Issue 051

July 2009

With Pete Irving.

Effective cage control is a key element to any fighter’s success. Whether the fight takes place in the center, close to or against the fence, near to your corner or close to the opponent’s team, all these factors have technical and psychological impacts on both fighters. 

Taking the center 

Taking the center of the cage allows you to be economical with your movement and force your opponent to become reactive.  

Step 1 Rob (left) and Pete (right) start in their respective corners.  

Step 2 As the bell rings Pete rushes to take the center.  

Step 3 With Pete holding the center, Rob is forced to maneuver around Pete’s position.  

Step 4 Note that Pete’s lead leg maintains the same position and he simply tracks Rob with a short pivot step from his trail leg. Rob has had to use a great deal of footwork to move around Pete, while Pete has spent very little energy.  

Step 5 Pete has maintained his position until Rob’s back is facing Pete’s corner.  

Step 6 Now he can advance and back Rob up to the fence, isolating him from his own corner’s advice and reassurance.

Step 7 Pete strikes either with a left or a right to usher Rob towards Pete’s corner.  

Striking against the fence

Pete wants to keep Rob against the fence so that he can pick him off with strikes, but at this point doesn’t want to tie up and clinch. Long-range attacks are best so as not to get drawn into a clinch battle.  

Step 1 Pete has backed Rob up. Rob’s back foot is against the cage.

Step 2 Pete throws the right low-point…

Step 3 …and resets the distance.  

Step 4 Rob starts to circle out to his right…

Step 5 …so Pete throws the left kick to push him back to where he was.  

Overcommitting

If you overcommit to an attack you run the risk of exchanging position and finding yourself with your back against the fence.  

INCORRECT:  

Pete advances on Rob but does not cut off the cage, allowing Rob to circle away...

...Rob now has the more advantageous position while Pete has nowhere to go.  

CORRECT:

Pete is careful not to advance too far, and uses ‘around the corner’ attacks such as hooks to keep Rob penned in and against the fence.