Issue 069

Kenny Johnson is one of the most esteemed wrestling coaches in MMA. Noted for his work with BJ Penn, he’s also taught Anderson Silva and was Team Nogueira’s wrestling guru on The Ultimate Fighter.

He and UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes present the wrestling techniques for MMA.

SKILL: DOUBLE-LEG TAKEDOWN

1) Here you see Matt (left) establishing his range in relation to Kenny (right). If Matt can touch his opponent at arm’s length that’s the range he prefers to shoot from.

2) Matt likes to throw a hard punch to set up his takedown, in this case a right cross. By doing this he’s forcing Kenny to cover up and be distracted from any takedown attempts. Of course, it’s even better for Matt if he lands the strike.

3) Matt lands his right cross and steps his right leg forward.

4)  Matt’s right leg is in position between Kenny’s legs. Often you’ll see fighters using a jab to set up the takedown and stepping forward with their left leg; Matt prefers to use his right. Matt drops into the shot using his momentum from the punch. Now he’s ready to go for the takedown.

5) Matt begins to execute his double-leg takedown. His forehead is pressing into the centre of Kenny’s chest and his level is lower than his opponent’s. Both of Matt’s hands are round the back of Kenny’s legs in the crux of his knees.

6) Matt pulls Kenny’s legs in and extends his head up and forward to bend Kenny over backwards. He follows Kenny down and ‘stacks’ his bodyweight to exert maximum pressure.