What strategies do Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor need for victory at UFC 229?

This is it. The fight that everyone’s been clamoring for. Ever since Conor McGregor went haywire and threw a dolly through a bus window, the masses have been waiting to see a confrontation with his rival, UFC Lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. Both men have built up animosity that makes this match far more compelling than a battle between two respectful professionals. There’s bad blood here, the kind that seems to be infectious as both fighter’s camps and loyal fans are frothing at the mouth in support of either Nurmagomedov or McGregor.

UFC 229 is being billed as the biggest fight in the organizations history and with good reason. Khabib Nurmagomedov has been a wrecking machine ever since joining the promotion back in 2012. Conor McGregor has taken the MMA world by storm with his devastating knockout finishes. Both men are 30 years of age and in the prime of their lives and now they get to settle their differences inside the world famous Octagon. By how do they get the job done? What strategies should they use heading into this historic event? Here’s some approaches both men should take heading into this fight.

Khabib Nurmagomedov: Style

If there is one word to describe the style of Khabib Nurmagomedov, relentless would sum things up nicely. The man doesn’t take half steps and is always looking to stay in an opponent’s face from the sound of the bell. Coming from a wrestling heavy, combat sambo background, Nurmagomedov is always looking to get his hands around his opposition and drag them to the ground where he can proceed to put a thrashing on them with punches and elbows.

For the entirety of his career, Nurmagomedov has worked with an “ain’t broke, don’t fix it” kind of approach. Rather than look to completely change his game in favor of becoming a striking wizard, Nurmagomedov sticks to what works for him, which is pushing the pace and coming forward with aggressive, and sometimes, reckless abandon.

Khabib Nurmagomedov: Proposed Strategy

While you could say Nurmagomedov’s best option is getting things to the ground, it’s all about the approach where this fight is concerned. Nurmagomedov must mask his takedown entries or risk getting countered on the way in. He’ll have to feint with takedowns and the jab before closing distance on McGregor. Once he’s in a clinching position he’ll have to look to stay in close and chain his takedowns together, preferably from a body lock where he can either take the back or drop down for a double or single leg takedown.

Normally Nurmagomedov’s approach would be to coral his opponent to the cage and shoot in for a take down. He’ll have to decide which side to come in from as McGregor’s takedown awareness is truly impressive. Getting on the outside of McGregor’s right leg will be great for double leg takedowns. While single leg takedown at distance could force tie-ups.

Ultimately though, a good approach for Nurmagomedov here is to have McGregor lead the dance a bit. Utilize some in and out movement, force McGregor to bite on something then immediately engage in wrestling. In order to do that he’ll have to get McGregor to move forward, utilize his jab to create space then circle around to an angle to allow for solid double leg takedown entry.

Pressuring McGregor with fake and feints will be paramount for Nurmagomedov as well. As soon as he can get McGregor’s back to the cage, Nurmagomedov should unleash with combinations and move in for the takedown, chaining techniques together until he can floor his opponent.

Conor McGregor: Style

On the flip side, if there is one word to describe the style of Conor McGregor it would be precision. There was a time where many believed that McGregor was overrated, a fighter who simply came forward throwing whatever strikes he wanted until landing his left hand and sealing the deal. While that isn’t the case at all, McGregor has fallen pray to throwing techniques for the sake of flash rather than substance. That all changed after his only loss inside the Octagon against Nate Diaz. Since then, we’ve seen McGregor stick to a game plan and remain composed looking for sharp counters and pinpoint shots.

McGregor is keen to stand his ground in front of an opponent, particularly one who likes to charge forward. His in and out movement helps him to pick his shots while avoiding return fire from his opposition, but it’s his willingness to meet his opponent with a solid counter shot that truly makes him so dangerous.

Conor Mcgregor: Proposed Strategy

While conventional wisdom would be that Conor McGregor should avoiding a kicking based approach in this fight, it’s exactly one of the tools that could help carry him to victory. As an aggressive counter puncher, McGregor is going to want to hold the center of the cage while throwing pot shots in order for Nurmagomedov to walk right into a counter. Since Nurmagomedov likes to pressure as well, distance management is going to be key for McGregor.

Enter the front and low line side kick.

Both of these kicking attacks will be great for McGregor as they can maintain distance as well as do some serious damage to Nurmagomedov’s mobility. McGregor has used the low line side kick in the past to keep orthodox opponents from rushing in on him. The front kicks look to be his go to move when fighting orthodox, wrestling based opponents. A focused body attack could be the ticket to victory for McGregor as head hunting could open him up to a takedown.

McGregor has also done well to use frames in order to both sense when he can be aggressive and move forward with punches or when his opponents are ready to shoot in for a takedown.

It’s imperative that McGregor controls both Nurmagomedov’s front leg with low side kicks and frames up top to keep the champion stationary or moving backwards.

X Factors

If Khabib Nurmagomedov does get a hold of McGregor he’ll have to be sure to keep the pressure high and be relentless. One failed takedown doesn’t mean the end of his offense but only the beginning. Though wild exchanges can be dangerous with McGregor it’s imperative for the champion to keep the momentum once it shifts in his favor.

For Conor McGregor, if his distance is penetrated and Nurmagomedov does get a hold of him, wrist control should be the first thing on his mind as well as turning his opponent. The more McGregor can get Nurmagomedov turning, the less success the wrestler will have with his takedowns.

Who do you think leaves the Octagon Lightweight champion at UFC 229?

For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The post UFC 229 Strategy Guide: Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Conor McGregor, Aggression vs Precision appeared first on Generation Iron Fitness & Strength Sports Network.

The co-main event between Tony Ferguson and Anthony Pettis is destined for greatness.

As far as the promotion has been concerned, UFC 229 features only one bout on the card and that’s the match up between UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and former double champ Conor McGregor. Yes, it potentially could be the biggest fight in UFC history as far as the numbers are concerned, but let’s not forget that there are some other matches on the card that not only pack the same dynamic punch in terms of entertainment value, but is nearly as important as the main event. Namely, Tony Ferguson versus Anthony Pettis has the makings of what could be the fight of the night.

How do these two match up and what strategies should they employ? Take a look below to find out.

Tony Ferguson

It wasn’t too long ago that Tony Ferguson was considered the UFC Interim Lightweight champion, winning the belt against Kevin Lee at UFC 216. Ferguson utilized a different game plan in his last bout, being taken down by the powerful wrestler. Ferguson would go on to submit Lee with a triangle in the second frame showcasing his submission ability off of his back. But make no mistake, Tony Ferguson is all about mixing things up constantly to keep his opponents guessing.

The Rafael dos Anjos match highlighted a number of things about Tony Ferguson. Firstly, his work ethic is on a whole different level. He has a willingness to throw himself into the fire and stay in his opponent’s face, all the while draining away at their confidence and gas tank in equal measure.

Tony Ferguson Strategy

It’s no secret what Tony Ferguson is going to aim to do in this fight. Taking a similar approach to his battle with Edson Barboza, Ferguson shouldn’t allow Anthony Pettis any room to throw his devastating kicks. Switching from boxing to a front kick game will allow Ferguson to close more distance and take away the range from Pettis.

Ferguson should aim to push forward with jabs and create controlled chaos, switching from traditional takedowns to submission attempts with regularity.

Pettis is also dangerous at boxing range, so staying in clinching range and throwing some tight elbows will also be a great strategy to lean on.

When he does get Pettis to the ground, Ferguson should opt for control rather than spamming submission attempts as the former Lightweight champion is very proficient in scrambles.

Anthony Pettis

Once considered the most dangerous Lightweight on the planet, Anthony Pettis has had a rough go of it since losing his title to Rafael dos Anjos. Since then he’s lost some tough bouts with Eddie Alvarez, Max Holloway, and Dustin Poirier, all of them top flight competition. Yet despite that fact, Pettis has also performed well against battle tested veteran Jim Miller and most recently Michael Chiesa.

The Chiesa bout in particular was impressive because of two reasons. For one, we saw some pretty solid takedown defense out of Pettis as well as willingness to strike despite the wrestling threat, something he’s shied away from since losing his belt to Rafael dos Anjos. We also saw the return of his continuous submission attack which opened up opportunities for Pettis to return to his feet. In recent years he was so concerned with getting back to his feet that he forgot about his offense from the bottom. The match with Chiesa showed that Pettis’ killer instinct had returned both on the feet and on the ground.

Anthony Pettis Strategy

The camp of Anthony Pettis has to know what Tony Ferguson is likely to attempt. Pettis will want to keep the fight at kicking range, but Ferguson will likely look to create chaos and put the former champion on the backfoot. Side to side movement and straight counter punching should be a priority for Pettis in this bout.

Pettis should also look to constantly attack the body before coming up top with a high amplitude attack.

If the fight should hit the ground, Pettis can’t allow himself to settle on the bottom and should be looking for constant submission to either get him back to his feet or potentially finish the fight during a takedown attempt or wrestling transition.

Who do you think wins the UFC 229 main event?

For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The post UFC 229 Strategy Guide: Tony Ferguson vs Anthony Pettis Will be an Absolute War appeared first on Generation Iron Fitness & Strength Sports Network.

Deontay Wilder has a tall task in facing fellow undefeated boxer Luis Ortiz.

This weekend, WBC Heavyweight  Champion Deontay Wilder (39-0; 38 KOs) will defend his title against Luis Ortiz (28-0; 24 KOs). Both fighters are ranked highly on the Ring Magazine Pound For Pound list, and most everyone agrees that this fight will be a thriller.

Wilder, age 32, captured the WBC belt in a 2015. In his run up to the title, he had a spectacular 100% KO rate- although against mediocre competition. In Wilder’s fight for the belt, Bermane Stiverne took him to the final bell, but lost the decision. From that point on, Wilder has resumed his finishing ways with 6 title defense all won by KO.

Wilder is avidly campaigning for a fight with Anthony Joshua, which would decide the #1 heavyweight in the world. Recently he has been frustrated with with fights against both Ortiz and Alexander Povetkin being cancelled due to their failed drug tests.

Luis “King Kong” Ortiz, age 38, has only been a pro since 2010, and has had spells of inactivity since then. He is experience southpaw a huge power puncher who knows how to finish.

This fight will likely turn out to be an excellent heavyweight contest. Both men are skilled, with knockout power and undefeated records. Each will probably start out tentative, but once they’ve tasted each other’s power, the confidence of mutual undefeated records will likely kick in and initiate the fireworks. Ortiz is a southpaw which could pose problems for Wilder who swings almost comically wide and sloppy punches. Even so- he always comes in well-prepared for his opponent’s skill-set, and carries an intent to finish that is otherwise unseen at heavyweight. Expect Wilder to achieve a knockout in the later rounds.

Wilder’s next fight will likely be against either Anthony Joshua or Tyson Fury- in either case a true heavyweight superfight. This is a great chance for Wilder to make a statement and for fans to get familiar before the drama of a superfight build-up.

Wilder Vs Ortiz will take place this Saturday, March 3 live on Showtime with a fight time of 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT.

For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The post Deontay Wilder Looks To Make A Statement Against Luis Ortiz appeared first on Generation Iron Fitness & Strength Sports Network.

This is a flyweight fight that you shouldn’t miss.

Of all the fights on this card, the match up between Henry Cejudo and Sergio Pettis may be the most intriguing. Two gifted athletes who have gone through some drastic changes in their styles in ironically opposite ways. Cejudo was the wrestling genius with solid basic boxing and Muay Thai skills. Pettis was the dynamic technical striker with great grappling fundamentals. Now we’ve seen Cejudo polish his striking to an extremely high level while Pettis has added solid wrestling to his already well rounded game. This fight likely decides who will get a crack at the flyweight title in the near future. So what strategies would I offer to each fighter were I in their corner? Let’s dive in and take a look.

Henry Cejudo may have lost back to back fights to champion Demetrious Johnson (emphatically) and top contender Joseph Benavidez (controversial), yet a dominant win over Wilson Reis showcased that the Olympic gold medalist has the capacity and room to grow into a true title threat. The movement on display in the Reis fight showed that Cejudo was willing to expand on his game and play more of an in and out karate game. At this stage of MMA, denying that karate doesn’t have a place is foolhardy. Cejudo demonstrated just how helpful the timing and distance control of karate can be in a cage match. His counter right hand that knocked out Wilson Reis was the perfect display of karate’s tai no sen (attacking just as your opponent comes forward for their own attack).

What Cejudo will want to do in this match is utilize his newfound karate skills to support his wrestling game. While his striking may have improved drastically, he can’t forget that he has a massive edge in the wrestling department against most every opponent he will face in the cage. The distance control and timing will allow him to pick opportunities to either shift back and explode forward with either a punch or a takedown.

While Pettis may have improved his wrestling, Cejudo is a beast on the mat. Should his takedowns fail to bear fruit, Cejudo can opt to play an aggressive counter puncher game to force tie ups. While his counters against Reis were impressive and the highlight of his striking performance in that match, Henry Cejudo still remains an aggressive fighter who likes to force his opponents into his kind of fight. Walking down Pettis to take away his kicks, springing out of range and entering back into the pocket with strikes will be a great approach for Cejudo to remain aggressive while at the same time avoiding danger and forcing his opponent to make mistakes.

On the other side of the equation we have Sergio Pettis who is coming into his own at flyweight. Being the young brother of Anthony Pettis, fans had expected a high flying and dynamic style from Sergio. But the younger Pettis brother has more of a technical approach to his game relying on perfect placement rather than flash. While he does take damage on occasion, Pettis always has his feet set in the perfect place to punch, usually opting to hop back and shift forward with a counter right hand or kick.

This isn’t necessarily the kind of game he’ll want to employ with Cejudo however as the wrestler has some serious power and a granite chin, clearly a man who will take one to give one. So Pettis should look to take a similar approach to that of his battle with Brandon Moreno. Playing the outside game with some timely jabs and crosses to control distance will do nicely followed by his lighting fast kicks.

Pettis should be in no rush to move forward on Cejudo as a counter game will suit his needs far more adequately. Front kicks are a great tool to keep Cejudo on the outside and stop him from rushing in. Should the fight hit the ground, Pettis should waste no time attacking from his back, preferably with the triangle in order to create a sweep or scramble to get back to his feet.

Which flyweight makes their case for a title shot?

Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.

Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.

The post UFC 218: Henry Cejudo and Sergio Pettis Face Off In A Match With Major Title Implications appeared first on Generation Iron Fitness & Strength Sports Network.

This should be a fun one to watch.

In a match up of well rounded strikers, Tecia Torres versus Michelle Waterson is traditional martial arts enthusiasts dream. Both come from traditional martial arts backgrounds, Torres from taekwondo and Waterson from karate. As such, both women utilize similar approaches in their striking style. With the strawweight division wide open after the shocking defeat of Joanna Jedrzejczyk, it’s a free for all to see who can get into title contention.

Tecia Torres can do it all. If she feels like your striking is too unpredictable she’ll take you down to the mat. If your ground game is rock solid, she’ll stop the takedown and force her opponents to engage in a stand up fight. Whatever the circumstance, Torres is well versed in the striking and grappling department giving her a nice edge on most of the opponents she’s faced in her career.

The biggest issues Torres has faced in the past is her height. While being shorter allows her to get in on the legs for a takedown far easier, when at a reach disadvantage on the feet she could be prone to eating jabs. This rang true in her bout with new champ Rose Namajunas. To ensure a repeat of events doesn’t come to pass, Torres should look to use her speed advantage, throwing combination punches to set up kicks. Should Waterson fight in her more traditional side stance then Torres should look to hammer home powerful leg kicks.

If Waterson chooses more of a traditional kickboxing approach, left hooks to takedowns should be mixed in with her kick heavy attack. If Waterson overextends her self during her side kicking attack, Torres should look to get to the back where she can drag the fight to the ground.

“The Karate Hottie” made a huge splash when she entered the UFC knocking off her first two opponents in dominant fashion. That is until she ran into Rose Namajunas. Michelle Waterson got herself into trouble in that match by virtue of her love for the head and arm throw, a technique that has great reward if pulled off but a low success rate. Her decision making ability will have to be on point in this match up as her opponent is capable of switching gears if necessary.

Waterson like Torres does her best work at distance. Where Torres has more of a tendency to barrel straight forward her opponents with punches, Waterson creates angles beautifully before, during and after combinations.

Michelle Waterson should look to lead the dance with feints and fakes before leaning back with a check left hook. Since Torres has a tendency to hold her head high when throwing punch combinations, Waterson should aim to throw her right hand in the pocket only as an invitation for her opponent to come forward and engage. When “The Tiny Tornado” does come forward, Waterson’s check hook will work nicely as either a damaging shot or something to keep Torres at bay. Waterson can also switch to a left body or head kick to add variety.

Should she choose to fight in her southpaw stance, Waterson can attack utilizing her wide array of kicks, particularly the side kick to right hand combination that. In order for the attack to be effective, she’ll have to be light on her feet and quick recover.

It’s a battle between two of the most talented female strikers out there. Who will get the victory?

Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.

Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.

The post UFC 218 Breakdown: Tecia Torres Battles Michelle Waterson For Major Title Implications appeared first on Generation Iron Fitness & Strength Sports Network.

Can the former champion take out the dark horse of the division?

Coming off of the post fight high of UFC 217, one of the best fight cards in recent memory, it was easy to forget that another major fight card was on the horizon this week. But when you see the names Poirier and Pettis, it’s hard not to get immediately excited about the potential fireworks this match up will offer. Of all my years following the sport, I didn’t realize that I wanted this fight so badly. Dustin Poirier has the means to put anyone away with the raw power in his hands and his underrated grappling. Anthony Pettis has destroyed some of the best in the world with some well placed kicks and devastating submission game. Save for punching and kicking, these two mirror each other a great deal. Now we get to see the two square off at UFC Fight Night 120.

The Louisiana native was riding high since returning to the lightweight division, taking out tough competition which included Joe Duffy and Bobby Green. Then he ran into Michael Johnson and things came crumbling down. Such is the fate of any fighter in the lightweight division where anyone can be the victor on any given night. But Poirier bounced back with a battle with Jim Miller before getting an unfortunate no contest in his bout with Eddie Alvarez. Both matches saw Poirier use his trademark power on the feet to truly frustrate and hurt the opposition. Poirier’s counters in particular were truly devastating for his opponents.

In his fight against Pettis, Poirier should be looking to follow a similar game plan to that of the Duffy fight. Should Pettis decide to fight from open stance, inside leg kicks will do well to slow down the former champ’s movement and keep him in place long enough for a combination with the hands. But rather than insist on battling it out at boxing distance, Poirier should instead look to do most of his work in close. The clinch and dirty boxing are two areas in which Poirier’s powerful hands will give him the edge.

Wrestling should also be a key strategy to rely on. Poirier can set up a double leg takedown with strong left hands. Should the takedown fail and he gets Pettis to the fence, he can readjust and attack with strikes in the clinch or drop down to another takedown. Since Pettis has a tendency to find his back against the cage often, this should be a priority for Poirier.

Dustin Poirier also has an underrated ground game and is absolutely devastating when in top position. His ground and pound is vicious and could likely lead to either a scramble from Pettis which opens up submissions, particularly the D’Arce choke, Poirier’s favorite, should the former lightweight champion try to wrestle his way back up to his feet. Poirier will want to trap Pettis against the fence so he’ll be out of submission danger and free to rain down elbows like he did against Duffy at UFC 195.

Like Poirier, Anthony Pettis was riding a huge wave of success when first entering the UFC. He battled his way back from adversity since his bout with Clay Guida to absolutely destroy every fighter that stood before him. His knockout of Joe Lauzon still sits as one of the most devastating head kick knockouts in the sport’s history.

An all action fighter with tons of flash and flare, Pettis should choose to stick with bread and butter basics. The Lauzon KO, as with most of Pettis’ wins, was set up by laying traps for his opposition to walk right into. Fighting from open stance will give Pettis the opportunity to land devastating back leg round kicks from distance. Targeting the legs and body should be the main focus of his attack from the first bell.

Once he gets his man thinking, Pettis can start laying the foundations for a devastating head kick as seen above. Each kick should be set up with either a jab or more preferably a cross. The cross will force Poirier to either cover up, move away and close distance with a counter, or slip and counter with an overhand left. All options leave his body open to punishment and if Pettis is fleet of foot could have Poirier walking right into a devastating kick to the body. Once the hands start dropping the head will open up. Once he has Poirier flinching, a little creativity here and there could allow Pettis to land something devastating.

Should the fight hit the mat, Pettis can’t hesitate to attack from his back. If he settles in the position and gives Poirier the opportunity to set up ground and pound he could find himself in a world of hurt. But Pettis has a ton of options from his back. With an attacking guard, Pettis wrested the lightweight title from Benson Henderson.

His transitional game can’t be ignored either as he’s caught some of the toughest fighters in the world in guillotine chokes evidenced by his win over Gilbert Melendez.

All and all this should make for a tremendous match up that will have both fighters digging into their tool kits. The more the fight remains in the pocket the better for Poirier. The more Pettis keeps the fight at distance and off the fence the greater the chance the former champion gets a victory here.

Who do you think wins at UFC Fight Night 120?

Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.

Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.

The post UFC Fight Night 120: To Get Back To The Title, Anthony Pettis Has To Get Past Dustin Poirier appeared first on Generation Iron Fitness & Strength Sports Network.

Cody Garbrandt and TJ Dillashaw have bad blood they will settle at UFC 217.

For many fans the battle between bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt and former champ TJ Dillashaw is the unofficial main event of UFC 217. No disrespect to the men involved in the main event but you just can’t beat a nice grudge match. These two men have trained with each other for years and the rift caused by TJ Dillashaw leaving Team Alpha Male has been well documented. Now Garbrandt and Dillashaw will get to face off in a feud that seems like it was cut straight out of the movies. Which of these two former training partners turned rivals will come out victorious? Well let’s breakdown what each fighter has to offer the other.

Cody Garbrandt showcased a tremendous amount of maturity in his title fight against the greatest bantamweight champion of all time, Dominick Cruz. In winning the belt, Garbrandt solidified himself as the elite of the elite, not just through utilizing his power, but his tremendous footwork and head movement as well. With his amateur boxing and wrestling experience buoying him, Garbrandt was able to catch Cruz on multiple occasions with thunderous power shots as well as with well timed takedowns when Cruz found himself out of position.

Those clips go a long way in showcasing Garbrandt’s ability to read situations and exploit them at a moments notice. He’ll need that awareness once again in this match up as TJ Dillashaw has far more concussive force in his shots than Cruz. Striking in the pocket will be Garbrandt’s best opportunity to win this fight as Dillashaw can sometimes find himself freezing after throwing combinations. While he doesn’t utilize as a jab very often, he’d be smart to do so in this match even if it’s only to set up leg kicks. Dillashaw likes to move laterally quite a lot, often times in a wider stance. A well placed leg or body kick as Dillashaw is moving one way or another will do well to shut down the former champs momentum. In the below clip Garbrandt lands a right body kick and defends the shot before once again getting on his bicycle. Once Cruz moves again to his left, Garbrandt slams a hard leg kick home.

Cody Garbrandt should also use his takedowns as a means of setting up his hands up top. If you allow Dillashaw to get comfortable in the striking realm then it will make it all the easier for the former champ to use his wrestling. Wrestling to get into the clinch then striking on the exit will pay major dividends. While Dillashaw may have more tools to utilize from what we’vr seen, Garbrandt holds the biggest X-factor in this match up with the power in both his left and right hands. When Dillashaw looks for his darting right hands and jabs, an overhand right or left hook will work beautifully as a counter. Even in his older fights you could see Garbrandt had great timing on his overhand right.

TJ Dillashaw has been increasingly harder to hit since he lost the title to Dominick Cruz. Dillashaw doesn’t stand in the pocket nearly as much as he used to. Instead of purely striking, Dillashaw now shoots for takedowns much more often. In his battle against bantamweight contender John Lineker, the former champ would set up his takedowns by feinting up top, then going for a low leg trip.

If Dillashaw wants to defeat the champion then he’s going to have to use all of his tools to force Garbandt to constantly think. He needs to force counters out of Garbrandt so that he can set up reactive takedowns off of hooks, the champ’s favored striking technique.

Dillashaw’s fight at UFC 200 saw him avenge his loss to Raphael Assuncao in a competitive match. What made him so potent in that rematch was the fact that he used in and out movement as well as aim for accuracy over power. While he may be shorter than Garbrandt, Dillashaw fights longer. Dillashaw loves his straight punches usually into kicks. He likes to mask a stutter step with a jab or cross before throwing a powerful high kick.

He should aim to change levels with this strike going from the legs to the head to the body and back again. If Garbrandt rolls too low he could run face first into a head kick. Another good strategy for Dillashaw would be to set up specific patterns and exploit Garbrandt’s reactions. “Isn’t that the point of fighting, genius?” I can hear the critics now. Well, Dillashaw likes to using a darting straight very similar in execution to Stephen Thompson’s own movements.

Performing this technique a few times then disengaging could bait Garbrant into following up his attack. From there, Dillashaw could shock Garbrandt with a one of those well timed reactive takedowns to change the complexion of the fight.

With so much bad blood between these two former training partners, there’s no way these two won’t be bringing some emotions with them into the cage. Whoever can stick to the game plan will no doubt come out the victor in this battle. Either way, I can’t wait.

Who walks away the bantamweight champion at UFC 217?

Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.

Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.

The post UFC 217: Cody Garbrandt vs TJ Dillashaw Will Be A Heated War Between Former Brothers-In-Arms appeared first on Generation Iron Fitness & Strength Sports Network.

This could be the best strawweight match up yet.

UFC 217 is just full of interesting match ups and this one is no exception. The more time I spent analyzing this match up, the more exciting it seems to get. Both Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Rose Namajunas are strong willed competitors with tremendous striking by acumen and attitudes to match. These women are two of the toughest people on the planet period and the pre-fight lead up exemplifies that fact perfectly. While Joanna has tried to get inside her opponent’s head or usual, Namajunas has been relatively unfazed, using the opportunity to instead discuss the dangers and sadness of mental health how she will use herself as a beacon to shine a light on such a serious issue. But when it’s all said and done this is a fight that has the possibility of being the most exciting women’s MMA bout ever.

Joanna Jedrzejczyk is what you would call a specialist. She’s not looking to take you to the ground and beat you up, she isn’t willing to put you into her guard and look for fight ending submission. Plan and simple, she just wants to beat her opposition up, all with a variety of strikes. Joanna has masterful striking, all of her blows stinging and precise. For the most part she will get bouts started by using her jab to judge distance and build a rhythm to work off of as the fight carries on. When she does decide to start ramping things up, Joanna will turn her jab into a feint to set up her left hook and right straight with beautiful accuracy.

As far as this fight is concerned, Joanna is going to want to stick to a similar game plan in this match up and utilize her jab to force reactions out of Namajunas. From there the champion would be smart to use her variety of kicks, specifically the front kicks and specifically after using a hand technique. Throwing the kick with no set up will allow Namajunas to counter which she is growing more and more adept at doing. The kicks can be dangerous as they could very well lead to takedowns, that’s why forcing Rose backwards is imperative in this match up. Putting Namajunas on the back foot allows for greater opportunities to land devastating kicks as she retreats while at the same time not allowing her to plant for a counter.

Look how Joanna follows up with a kick right after hurting Valerie Letourneau with the front kick. It’s a go to move for the champ and she should stick to using it in this fight. Leg kicks will pay dividends for Joanna as well as her beautiful elbows in the clinch. Both strategies will be imperative in this match.

In terms of which fighter is more dangerous, it’s hard to argue against Rose Namajunas and her proven finishing ability. Namajunas has a background in traditional striking arts and you can see that with her bouncy, wider stance as well as her own kicking game that has a great deal of variety. But her ground game in particular is where she seems to shine as she holds multiple submission victory over top flight competition. Three rear naked chokes and a flying arm bar are highlights on her record which suggest one thing: when she get the opportunity to put her opponent in a compromising position, don’t expect them to last much longer.

This fight is very winnable for Namajunas, but it’s going to require some patience and diligence. Namajunas likes to go where the fight takes her, but doing so could also leave her on autopilot. Instead, she’ll need to use her well rounded game to constantly keep Joanna guessing. Namajunas needs to use her own jab to dictate the distance as well as constant movement. Standing right in front of Joanna will simply give the champion too many opportunities to attack in flurries. That’s why utilizing her own jab will be an important tool to keep Joanna from opening up with too many strikes. Coupled with her in and out movement, Rose can use any forward aggression to her advantage.

When she does decide to plant, and this is a dangerous strategy, she should indeed look for Joanna to engage in flurries so Namajunas can use the opportunity to draw her foe into a striking exchange hopefully leading to a takedown. Mixing things up is imperative for Rose Namajunas to nab a victory here. Each round she has to employ a different focus to help throw Joanna off her intentions.

This is likely to be the most intense match up yet at strawweight. Both women have the capability to make this a technical chess match with Rose Namajunas potentially offering more of an unpredictable plan of attack and Joanna Jedrzejckz setting traps and capitalizing on small openings.

Who do you think wins this fight?

Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.

Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.

The post UFC 217: Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs Rose Namajunas Is The Wild Chess Match We Deserve appeared first on Generation Iron Fitness & Strength Sports Network.

Stephen Thompson and Jorge Masvidal is a great style clash.

UFC 217 has a triple decker of title fights featuring a legacy fight at middleweight, a grudge make at bantamweight, and an absolute war at strawweight. Despite all of that, the most anticipated fight for a certain striking fanatic is a battle in the welterweight division between two seasoned strikers as Stephen Thompson is set to do battle against Jorge Masvidal. While you would call this a match up against kickboxers, both men employ a very different style of attack. Where Masvidal has a mix of different striking disciplines in his toolkit, most prominently his crisp boxing, Thompson is a karate stylist with good boxing fundamentals of his own.

While his rematch with Tyron Woodley didn’t go his way, Stephen Thompson remains one of the most standout strikers in the welterweight division. He is able to dictate the pace of his fights by utilizing different fakes and feints that can throw an opponent off his scent until Thompson is ready to unleash a genuine strike. For the most part his feints come in the way of fake jabs, but his karate bounce, or set bounce, allows him to lull his opponents into a false sense of security or even anticipation that have them either standing frozen awaiting an explosive blitz from Thompson or lunging forward to be met with a counter.

What Stephen Thompson will want to do in this fight is what he’s always been proficient at doing in the striking realm: offering up variety. Obviously his trade mark side kick will make an appearance in this match, but he won’t want to rely on this technique. Lateral movement and quick angle changes should be his bread and butter in this match up. He doesn’t want to stay in one place too long to allow Masvidal opportunities to open up with his jabs. Instead, his shift through cross, or darting straight, from orthodox to southpaw should be a great weapon to either set up another cross or a side kick to exploit the new angle.

https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/SelfishExaltedCleanerwrasse

Primarily, Thompson should stick to the southpaw stance where he can control the range by trapping Masvidal’s front hand. That front hand control will allow for numerous different options from calf kicks to the straight left hand. Adding that set bounce will also act as a potent feint and throw Masvidal off of his timing. Masvidal does use a lot of other tools, but his jab and front hand feints play a hugely important role in setting up his offense. Thompson’s fight with Rory MacDonald showcased how dangerous the karate striker can be in an open stance battle.

via Gfycat

Jorge Masvidal is just one of those fighters who will always give his opponents problems. With a hardnosed attitude and the skills to back it up, Masvidal is generally pretty responsible when entering and exiting the pocket, using his jab as a multifaceted tool. When he’s not using the jab as a legit weapon, Masvidal can also use the front hand punch as a range finder as well as a beautiful feint to set up his right cross into the left hook. His finish of Donald Cerrone showcased his patience and economy in his striking while eventually leading him to hurt Cerrone on multiple occasions until ultimately seizing the finish.

Since he can’t rely on Thompson planting himself directly in front of him and trading leather, Jorge Masvidal is going to want to exploit the karate fighter’s wider stance and attack the calf with leg kicks. As soon as Thompson sets into a side stance then Masvidal should look for the leg kick immediately. Destroying Thompson’s wheels will go a long way to stopping his movement. Pressuring Thompson with continuous feints and jabs should also be a priority for Masvidal. Thompson has great cage/ring generalship, but can be forced into a bit of a firefight when his back is up against the fence. Masvidal should work the body and the legs while in the center of the cage while jabbing up top to push Thompson back or force him to move laterally.

Once Thompson moves, Masvidal has to be diligent about cutting off the cage, kicking the karate stylist’s legs while he’s on the retreat. This will not only slow down Thompson, but give Masvidal the opportunity to cut off his opponent and force him to trade when he stops his movement. Masvidal’s wrestling and clinch game shouldn’t be taken for granted either. If he can force Thompson into the clinch, Masvidal should let his elbows fly.

This should be a great striking match up, perhaps on par with the three title fights headlining this major event. Will it be the karate of Stephen Thompson or the diverse striking game of Jorge Masvidal that prevails?

Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.

Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.

The post UFC 217: Stephen Thompson vs Jorge Masvidal Will Be A Striker’s Delight appeared first on Generation Iron Fitness & Strength Sports Network.

Does Lyoto Machida have enough left in the tank to defeat the talented and dangerous Derek Brunson?

The time has finally come for me to once again nerd out over the karate stylings of a certain former light heavyweight champion. Lyoto Machida makes his return to the octagon against the dangerous Derek Brunson in a battle that will a major test for both fighters. While Brunson has remained active, Machida hasn’t fought in 28 months since his loss to Yoel Romero at UFC Fight Night 70. This fight will determine if Derek Brunson can take out a veteran and legend in the sport while it will also be a measuring stick to gauge where Lyoto Machida currently stands at this point in his career.

Ranked as the #7 middleweight in the UFC, Derek Brunson has established himself as a truly dangerous knock out artist. That may come as a surprise considering that his background lies in wrestling, but his knock out victories over Ed Herman, Sam Alvey, Roan Carneiro, and Uriah Hall speak for themselves. He’s able to generate a tremendous amount of force when pushing forward. Being a southpaw and having a wrestling background, it’s only natural that Brunson would be extremely explosive from the lefty stance as it’s a preferred position for most amateur wrestlers. That means being still in front of Brunson will spell certain doom as Daniel Kelly learned the hard way back at UFC Fight Night 110.

https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/ShinyAptIbizanhound

What Derek Brunson will want to do in this fight is stay busy while in the pocket with Machida. Staying at long range plays into the karate master’s style so it’s imperative that Brunson closes the distance. Inside leg kicks to overhand lefts should be a go to, but purely as a means of closing the gap for a takedown. While Brunson has the power to knockout Machida on the feet his best road to accomplishing this is by creating a bit of chaos and catching his foe in the transition. While he may not have gotten the nod against Anderson Silva back at UFC 208, Brunson had some success when he made things a bit chaotic.

https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/FatUnnaturalHare

Derek Brunson can’t afford to rush things against Machida. While he may be fast and powerful, Lyoto Machida’s game is all about using his opponent’s forward momentum against them. Brunson should look to utilize his jab for distance control, engage in wrestling exchanges for the sake of getting tie ups, then strike in the clinch before potentially dropping for another takedown. Crowding Machida and forcing him to the fence will also be beneficial as he did against Uriah Hall. With your back against the fence you have only two escape routes, either one leading into either a left or right hand.

https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/LikableSingleAsp

For Lyoto Machida fighting Brunson isn’t a scenario he’s unfamiliar with. A powerful wrestler with knock out power is something Machida has had to contend with since beginning his career. Time and again Machida has played the matador to his bull rushing foes and devastated them with beautiful counter strikes and counter wrestling. What makes his counter wrestling so impressive is the fact that Machida can get his hips away while constantly circling and pivoting away from his opponent which robs them of the chance to connect their hands for a strong grip. That sumo training has come in handy against many a wrestler.

https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/GiftedGraciousBlackbear

Being a karate based fighter, Machida has many tools that work in his favor against his opponents. For one, he should definitely want to work from both stances. Rather than sticking to the southpaw position, fighting from orthodox against Brunson will only enhance his distancing game. An open stance battle of southpaw versus orthodox means Machida will have to be mindful of Brunson’s explosive left straight, but that is something the karateka should be used to. In shotokan karate the holy grail of punching techniques all revolve around the kizami zuki or reverse punch, which is pretty much the cousin of the boxing straight cross. Machida has already demonstrated a great deal of power from his orthodox stance in the past as well, his match against Ryan Bader at light heavyweight demonstrating that fact perfectly. Bader rushed forward much in the same way that Brunson has in the past and paid the price for his impatience.

https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/CreamyRemoteKakapo

Front kicks are going to be key in this fight for Machida. Not only will it keep Brunson at distance, but it will also zap the wrestler’s gas tank. Machida’s counter knee should also be a key weapon when Brunson chooses to level change.

https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/CookedSentimentalKronosaurus

Pot shots should be used from the southpaw position to potentially frustrate his opponent while fakes and feints from orthodox position could lure Brunson into a hard counter. The feint into the rear round kick from orthodox position potentially followed up by a right straight should also work wonders. Here’s an example of this from southpaw position versus the orthodox Rashad Evans.

https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/AromaticRealAmurratsnake

I’ve always loved watching Machida and his karate style. The only drawback of his style is the lack of hooks in his arsenal. This makes exchanging in the pocket horrible for the karateka while making it an ideal position for Derek Brunson. This fight should answer a ton of questions for both fighters as whether title contention will once again be in their futures or merely a dream that may potentially slip through their fingers.

Who takes the win Saturday night?

Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.

Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.

The post UFC Fight Night 119: ‘The Dragon’ Lyoto Machida Makes His Return Against The Powerful Derek Brunson appeared first on Generation Iron Fitness & Strength Sports Network.