Bangkok Breakdowns

  The words “Shavkat Rakhmonov” echo across every Instagram comment section mentioning the welterweight division, and have been for some time. The horse meat loving marauder has achieved somewhat of a mythical status as a contender, his undefeated status with every win coming by finish, coupled by his Kazakhstani heritage has earned him a sizable following. The hype behind him is so powerful that the matchup with 15-0 undefeated prospect Ian Garry is seen by many as an easy stepping stone for him. Even the current champion Belal Muhammad, who is riding an 11 fight unbeaten streak with many top contenders, has been placed as a large betting underdog against Rakhmonov. While Shavkat’s record is impressive, much of his success has come as a product of his relentless aggression, his offence and finishing ability pulling him through some very competitive fights. This aggression is a means to an end, trying to create a panic reaction out of his opponent which Shavkat can then punish. Whi...

It is rare to see proper athletes above 220lbs who have not been poached by better paying sports, but Carlos Ulberg gave up a semi professional rugby career to become a kickboxer. Now having moved to mma that athleticism is being put to good use in wiping out unranked light heavyweights in the ufc. Ulberg is blessed with explosivity and power, coupled with an impressive wingspan. While it is visible that Ulberg yearns to swang and bang, his loss to Kennedy Nzechukwu showed that leaning on his natural gifts will only take him so far. It is his jab, in fact, which has carried him to the light heavyweight top ten. While the jab is often taught as a “throw away punch”, something to flick out only as a precursor to combinations and to get a reaction out of an opponent, Ulberg breaks this philosophy. Ulberg realises that the jab is the longest reaching punch, meaning that if he can put his body behind it Ulberg can generate a lot of power across a very large distance. Ulberg uses the reach o...

  Bo Nickal is the best wrestler to grace the UFC octagon since recently retired professional boxer Ben Askren. Nickal is one of the most accomplished collegiate wrestlers you can find in the world of mma, with his stint on the freestyle scene being equally as impressive, winning the U23 world championships. Much like wrestling, Bo Nickal has shown a lot of talent in mma, showcasing his newfound striking and some slick submission skills on the contender series. While anyone can see that he can wrestle, Nickal’s success is a product of his creativity, being able to bend principles often considered fundamental and use them to his advantage. In every aspect of wrestling he does things that would make any highschool wrestling coach cringe, but with his athleticism, along with a lot of creativity, he is able to pull off some really impressive moves. Inside position is a concept that many high level grapplers, in all types of grappling, consider incredibly important. Getting some kind of...

  Faris Ben-Lamkadem is currently one of the best up and coming grapplers in the UK. Starting at 19, Faris has gone on to become one of Roger Gracie Academy’s top black belts, making a name for himself in the gi. It has only been fairly recently that Faris has entered the no gi grappling scene, but he has already had a great run in the second ADCC European trials last year, coming fourth in a stacked division. While Faris’ game is very complex, it is woven together by his use of simple principles, primarily finding foot control. These principles build into his game  Faris’ guard passing is mostly staged around the knee cut, forcing his opponent into a knee shield and then pinning their leg with his knee in what is sometimes referred to as a split squat position. He will get to this knee cut half guard position through the foot control, controlling the far foot and using it to guide his opponent into accepting the half guard, giving them an illusion of control as they are likel...

Ilia Topuria’s nickname, “El Matador” is not only a reference to his Spanish heritage, but is also a perfect description of his fighting style. Ilia is looking to herd you, using a combination of tactics to back you up against the fence and then collecting the KO. Ilia engages in small micro battles in the centre of the octagon, winning little contests of position until his victim is in the correct position to go in for the kill. While Ilia’s style can seem wild and overly aggressive, trading punches with his opponent with the confidence that he will get the KO, it is a lot more methodical than it may first appear. Ilia’s jabbing game is so effective not only because his jab is educated, but also because he is adamant about shutting down his opponent’s jab. Many shorter fighters will abandon the jab if they have a reach disadvantage, but Ilia understands that the benefits are too great for him to neglect it. Ilia’s jab plays a vital role in his game, using it as a way to apply continuo...

  Aggression is a massive aspect of combat sports. While combat sports are considered arts as much as athletic endeavours, it can’t be denied that a relentless desire to move forward can often bridge significant gaps of skill. While it is not only athletically beneficial to be moving forwards, it is also beneficial from a mental side, as constantly being pushed back can shake the resolve of some of the best technicians. Jake Hadley builds his game around this aggression, choosing to constantly be the hammer over trying to be the nail. Hadley uses his aggression to stifle his opponent’s offensive action, keeping them in defensive cycles that allow him to shut down an opponent and let him pick away at them at will. Hadley’s game is built around this idea of constant forward momentum, using a variety of tactics so that he is the fighter with initiative and his adversary is constantly just reactionary. Hadley uses his lead hand to shut down his opponent and simultaneously set up his ow...