Issue 037

May 2008

By Peter Irving

One of the most intense fighters in the UFC Diego Sanchez went on a tear in 2005, taking out both Kenny Florian and Brian Gassaway with strikes from mount. His particular way of setting up attacks is demonstrated below. 


1: Peter is in mount and his opponent is covering up. 


2 + 3: With the bottom man’s arms up high, Peter throws hooks around the blocking arms. 


4: Peter grips both of his opponent’s wrists and slides his hips higher up the body, straddling the chest. This makes it very difficult for the bottom man to escape. 


5: Close up of grip


6: Using the double wrist grip, Peter can ‘steer’ his opponent’s arms, taking away his defences. 


7: Using a push-pull movement, Peter brings one of his opponent’s arms away from the head…


8: …and turns his elbow into the face. 


9: Peter recovers the strike…


10 + 11: …and uses the same steering motion on the opposite side to throw another elbow. 


12: Another option is to pin both arms…


13: …and throw a short vertical elbow through the middle of the covering arms. 


14: Close up of vertical elbow. 


15: Combine the use of turning and vertical elbows together with the steering motion and the referee will be stopping the fight in no time. 


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