Breakdown: How Devin Haney beat Vasiliy Lomachenko ...or did he?
Despite some discontent about the scoring, Devin Haney and Vasiliy Lomachenko gave us a brilliant, highly technical showdown in Vegas this weekend. Let's take a look at the details.
UFC 288 breakdown: Sterling vs Cejudo was more skillful than you remember
A technical breakdown of UFC 288's main event between Aljamain Sterling and Henry Cejudo.
Canelo Alvarez: Caution in victory
Canelo won a dominant victory against John Ryder on Saturday, yet there were still notes of concern. We take a look at the good and the bad from the night's work.
Ryan Garcia: How not to beat a southpaw
Ryan Garcia had exactly the wrong game to beat a southpaw like Gervonta Davis.
Moves to Remember: Max Holloway vs. Arnold Allen & Barboza’s perfect counter knee
For those in training, here are several moves that UFC fighters used to press the action at UFC Fight Night: Max Holloway vs. Arnold Allen. Learn from the pros in action.
Joshua vs. Franklin moves to remember
For those training in combat sports, here are several boxing moves that Anthony Joshua and Jermaine Franklin used to press the action this past weekend. Learn from the pros in action.
UFC San Antonio – Vera vs. Sandhagen: Moves to Remember
UFC on ESPN: Vera vs. Sandhagen (also known as UFC on ESPN 43) took place this past weekend on March 25, 2023, at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas featuring a highly anticipated main event that did not fail to deliver. Cory Sandhagen executed a masterful MMA game-plan and took a tough Marlon Vera […]
What is wrong with Leon Edwards?
This Saturday, Leon Edwards takes on Kamaru Usman for the third time. Looking at this matchup, I was excited to finally revisit my old series, Gameplanning for Greatness, in which I prescribe strategies for championship fights. It would have been called something like, How Leon Edwards beats Kamaru Usman. Only one problem: that series was […]
Method to the Madness: Breaking down Gabriel Bonfim’s 49-second submission at UFC 283
Thanks to long-armed training partners who are at their deadliest when they get to any semblance of a front headlock, I’ve grown to appreciate this attacking position a lot. Guillotines, anacondas, d’arces – these have been my go-to submissions as of late, with which I’ve found more relative success. I’ve also grown to appreciate watching […]
Boxing is Fundamental: Liam Smith vs Chris Eubank Jr in-depth analysis
Well, it’s probably safe to say nobody saw that coming. Liam Smith, the smaller, older man, jumped up in weight to take on Chris Eubank Jr, and took him to pieces. The first three rounds had been tight, with Eubank seeming to get the upper hand with his jab. Then in the fourth, seemingly out […]
Of the 98 UFC submissions in 2022 these were the rarest
With the UFC schedule wrapped up for 2022, it’s time to look back at some of the stats and figures from the year. There were tons of fights, a boatload of highlight reel KOs, and a bucketful of cool tapouts. We saw everything from wheel kick KOs to d’arce chokes. Today, I’m taking a look […]
Gameplanning for Greatness: How Israel Adesanya lost to Alex Pereira
What makes a good gameplan? Is it security? Should a fighter focus his attention on avoiding whatever it is that the opponent does best? Or should he resolve to stick to his own strengths, whether or not it affords the opponent some opportunities? Last weekend, at UFC 281, middleweight champion Israel Adesanya faced his own […]
WTF: We have a new fastest ever Dambé knockout
Oh, hi there. Yeah, we had you waiting for a bit. Your boy was caught up with stuff and partying it up in Miami for carnival, but that doesn’t mean he forgot about you. Now we’re back with some amazing bits and pieces of the martial arts fringes and the tangentially related action outside of […]
Dear Roxy – ‘What exactly do refs tell you in the back before a fight?’
Roxanne Modafferi is back in the hot seat for another edition of Dear Roxy, the advice column where the ‘Happy Warrior’ goes toe-to-toe-with questions about fighting, training, and life in general. Last week we talked about the future of women’s MMA and the new waves of athletes looking to make their name in the sport. […]
WTF: Kushti wizard puts tiny opponent in the spin cycle
Things got a little more traditional this week on the international combat sports scene, but don’t worry. We’ve got plenty of weird to make up for it. Just watch. Our guy Jerry over at Fight Commentary Breakdowns never really gets a break. This week he’s got a pair of matchups with one thing in common: […]
WTF – Slap fighter gets sent to the Phantom Zone
Being what can be described as a “Karate Magazine“, we’ve sort of neglected our duties in presenting more actual Karate or Karate-adjacent activities. This week, we aim to correct that. We’ll start off with Daido Juku, which can be (and I’m slightly oversimplifying things here) a combination between Karate and Judo. The competition gets heated […]
Judo Chump: Ursine BJJ spotted at Walmart
Often we see videos shared online involving physical altercations in which there’s truly no order or thought put into the combat that is displayed. Too often we see ugly messes that are all id and no process, no actual skill for fighting. A lot of them really, really suck. And sometimes you find a video […]
UFC London technical breakdown: Cooking ribs with Chris Curtis
Chris Curtis was a veteran of 24 fights when he competed on season two of DWTNCS (that’s Dana White’s Dancing with the Contenders, for the uninitiated). A sharp boxer with solid defense and heavy hands, Curtis was what we in the horse-trading business call a finished product. He was good, and he was ready. Of […]
Dear Roxy: ‘What changes would you make in MMA?’
It’s time for another edition of Dear Roxy, where the ‘Happy Warrior’ goes toe-to-toe with questions about fighting, training, and life in general. Last time around we talked about channeling your inner warrior in the face of difficulty and self doubt. We also looked at some good ways to relax during training camp. And some […]
Dear Roxy: ‘How do you channel your inner warrior’ and overcome doubt?
It’s time for another edition of Dear Roxy, where the ‘Happy Warrior’ goes toe-to-toe with questions about fighting, training, and life in general. Back in May we talked about keeping composure inside the cage, especially in the face of painful injuries that might impact scoring with the judges. We also talked about gym culture, martial […]
Dear Roxy: ‘I feel like nobody wants to spar with me. What can I do?’
Hey everyone, it’s me, The Happy Warrior! You probably all know me from my long mixed martial arts career, but I love sharing my life outside the cage as well. I’m currently working on writing my third book, which is my second memoir. I hope to release it later this year. I get asked lots […]
WTF: Jeet Kune Do vs vs. Kickboxing
While the combat sports world has all manner of wild antics taking place in and out of competition, WTF keeps chugging along here with the best fringe content and odd mishaps we can find in the martial arts world at large. This week, we’re kicking things off with Jerry at Fight Commentary Breakdowns, where we […]
WTF: Pakistan vs. India traditional Kushti wrestling match
Despite being much maligned by the combat sports world, Aikido still has a following. Many practitioners around the world continue to celebrate the art and continue its legacy, but it gets virtually no love from the MMA community at large. This week, we start off with Jerry from Fight Commentary Breakdowns. He does a deep […]
UFC 271 Judo Chop: Breaking down Bobby Green’s crowning moment
Bobby Green has been a very good fighter for a very long time. A veteran of 14 years and 42 professional fights, Green entered the cage last weekend having finally reached what appeared to be his fighting prime. The opponent was Nasrat Haqparast, a formerly hot prospect who, while stagnant, remains a durable and dangerous […]
Israel Adesanya vs. Robert Whittaker 2: Being true to yourself
There are certain matchups that just… deliver. When those matchups are made from a pairing of the two best fighters in a division, viewers can be forgiven for foaming at the mouth, just a little. Holloway and Volkanovski. Figueiredo and Moreno. Whether or not Colby Covington is actually the second best welterweight in the UFC […]
Video: Watch UFC fighter get schooled by self-defense meme guy
Dale Brown and his Detroit D.U.S.T. system of self defense have become a sudden sensation. Videos of Brown disarming students of dangerous weapons with a flick of the wrist and a little well placed pressure have become the fodder of memes all across the internet. But if many have found them good for a laugh, […]
Ninja Sh!t, Part 2: Breaking down Volkanovski and Ortega’s chess match from UFC 266
In the first part of our breakdown, we dove into the insane third round between Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega from UFC 266. We detailed the nasty guillotine that the champion described as “about-to-lose-the-belt deep,” along with a follow up attempt at a darce choke. There was so much more that happened in this entertaining […]
Ninja Sh!t: How did Volkanovski and Ortega survive the best title round in UFC history? | Part 1
Alexander Volkanovski successfully defended his belt for the second time at UFC 266, beating Brian Ortega with a wide decision. Overall, it wasn’t very close, with the featherweight champion winning majority of the exchanges and ending up with the scores of 49-46, 50-45 and 50-44. Ortega did have his moments though, and he actually came […]
Gerald Meerschaert: Slow as molasses, still kicking asses
Gerald Meerschaert closed as the biggest underdog on last weekend’s UFC Vegas 35/TUF Finale card. Most sportsbooks had him at about four-to-one odds to beat the Money Team’s Makhmud Muradov, some as steep as six-to-one. And there was sound reasoning to back up those lines. Muradov was on a 14-fight win streak; Meerschart was 8-6 […]
Ninja Sh!t: Breaking down Giga Chikadze’s surprising submission chain against Edson Barboza
Giga Chikadze headlined his first UFC event this past weekend, and that’s where the Georgian kickboxer notched the biggest win of his MMA career. He scored an impressive third round finish against Edson Barboza, which not only improved his record to 7-0 in the UFC, it also moved him higher in the featherweight top 10 […]