How to Become an MMA Fighter Who Won't Go Down: The Importance of Balancing and Changing Up Your Fight Game

    Finding that balance in your fight game is important because different opponents and different situations are going to force you into changing up your fighting whether you like it or not. So it is best that you are prepared regardless and incorporating as much as you can into you workout routines.  Even though wrestlers have had a major impact on MMA, being well rounded in your fight game is paramount for a successful career.  You should be comfortable with at least four takedowns, while being able to defend against four different types of takedowns.  You need to be comfortable on your feet, as well, and be able to hold your own.  It is important to work on combinations that utilize the four major disciplines, BJJ, Muay Thai, Boxing, and Wrestling.  This means that during your workout routines, you are working on side control, right cross, armbar, double leg takedown, etc.  Knowing when to transition is also very important.  When sparring with a partner better than yourself, make sure that you video tape your sessions.  Afterwards sit down and analyze, with a coach, what you are doing wrong and where.  In your daily training journal, it helps to write down key notes of emphasis.  Look to see where you could be smoother with your transition game.  All these factors will really help with you developing an all around, and well balanced, fighting game.  Pro MMA fighter Buck Nasty gives some great advice on workout routines and tips for other fighters out there.

Mixed Martial Arts Video Transcription:

Mixing it up with some of that boxing versus wrestling styles. A boxer wants to stand there and punch with you while a wrestler wants to be on the ground. There's a time to transition from one to the next. Like I said, I've got to punch too. It's an MMA fight, not a wrestling match. A lot of my keys are for when I want to take somebody down, I usually try to set it up, same as you would set up a take down in college or high school with a set up and then a move. I set mine up with punches. If we're in the stance, in a good position.

If I just take a shot, he can react. He can put his hands down, he can move away. If I tied his hands up and tie his eyes and mind up with punches up here, he's got to defend. It's the perfect time to change the attack because his hands are occupied. If he throws a jab I can roll around it, roll in, his hands are occupied. So the best time to create a take down opportunity is off of him reacting to something, or him throwing a punch and you move around it.

A lot of the offense as a wrestler is determined by what they do. If they are not doing what you want, make them. If his hands are in a good position and he's ready to defend a take down, I'll make his hands go away. I'll throw a couple of punches and shoot underneath them. Or I'll work the [inaudible 00:01:25] and positioning. A lot of it's basically your offensive is created off of other offense being yours and theirs.

We can go over the different positions, more of terminology than anything. Then some of my ideas and what I'm looking for when I'm in different positions. Real basic, the most common, one you see it in Jujitsu classes and grappling classes is guard. That's when you are between the legs and you are guarded up. Right now I can't get out, I can't go forward, I can't do a whole lot of things. I consider this a less high priority position for me. There are some things I can do from here. There are not very many submissions. One thing I do like from here is posturing, punching and elbows. But, like I said, if my elbow over extends, I get in trouble. He can sweep me, move me around, stuff like that so this is one of my low priorities. I like to avoid this as much as possible.

When you are going from one position to the next it's called pass. A real dumbed down version, you smash the leg, you sneak through. If you have one leg in, it's half guard. It's a little different spin, you can see. One thing I do different than everyone else, we called it in college and high school, a turk. We elevate the leg and it flattens your back out. It controls your hips which is the number one thing you need to control in wrestling, grappling, everything. I think this turns from an advanced position for the bottom man to an advanced position for the top man. That's one of the big secrets to my top control. Unless you are a high level wrestler, there isn't much of a way to get out of this, outside of this he's constantly moving. It's between this and my next position as my favorite for control.

Side control, real basic. There are different versions. I've got an MMA kind of style. What I do is real tight, real controlled. He's holding all my weight, this is where you see a lot of submission attempts from me. A lot of elbows too. As far as submissions you'll see wrist locks, key locks, top wrist locks. All kinds of stuff.