Bangkok Breakdowns

UFC 234 is headlined by the interim lightweight title bout between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett. Gaethje is no stranger to title fights and has been a staple in the lightweight division for almost a decade. He has touched interim gold before, yet has failed on every opportunity to win undisputed. With Ilia Topuria and Arman Tsarukyan out of the mix, Gaethje has found himself one last shot at winning gold, in what seems a very winnable fight against English up-and-comer Paddy Pimblett. Paddy “the baddy” Pimblett is in a completely different circumstance. Loved (and sometimes hated) for his brash personality, Pimblett has made numerous technical improvements since entering the UFC that have allowed him to work his way into a title fight, despite what doubters may have said about his early performances. Ultimately, it is an interesting matchup between two very wild fighters, which is likely to go down as a banger. Every fight starts on the feet, which many fans have decided is Gaethj...

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...

  The Soviet Boxing style is an almost mythical system, a relic of the USSR’s amateur boxers. Athletes from the Soviet union were able to dominate with the bouncy, light footed style, effectively scoring points that won world championships with rhythmic volume punching. Despite its success, it has been mostly confined to the amateur circuit, with many claiming that the style lacks the power and the efficiency for a twelve round professional fight. This consensus was questioned when Dimitri Bivol rose to prominence, catching the eye of the casual fanbase when he defeated boxing star Canelo Alvarez. Bivol has used the soviet style, utilising its rhythm and the pendulum step, in order to transition such an elegant style into professional boxing. Bivol’s style is based around the pendulum step, shifting weight from his front leg to his back leg. This often takes the form of a bouncing/hopping motion but can also be carried out from a static position, with Bivol shifting his weight from...