We present to your attention the 10 most dangerous techniques in mixed martial arts ah from the brightest MMA fighters of our time.
1. Triangles by Paul Sass
Kicking off the list of killer finishers is one of the brightest lightweight prospects Paul Sass. The 23-year-old native of Great Britain has a “clean” record of 13 victories, 12 of which were obtained by painful/suffocating techniques, and nine (!) of them were by triangle choke. According to the sports website ESPN.com, Paul holds the record for the most triangles completed. Sass also has a nickname that speaks for itself - “SASSugolnik”.
It would seem that it could be easier than going into the cage against a fighter who demonstrates the same technique over and over again, however, as Sass’s performances show, everything is not so simple - the Englishman spent three fights in the number one organization, two of which ended with you know what technique - it was with a triangle that Sass interrupted the winning streak of Jacob Volkman, and he also stopped Michael Johnson with it.
2. Demian Maia's Jiu-Jitsu
Currently the Brazilian fighter Demian Maia, is far from the most spectacular fighter, however, this was not always the case. Arriving at the UFC, Maia had an impressive series of early victories - in two years, the Brazilian won five victories by submission/choking, four of which brought “The Bee” a bonus for the best submission of the night. Some of the most memorable moments include a grappling war with Jason MacDonald and a stunning finish in a fight with the current number one contender, Chael Sonnen.
Maia is rightfully considered one of the best grapplers in MMA - third dan holder in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Demian Maia won the prestigious ADCC tournament in 2007. In Jiu-Jitsu competitions, Maia defeated such fighters as Yushin Okam and Gabriel Gonzaga. In 2007, Maya released an educational DVD, “The Science of Jiu-Jitsu,” which was thoroughly watched by all fans of this sport.
3. Ground and Pound by Mark Munoz
There is perhaps no more dangerous combination in the world of modern mixed martial arts than NCAA Division I wrestling and powerful GnP. This is exactly the kind of truly hurricane cocktail that the “Philippine wrecking machine” has. Mark Munoz.
Muñoz first appeared on the mat in high school, competing for Vallejo High School (California), where he became a two-time champion in the 189-foot weight class. In college, playing for the University of Oklahoma, Muñoz collected numerous accolades, including two Big 12 titles and an NCAA title in 2001. Mark Munoz became the first Filipino-American wrestler to win first place in the national championship.
Making his debut in MMA in 2007, Munoz had 14 fights, 10 of which took place under the wing of Zuffa, earning the status of a title contender and third place in the ranking of the best middleweights on the planet. A fighter’s calling card is his powerful attacks in the stalls, which look really impressive. During his illustrious career, Munoz won victories over such fighters as Mike Pierce, Kendall Grove, CB Dollaway, Demian Maia, Chris Liben and others, all of these fighters experienced the heavy hands of the Filipino, taking a hail of blows. Already this summer, as part of the UFC on Fuel TV tournament, Munoz will have a chance to become the number one contender for the title UFC champion in the middleweight division, for this Mark needs to defeat the currently undefeated prospect Chris Weidman.
4. Backfists Alexandra Shlemenk o
If American fans, seeing a backfist, remember Shawnee Carter, who back in 2001 knocked out Matt Serra with this technique, becoming the first to use a backfist in the UFC, then fans from the CIS countries immediately remember the Russian middleweight Alexandra Shlemenko, who delights his fans with this exotic technique from battle to battle.
Despite the fact that this technique is not always effective, and sometimes, on the contrary, can have disastrous consequences, the Russian fighter demonstrates outstanding technique in almost every fight. During his bright career, Alexander fought more than 50 fights, won two Bellator middleweight tournaments and had a chance to become the organization’s champion, but, unfortunately, lost to the champion. However, in the near future, “Storm” will get another chance to become the owner of a prestigious belt - Alexander will compete with the winner of the middleweight tournament, Brazilian Maikel Falcao, who is also famous for his brilliant striking technique, a truly beautiful match of two desperate fighters awaits us.
5. Hand collector Giwa Santana
Another record holder in the field of painful holds is a forty-year-old Brazilian Giwa Santana. He has 15 early victories, 13 of which are armbars. Giwa Santana is a third dan holder in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and, perhaps, the longest in MMA history a series of victories with armbars - the ten (!) first fights of the “Collector” ended with this technique.
The Brazilian entered the “big stage” relatively recently - in the fall of 2011, the Bellator promotion announced the signing of a fighter. In his Bellator debut, Giwa won confident victory, adding another trophy to your collection.
According to the fighter himself, despite such a large number of victories with levers, he has no preferences, and he ends the fight as circumstances allow:
“The armbar is just the easiest way for me to win, but in jiu-jitsu there are a lot of techniques that I also use, if I feel like I can win with one technique or another, I will do it. I have no preference." The athlete speaks.
But Giwa devotes most of his time to coaching - 6 days a week Santana prepares his students for upcoming fights. Such fighters as Ian MaColl and Shane Del Rosario often train in the Brazilian’s gym.
Perhaps a certain predictability in Santana’s fighting style makes him “readable,” which Bruno Santos took advantage of, but if the fight goes horizontal, expect an armbar.
6. Ronda Rousey Armbars
6 minutes and 45 seconds - this is exactly the time Ronda Rousey spent all her fights in mixed martial arts - 5 fights, 5 armbars and the Strikeforce champion title in the weight category up to 135 feet. Having a powerful Judo wrestling base, it is not difficult for the American Ronda Rousey to move her opponents into a comfortable plane, and then finish with her favorite technique in literally a matter of seconds.
At the age of 17, Rhonda qualified for the 2004 Olympic Games, thereby becoming the youngest athlete to qualify for the Olympic Games in the Judo category. After winning numerous titles in various competitions, Rousey again qualified for the 2008 Olympic Games, where she won bronze medal, becoming the only US female athlete to medal in Judo since 1992.
In 2010, the Olympic medalist burst into the world of mixed martial arts, the first fight MMA rules Rousey won in 25 seconds, forcing the submission of Brazilian Ediane Gomez, who had a record of 7-1 at the time of the fight. The next three fights ended before they even began, and in March 2012, Ronda Rousey entered the title fight against then Strikeforce champion Myesha Tate. The judoka did not manage to finish the title match as quickly, however, half a minute before the end of the first round, Rousey was able to finish the fight, winning the championship title. Can the newly crowned champion become a real threat to Christiane “Cyborg”? One can only guess, but in the meantime, Strikeforce President Scott Coker said that he would be happy to organize such a fight.
7. Pain on the leg Masakazu Imanari
As they near the top of the list of the most killer techniques, Japanese mixed martial arts fans realize what's missing. Indeed, one cannot ignore such a fighter as Masakazu Imanari , who is fluent in painful leg locks. The thirty-six-year-old athlete absolutely lives up to his nickname “Ashikan Judan,” which translates to “Master of Leg Locks.” Imanari will find a way out for a painful hold from any position - on the ground or pressing his opponent to the ropes and even being a meter away from the opponent. You can expect anything from the Japanese - be it a regular transfer on the ground or a pull guard, a somersault followed by a lightlock - it is impossible to predict. Out of 16 victories by painful/suffocating techniques, 10 victories were by lightlocks. However, Imanari is not rich in leg locks alone - the fighter’s arsenal includes victories with armbars, omoplata and other spectacular and brilliantly executed techniques.
Imanari is a great original not only in battle, but also in life, the Japanese has never given normal interviews to journalists, constantly acting like a fool, and rarely breaks character. When he puts boots on his bare feet, clutches his fists with figs on his sterdowns, or picks his nose at a press conference with his finger almost halfway in, his behavior can in all seriousness be regarded as restrained.
When Imanari does something big, it doesn’t cost him anything to go out to journalists naked after the fight, championship belt instead of panties or shaking a winning trophy-cup as a causal place.
8. Left hook by Paul Daley
Career of a British welterweight, author of twenty knockouts, owner of the heaviest left hook Paula Daly is one big drama. Having come to the UFC with a huge baggage of early victories, “Semtex” made two bright upsets. In his debut fight in the octagon, Daly met with striker from Denmark Martin Kampmann, whom Daly pinned against the net in the middle of the first round and sent the Dane into a standing knockout with an armor-piercing series of blows. The second fight brought the Briton an additional 50 thousand dollars for the best knockout of the evening, in which “Semtex” dispatched Dustin Hazzelent with his signature left hook. However, the triumph did not last long - finding himself unarmed against the fight of Josh Koscheck, Daly was never able to use his weapon, but Semtex decided to correct this misunderstanding and after the final gong, without thinking twice, he hit Josh Koscheck right in the jaw. UFC management considered this behavior unacceptable for a fighter of such high level and the British lawless man had to look for work in other organizations.
Daly gained his second dose of fame while competing in Strikeforce, where in his debut fight he knocked out UFC and Strikeforce veteran Scott Smith; the stunning knockout became the best finish of the year according to Sherdog.com.
Semtex's next fight was a title fight with the organization's champion Nick Diaz. the fight was truly a fireworks show - the fighters knocked each other down several times, demonstrated great job hands, but the champion turned out to be stronger. Without three seconds, the five-minute fight became the best round of 2011 according to many observers.
Despite his natural laziness and inability to work on the ground, Paul Daley's left hook is firmly in the top three of our rankings.
9. Nate Diaz: updated and improved version
If a year ago you would have guessed that Nate Diaz burst into the race for the title, the only response they would receive would be laughter. Indeed, the run to welterweight for the youngest member of the Diaz family was unsuccessful - Diaz coolly wiped the octagon with Korean Dong Hyun Kim, and Canadian Rory MacDonald threw the winner of the fifth season of TUF like a straw doll. This situation clearly did not suit the disgraced fighter and he decides to move to his native a light weight. Four months later, Diaz will enter the octagon with the once best lightweight on the planet, ex-PRIDE champion Takanori Gomi. In the same fight, Diaz showed that he did not sit idly by all this time, but persistently honed his technique, which brought results - the fight ended with a striking painful hold (armbar), which became the best submission of the evening.
Nate Diaz's next fight was not left without a bonus - the denouement of perhaps the most intense feud of last year between Nate Diaz and Donald Cerrone was a fight on New Year's weekend, in which Diaz, being an underdog, playfully shot the ex-challenger for the WEC title." Cowboy" Cerrone, breaking the record for accuracy of hits in a three-round fight - 82% of the total number of strikes hit the target, which means that out of 314 strikes, 258 shook "Cowboy". For comparison, it is worth noting that Donald Cerrone, who entered the fight as a clear favorite and has 29 kickboxing fights under his belt (28-0-1), only hit Diaz 66 times out of 200 punches thrown (33%).
Showing unprecedented performances, Nate Diaz gets a chance to become a contender for the title in lightweight. To do this, he needs to defeat top-five fighter Jim Miller. Being again an underdog, Diaz did what neither Gray Maynard, nor ex-champion Frankie Edgar, nor even the current leader could do weight category To Ben Henderson - at the end of the second round, Diaz finishes the “Beer Baron” with a guillotine choke, earning his ninth OTN bonus and, incidentally, the status of a contender for the lightweight title, as well as second place on the list for his bright and versatile technique.
10. Alistair Overeem's knees
As in our first list of the most dangerous techniques in MMA, Thai knees take the first place. The calling card of the undisputed best kickboxer in mixed martial arts, winner of the K-1 2010 World Grand Prix, former Dream and Strikeforce champion Alistair Overeem are his knees. Alistair Overeem is also one of the brightest finishers in the sport - of the Dutchman's 36 victories, 34 did not reach a judge's decision, which means that the number of early victories is 95% of their total number. Moreover, out of 15 victories by knockout, 10 victories for “Rome” were brought by his terrifying knees.
According to Alistair’s biography, his older brother Valentine brought him to the gym, but fifteen-year-old Overeem, who loved basketball more and athletics, I wasn’t very interested in training in a kickboxing gym. Over time, Alistair was influenced by Bas Rutten, who trained in the same gym with the Overeem brothers, and at that time was one of the strongest heavyweights on the planet. Having taken his first steps in kickboxing, the younger Overeem dared to try his hand at mixed martial arts. During his long and eventful career, Rome went through fire and water, suffered setbacks and celebrated triumphant victories, but what was always with him were his brutal knee attacks, such fighters as Sergei Kharitonov, Paul Buentello, Kazuyuki Fujita and many others were attacked with these knees . Overeem can use his knees at any moment convenient for him - from the clinch, in a jump, or even on the ground, and attacks always carry destructive power and often lead to stopping the fight. In our opinion, these knees deservedly occupy the first line of our rating.
1. Headbutts.
The head cannot be used as a percussion instrument under any circumstances. Any head strikes to the opponent's head or body are prohibited.
2. Pressure on the eyes.
Do not press on the eyes with your fingers, chin, or elbows. If a fighter touches the opponent's eyes while striking, this does not count as pressure on the eyes and is a valid attack.
3. Biting and spitting at an opponent.
Biting is prohibited under any circumstances. A fighter must not forget that sometimes the referee is physically unable to notice the violation. In this case, the direct responsibility of the fighter is to report that he was bitten by his opponent.
4. “Fishhook.”
Any attempt by a fighter to use his fingers to interact with the opponent's mouth, nose and ears while pulling the skin in the opposite direction falls under the category of "Fishhook".
5. Pulling the opponent's hair.
Pulling an opponent's hair is prohibited in any situation. A fighter does not have the right to hold the opponent's hair for additional control. If the opponent has long hair, the fighter has no right to use it as a tool for choking.
6. Throwing the opponent onto the canvas head down (“pile driver”).
A throw by an opponent in which he is turned 180 degrees falls under the category of “pile-driving”. It is worth noting that if a fighter is captured by an opponent and is able to get out of it by knocking the opponent over, the fighter is allowed to do this in any way, because control is in the hands of the opponent.
7. Blows to the spine or back of the head.
The spine includes the coccyx. The back of the head is defined as the area starting at the crown of the head and ending at the center line of the head within one inch. Also, the entire back of the neck is closed to attack, namely, from the occipital junction to the trapezium.
8. Any blows to the throat.
Directed strikes are prohibited, which means pushing away the opponent’s head to gain access to the neck area. It is prohibited to press your fingers on your opponent’s neck or trachea in order to end the fight by submission. If a blow to the opponent's throat is thrown during a stand-up exchange, it is considered legal.
9. Fingers pointing towards the opponent's face or eyes.
A foul is a hand movement made in a standing position with fingers spread, directed towards the opponent's face or eyes. It is the referee's responsibility to prevent this dangerous behavior by admonishing the fighter. Athletes are encouraged to either clench their fists or point their fingers straight up in these situations.
10. Downward elbow strikes (“12 – 6”).
It is prohibited to use direct downward strikes with elbows in combat. Any other variation of elbow strikes is allowed, as long as the angle of attack changes.
11. Blows to the groin area.
Any attacks to the groin area are prohibited, including hitting, grabbing, twisting, or pinching. The ban applies to both men's and women's fights.
12. Kicks/knees on a prone opponent.
A fighter is considered to be lying down if any part of his body except one arm and the soles of his feet touches the floor. To be in a “lying” position, you need to lower two palms/fists, and/or any other part of the body to the floor. In this position of the enemy, strikes with knees and legs in general are not allowed.
13. Step on a prone opponent.
Attacks made with the foot from top to bottom on a prone opponent are prohibited. Similar blows to the opponent’s feet during a stance are allowed. As soon as the enemy moves into the “lying down” position, it is forbidden to step on him.
14. Hold onto your opponent's gloves or shorts.
A fighter is not allowed to control his opponent's movements by holding his gloves or shorts. Holding on to your gloves and shorts is permitted.
15. Hold on to the cage or ropes using your fingers or toes.
The fighter is allowed to place his palms on the walls of the cage at any time to push away from it. The fighter is allowed to place his hands and feet on the walls of the cage so that his fingers pass through the material of the fence. It is prohibited to hold a position by grasping the fence with your fingers or toes. Holding on to the ring ropes in any form is prohibited. It is prohibited to deliberately step over the ropes. If a fighter is caught doing the above, the referee has the right to deduct one point from the culprit if his violation affects the fight. If a foul results in a fighter being in a dominant position, the referee must separate the fighters and place them in a neutral position.
16. Manipulations with “small” joints.
Fingers and toes are classified as “small” joints. Wrists, ankles, knees, shoulders and elbows are classified as “large”. It is allowed to grab the opponent only by the palm or foot, but not by individual fingers.
17. Throwing an opponent out of the ring or cage.
It is prohibited to intentionally throw an opponent out of the ring or cage.
18. Intentionally placing fingers into holes, cuts, or other wounds on an opponent's body.
Do not place your fingers into an open wound in an attempt to widen the cut. It is prohibited to place fingers in the nose, ears, mouth, or any other hole on the opponent's body.
19. Scratching, pinching, twisting the opponent's skin.
Any attack that scratches, stretches or twists the opponent's skin is prohibited.
20. Lack of activity (avoiding contact, regularly dropping the mouth guard, feigning injury).
Lack of activity occurs when a fighter deliberately avoids contact with or runs away from an opponent. Also, the referee has the right to punish a fighter if he is caught feigning injuries, violations on the part of the enemy, or deliberately spitting out a mouthguard, in other words, delaying the continuation of the fight.
21. Insulting the enemy during battle.
Insulting an opponent is unacceptable during an MMA fight. The referee's job is to determine what is said during the fight that crosses the acceptable line. Fighters are allowed to talk during the fight. Examples of unacceptable communication include disparaging and criticizing an opponent's race.
22. Blatant disregard for referee instructions.
The fighter must comply with the referee's instructions under all circumstances. Any deviation to the side may result in disqualification or deduction of points from the fighter.
23. Unsportsmanlike conduct resulting in injury to an opponent.
Each fighter is expected to represent the sport in a positive light by demonstrating sportsmanship and humility. Any athlete who disregards the rules of the sport and tries to cause unnecessary damage to his opponent after the end of the match is exhibiting unsportsmanlike behavior.
24. Attack of the opponent after the signal to end the fight.
The end of the match is indicated by a sound signal and the intervention of the referee. Once the referee has signaled the end of the fight, any aggressive actions by the fighter towards the opponent are unacceptable.
25. Attack of the enemy during a break.
The fighter must not make contact with the opponent during the break.
26. Attack of an opponent under the protection of the referee.
Once the referee has signaled the end of the bout and has locked down a fighter unable to continue, his opponent must immediately stop attacking.
27. Interference from the fighter’s corner.
Unacceptable interference is considered to be any action that interrupts the fight in any way or gives one of the fighters an unfair advantage. Corners are prohibited from distracting the referee or influencing his actions in any way.
The article was prepared by Andrey Korolev.
Each of their MMA fighters has signature moves that it won’t hurt you to know. 10 most dangerous and brutal techniques in MMA.
Each fighter has his own deadly signature weapon, which he uses in battle. 10 most dangerous and brutal techniques in MMA.
Ask any fan what they think is the most important factor in MMA and 99% of the time you will hear "well-roundedness." Wrestlers, boxers, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialists train side by side every day to exchange experiences and gain valuable skills. None of the current fighters focus on any one discipline.
Mixed martial arts continues to develop, which gives us the opportunity to watch competitive fights of different styles. However, not many fighters can achieve real success even in one discipline, and it is even rarer to master this or that technique so well that with the help of just one technique they can turn the tide of the fight.
Dan Henderson often uses his sharp right hand, which often brings him an early victory, Anderson Silva knows very well that the Thai clinch will be fatal for his opponents, but it can be something more, something intangible, like Frankie's character Edgar.
Almost every fighter has something special, his own business card, their signature weapon, which they use in battles. In this article we will look at the 10 most dangerous, in our opinion, techniques in mixed martial arts.
10. Jiu-Jitsu BJ Penna
Former lightweight king BJ Penn began studying jiu-jitsu under the tutelage of Ralph Gracie and Andre Pederneires, upon completion of the course, “Prodigy” received a black belt. The Hawaiian successfully transferred his skills to MMA, where for a long time was deservedly considered the best fighter representing Brazilian jiu-jitsu. However, as time went on, Penn increasingly preferred to box rather than look for the key to victory on the ground, which sometimes did not work in his favor. Although it’s hard to criticize a fighter like BJ Penn for choosing the wrong strategy for the fight. However, it was on the ground that Prodiggi produced the most outstanding moments of his career.
Separately, we can note his excellent ability to control opponents from behind. The fighter’s fantastic flexibility, as well as his experience of competing in jiu-jitsu competitions, made it possible not only to move the fight to a horizontal plane, but also to hold the enemy there for a long time, who had a very difficult time in this position. During his MMA career, Penn finished his opponents with a rear naked choke 5 times, including victories over such fighters as Kenny Florian, Matt Hughes, Joe Stevenson, Takanori Gomi, Jens Pulver.
9. Frankie Edgar's character
Frankie Edgar can hardly be called a spectacular fighter and at first glance, the presence of this fighter on this list is strange, but in the last two fights against Gray Maynard, “The Answer” proves the opposite. Twice in 2011, Frankie was on the verge of a crushing defeat, but both times the champion pulled out fights on character alone.
At the UFC125 tournament in early 2011, Gray Maynard managed to catch Edgar's chin with a left hook, which knocked the latter down, and subsequent finishing moves seemed about to end Frankie Edgar's championship, but the champion survived and, moreover, managed to recover as if he had been the first there was no round. In the next four rounds, “Answer” did everything possible, but taking into account the first round, one could not count on victory. The outcome of the match is a draw.
Ten months later, at UFC136, viewers could experience déjà vu when Maynard again found Edgar's jaw and was again unable to finish the fight. However, this time Frankie Edgar did not bother the judges in making a decision and knocked out his opponent in the fourth round. Critics who once doubted Frankie Edager would succeed great success lightweight, fell silent and now praise him for his courage and determination.
8. Rubber Guard Shinya Aoki
Those who have seen the fights of current DREAM lightweight champion Shinya Aoki have already jumped off the couch more than once when the Japanese did incredible things while lying on his back on the ground. Indeed, today Shinya Aoki is one of the few fighters who can control the fight while on his back. Against the “no-strike” Shinya Aoki, anyone, even the most high-class striker, can go into survival mode, finding themselves in the guard of a Japanese fighter, which is so easy to get into, but almost impossible to get out of. Aoki's unnatural flexibility allows him to be the aggressor from positions where most fighters would feel trapped.
Over the course of his career, Aoki has forced his opponents to tap out 19 times as a sign of submission and has established himself as a very aggressive fighter who can go to extreme measures in some cases.
7. Marlon Sandro Uppercut
Perhaps none of the 23 fights will so clearly show the danger that the right uppercut of the Brazilian fighter carries with it as his fight with Masanori Kanehara. If you haven't seen this fight, be sure to watch it, it will only take 38 seconds of your time. That’s exactly how long it took for the “Monster from Rio” to literally “stick” his opponent’s face into the floor and simultaneously win the Sengoku featherweight champion title. It is not difficult to appreciate the charge that this uppercut carried, because the ex-champion was never able to leave the ring on his own; a stretcher was required for this. And even before that, Kanehara had only been knocked out once.
In addition, we can’t help but mention the nine-second fight with Tomonari Kanomato and the 19-second fight with Nick Denis.
6. Heel twist performed by Husimar Palhares
In fairness, it is worth noting that the heel twist is just one of the leg lock variations that are so beloved by Brazilian middleweight Husimar Palhares. The Brazilian won 9 of his 13 victories with painful holds, 5 of which were heel twists.
However, Palhares can hardly be called a mentally stable person, which makes his pain even more terrible, as the Polish fighter Tomasz Dwoll learned from his own experience, whose leg Palhares captured in just 45 seconds. Realizing that his leg was in a trap, the Pole, without thinking twice, knocked as a sign of surrender, but Palhares did not even think about relaxing the grip, until the referee intervened, for which he was fined by the athletic commission.
Getting out of Palhares' locks is really difficult, as his track record shows, so to avoid injury, you can resort to the Nate Marquardt method and use some kind of lube to slip out of the trap. However, this is more of a joke. And Palhares himself, whatever one may say, poses a threat to any fighter in the division.
5. Georges St-Pierre Takedowns
UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre's tactics are increasingly being criticized, but no one would dare say they are ineffective. The GSP fight most often has approximately the following pattern - a takedown, a lot of takedowns, a lot of takedowns and a victory by decision at the end. However, from a technical point of view, such tactics are actually flawless. What makes the Canadian's takedowns so effective? Physical strength, excellent sense of distance, timing, lightning-fast reaction? The champion himself has repeatedly expressed a desire to participate in Olympic Games. Although this remains just a dream, and it is unlikely that we will ever be able to see St. Pierre fight with an Olympic-level wrestler, one way or another, most of GSP’s opponents spend the entire fight lying on their back, looking expectantly at the ceiling.
Whether the welterweight king will be able to come back the same after a serious injury is a question that the next challenger can answer, but for now, JSP takedowns take 5th place on our list.
4. "Hydrogen Bomb" by Dan Henderson
What the 41-year-old fighter's right arm is made of is anyone's guess, but whatever it is, it's the stuff legends are made of. It was this right hand that knocked out Wanderlei Silva, it was the one that put Briton Michael Bisping to sleep, it was the worst dream of ex-Strikeforce champion Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante, it was the hand that dropped Mauricio Shogun and, finally, it was the one that Fedor Emelianenko stumbled upon.
A reinforced concrete chin and excellent wrestling are also undeniable qualities of Dan Henderson, but it is the right hand, which fans call the “Hydrogen Bomb”, that is the fighter’s calling card.
After an epic showdown with "Shogun", Dan Henderson has a claim on title fight with Jon Jones. No matter how impressive Jones is, don't count out Dan Henderson, because when an American steps into the cage, there's always a chance of a knockout.
3. Body work by Nick Diaz
Nick Diaz has long been known as one of the best strikers in the sport, and his body work is key. It is also worth noting the efficiency with which the ex-Strikeforce champion works: in his last battle against BJ Penn, Diaz attacked the Hawaiian's body 67 times. 76% of Diaz's accented punches hit the target, 89% of jabs also had the honor of touching the body of the legendary fighter.
Diaz skillfully uses his superiority in boxing, delivering crushing blows to the body, which are followed by lightning-fast series to the head, and combined with the amazing endurance that Diaz tempers in triathlon competitions and a well-deserved black belt in jiu-jitsu, makes Diaz one of the most dangerous fighters in the welterweight division.
2. Jon Jones' Elbows from Hell
Jon Jones officially showed off his main weapon at The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale, but Jones' performance was marred by a disqualification for using illegal elbows (the so-called "12 to 6 elbows") against Matt Hamill.
Unfortunately for Jones' future opponents, he was not discouraged by the loss and has not stopped using his elbows to this day. Brandon Vera won't soon forget the punches that broke the Filipino fighter's facial bone in three places, forcing him to receive a metal implant. Belarusian Vladimir Matyushenko also suffered a lot from “Bones”, when the latter rained down blow after blow, which led to the fight being stopped.
The most striking demonstration of Jones' elbows can be considered his fight with Lyoto Machida. In the first round, thanks to the outstanding technique of the Japanese-Brazilian fighter, Jones seemed to be powerless. However, just one elbow strike in the second round was enough to turn the tide of the fight.
Silva even published a book in which he describes the effectiveness of the Thai clinch, but it is not at all necessary to study the literary works of the champion, but just look at his second fight in the Octagon to appreciate the hurricane power that his knees carry.
At the time of the fight, Rich Franklin was the most prominent middleweight, the former teacher riding an eight-fight winning streak. But after Spider's hands closed in a lock on the back of Franklin's head, it became clear that winning streak the champion is about to end. Silva landed a series of knees with amazing precision and power that dropped the champion. The rematch took place less than a year later in hometown Franklin and no one doubted that the ex-champion would approach this fight super motivated and in excellent shape, but it turned out that all efforts were in vain - already in the second round Franklin was again on the floor.
Anderson Silva has continued to surprise us with some incredible things over the years, such as his front kick against Vitor Belfort at UFC126, but no one would argue that the Thai clinch is the fighter's greatest strength.
This article will describe the basic strikes used by most mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters. As you know, the MMA rules do not clearly define what blows a fighter can use during a fight. After all, initially there were “Fightings without rules”, where fighters of completely different styles fought. Boxers and karatekas, wrestlers and others fought there. But over time, this sport gained momentum and through many years of practice and real battles from all the arsenals of various martial arts, the most universal and effective techniques began to stand out.
Therefore, the punches described below are not the only ones possible in MMA, but they are the most effective.
Punching technique in MMA is a symbiosis (mixture) of boxing, kickboxing and Thai boxing.
1. Jab- in Russia such a strike is called “Direct strike with the left hand” or simply “Straight left”. The classic and most frequently thrown punch in boxing. Due to physiological limitations, the straight left is not a strong blow, but this blow has quite a high speed, therefore most often used for tactical and technical combinations.
2. Cross- "Direct hit" right hand" or "Straight right". Also a boxing technique. Very swipe and, as a rule, with an accurate and sharp hit in the jaw, it knocks out the enemy. In most combinations, this blow is the “ultimate” one and maximum force is put into it.
3. Hook- “Side kick with the left (and right).” Classical technique boxing With the proper skill and technique, this blow has great power and is capable of knocking out an opponent (or knockdown). This strike is very effective in combination. This is due to the fact that a single side impact is very easy to notice, and therefore, you can easily defend against it. The side kick is especially effective when the opponent defends himself with the support of his arms from direct blows. By putting your hands in front of you, protecting your face from a direct blow, the enemy’s head and body remain open (on the sides), which allows you to efficiently use a side blow.
4. Uppercut- “Left (right) strike from below.” Boxing classic. An uppercut does not have the same impact power as a direct and side cut, but there are often cases when after this blow the opponent is knocked out. This blow is very effective, but, as a rule, only for short distance. In addition, the uppercut is quite difficult to defend against, especially when it is applied in a quick combination.
5. Backfist- in Russia, most often this blow is also called the “Backfist”, but sometimes it is also called the “Unwinding blow”. This punch came to MMA from kickboxing. And in kickboxing, this blow, according to legend, came from karate. Extremely a strong beat. Often this blow is unexpected, due to the fact that it is extremely rarely used by athletes and defenses against it are often not developed. But for all its advantages, this blow is technically very difficult. When an athlete delivers this blow, the rotation of his body around its axis reaches 360 degrees and at a certain moment the athlete does not even see his opponent. Therefore, “getting” the enemy with this blow and accurately hitting the right point is very problematic. However, despite all the complexity, some athletes use this blow very successfully (for example, Alexander Shlemenko).
6. Hammerfist- that’s what they call “Hammerfist” (hammer translated into Russian as “hammer”). It is not known for certain where this blow came from, but in theory such blows are often used in karate. The Hammerfist is applied with the hand either from top to bottom or from the side and almost always to the head. This blow cannot be used in a standing position; most often it is used on the ground. With proper skill, this blow can knock out your opponent. This blow was often used by the legendary Fedor Emelianenko.
7. Elbow- we call it “Elbow Strike”. It is a classic of Thai boxing. A very powerful blow, when hit sharply in the head, it knocks out the opponent (knockdown). The place where we deliver this blow has high rigidity and a specific shape. Therefore, almost every successful elbow strike to the face leads to a cut in the skin on the face. Because of this, in boxing an elbow strike is a prohibited technique and is used, as a rule, by “dirty” boxers with the aim of cutting the skin on the opponent’s face. However, in MMA this blow is not prohibited and is successfully used by many fighters both standing and on the ground.