like striking at range, is a game of position. By moving to his opponent’s side, a fighter puts himself in a position where he can strike without being struck in return. In the clinch, he has the added advantage of his grips, which allow him to physically move the opponent as well as his own body. Jouban’s push/pull of Walsh is deceptively simple in its execution, but the result is utterly decisive.
Nothing emphasizes the critical importance of angles as well as this sequence, especially when taken in the context of the entire bout. Unlike Tim Means, who was constantly looking to clinch up, Jouban didn’t pursue the clinch once in the minutes leading up to this sequence. He simply took an opportunity that was given to him. And yet two seconds in the clinch–comprised of a single grip, a side-step, and a well-timed elbow–was enough to finish the fight.
Clinch-fighting isn’t just the future of MMA–it’s the right now. Anyone without a clinch game, as you can see, is simply waiting to be knocked out.
Expect part two of this Tech Recap Thursday, in which we will be looking at UFC 184’s co-feature between Holly Holm and Raquel Pennington, in which the clinch played major role.
For more analysis, check out Heavy Hands, the only podcast dedicated to the finer points of face-punching. Tomorrow’s new episode is all about styles in fighting. What makes a boxer, puncher, pressure fighter, or counter fighter? And what exactly is the distinction between those styles?