Issue 085
February 2012
We can’t teach you how to take punches like the lionhearted UFC lightweight champion, but we can give you all the answers to getting the 14-1-1 Jersey boy's footwork and takedowns
FOOTWORK
Frankie Edgar’s fast, and smart, footwork is as responsible for his dominating stand-up as his lightning-quick hands. He very much prefers a highly mobile boxing-orientated approach, and it’s paid dividends against a string of high-profile opposition.
IN THE GYM
Work the hand mitts, changing the range and angle constantly, moving in and out, side to side then step in with sharp, compact elbows and one-twos like Edgar. After landing your combos escape away, or shoot in on your pad man.
In Action
Edgar shocked BJ Penn in their first clash at UFC 112 in February of 2010, moving in and out, catching him with punches and then misdirecting him to score the takedown.
DOUBLE-LEG LIFT, OVER-THE-HEAD FINISH
When his opponent sprawls against his lateral drive Edgar always has ‘The Answer.’ Instead of continuing to drive against the sprawl, he quickly switches to throw the man the opposite direction over his head.
IN THE GYM
Shoot a standard double-leg on your partner but as they sprawl to counter use their weight distribution to your advantage – tipping them behind you with your hands behind their knees, before taking them forward to the mat.
In Action
Check out Edgar’s bout against Spencer Fisher at UFC 78 in 2007, 4:53 of round number two specifically, to see how he changes his finish to beat the sprawl.
TURNING THE CORNER
Edgar is an expert at turning the corner hard on the double, shooting to the lead or rear leg. Never one to be defeated, Edgar relentlessly runs his man down in a circle in order to take the fight to the mat.
IN THE GYM
There is no substitute for drilling. Work with your training partner shooting for and pursuing takedowns on progressively smaller and smaller mat areas, making sure to score in bounds to really tighten up your turns.
In Action
Check out 4:28 of round one of Edgar's fight against Matt Veach at the TUF 10 Finale back in December 2009 for a perfect double-leg finish.
SINGLE-LEG PICK-UP
Edgar’s solid wrestling background has left him with a very capable double-leg shot but he also uses his equally effective single-leg pick-up to take the fight to the floor and lay down ground ‘n’ pound.
IN THE GYM
When you spar, practice using your jab to pick up a collar tie, then with your rear hand grab the same-side knee and turn them in that direction (pushing at the collar and pulling at the knee) until their back is on the mat. Make sure to practice the right timing and distance to hit this fast takedown.
In Action
At just 39 seconds left of round two in their first meeting (UFC 112, 2010) Edgar took down BJ Penn with a beautiful single-leg, set up by moving in and out with his jab, then overshooting the jab on the step in to collect a collar tie, whilst simultaneously picking up BJ's lead leg behind the knee. With his body sandwiched between the collar tie and the leg pick-up, a quick pivot and clubbing on the back of the neck was all that was required to put BJ on his back.
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