Explosive Takedown Transitions: When And How To Mix Wrestling Into MMA Striking

You’re in the heat of battle during a mixed martial arts (MMA) contest. Your opponent throws hard strikes at you with without caution, giving you plenty of opportunities to land precise counters. But then you see it – a tiny opening for a takedown. Do you shoot in or keep trading punches?

Your answer to that question will significantly impact your success inside the cage. Mixed martial arts combines striking, grappling, and submissions. Focusing too much on any one of these areas often leads to missed opportunities and less-than-ideal outcomes.

Incorporating wrestling into your striking game is often the key to dominating opponents inside the cage. However, timing is everything when it comes to takedowns in MMA. Poor execution can allow opponents to sprawl or landing hard counters like knees or uppercuts, potentially bringing an end to the bout.

The Sweet Spot: Knowing When To Attempt A Takedowns In MMA

Scoring takedowns in mixed martial arts is about picking the right moment. Here are three prime opportunities to shoot for takedowns during mixed martial arts contests:

1) After Opponents Overcommit To Strikes

Capitalize on openings, especially when an opponent has missed their timing or overcommitted—these are perfect moments to strike.

An opponent swinging for the fences is an invitation for you to change levels and take them to the canvas. Overcommitting to strikes compromises their balance and posture, making them sitting ducks for techniques like double-leg takedowns.

Watch out for wild strikes like wide hooks when looking to shoot in on opponents. These powerful strikes are often telegraphed, giving you time to duck under, shoot in for a takedown, and drive through your opponent to get them on the ground.

2) Against the Cage

The cage isn’t just there to keep MMA fights contained; it’s also an invaluable tool to set up takedowns. Pressure your opponents with strikes whenever you have their backs close to the cage and shoot in on their legs, using the cage to prevent them from sprawling out of it.

Pro tip: Push your head into your opponent’s chest or under their chin when you have them pinned against the cage to disrupt their posture, making it harder for them to circle out of the position or reverse it.

3) During Level Changes While Striking

Ever notice how the best strikers in MMA often change levels when striking? They’ll throw a jab to the head, attack the body with a hook, and mix in takedowns. It’s not just an effective strategy in mixed martial arts – it can demoralize opponents as they wonder what part of their body your next strike will target.

Add body shots to your combinations to condition opponents to expect you to change levels. They’ll be slower to react to your takedown attempts because of this since they interpret your level changes as a sign you’re about to attack the body.

The Most Effective Takedown Techniques In Mixed Martial Arts

Understanding when to shoot in for takedowns is only half of the equation. The other half is knowing which takedown techniques to use. Some of the most effective takedown techniques used in MMA include:

1) Double-Leg Takedown

The double-leg takedown is one of the first you should master as a mixed martial artist. It’s a straightforward technique that’s easy to learn and incredibly difficult to sprawl out of once locked in.

To perform a double takedown:

• Start with a level change once you see an opening.
• Shoot in on your opponent, positioning your lead leg between their legs as you grab the back of their knees.
• Bring your rear leg forward and place your foot outside your opponent’s leg.
• Lift your knees off the ground as you drive your opponent back with your head tucked against their hip. Look straight ahead when performing takedowns so your opponent can’t counter with a guillotine choke.

2) Single-Leg Takedown

A single-leg is an excellent option when only one of your opponent’s legs is close enough to grab.

To perform a single leg:

• Shoot in on your opponent and wrap your arms around the knee of your opponent’s closest leg. A jab is an effective way to set up single-leg takedowns.
• Lift your opponent’s leg off the ground and squeeze it between your thighs.
• Push your body down and pivot your body by about 90 degrees to get your opponent on the canvas.

3) Body Lock Inside Trip

The body lock trip should be one of your go-to moves if you prefer clinching up with opponents over shooting for takedowns. Some would argue that Greco-Roman wrestling techniques are more appropriate for MMA since you don’t have to change levels to execute them.

While changing levels can be useful as feints, they also leave you exposed to counter-strikes like knees and uppercuts. Many mixed martial arts fights have come to abrupt ends after fighters were hit with a strike while shooting in.

Leverage is your best friend when looking to perform takedowns from clinch positions. Keep your hips lower than your opponent’s to remove their base so it’s easier to finish your trips and throws.

Here are the mechanics for an inside trip from the body lock position:

• Lock your arms tightly around your opponent and place your head on their chest or chin.
•  Next, thread one of your legs inside their leg on the same side, pulling it toward you.
• Use your threaded leg to pull your opponent’s trapped leg closer while pushing them away with your torso.

Using Takedowns To Create Opportunities

A well-time takedown can help you steal rounds, but takedown feints can also shift the momentum of a fight in your favor.

Some of the ways you can incorporate takedowns and feints into your MMA game include:

• Set Up Strikes With Takedown Feints: Make it a habit to feint takedowns when sparring or competing. Watch your opponents’ reactions to these feints to determine your next course of action. For example, if your opponent is quick to drop their hands down to defend against takedowns when you feint, that’s a sign you might be able to catch them by feinting a takedown and following up with strikes before they can bring their hands back up.
• Chain Wrestle: Never give up when your first takedown fails. The best wrestlers in MMA typically chain their takedowns together to increase their odds of success. If a double leg fails, switch to a single leg. If that fails, transition to a body lock. Persistence is key to getting a fight to go where you want it to.
• Mix Strikes With Takedown Attempts: Blend strikes into your takedown attempts to keep your opponents guessing. Throw a combination, then shoot for a takedown. If it’s not there, you can chain another takedown or pop back up and land more strikes.

Cross-Training in Wrestling Opens Up New Aspects of MMA

Incorporating wrestling into your fighting style is essential to grow as a mixed martial artist. Mastering timing and technique is crucial in MMA, enabling fighters to control the fight and keep their opponents guessing. Whether it’s exploiting openings, using the cage, or blending level changes into striking, well-executed takedowns can shift the momentum and create fight-winning opportunities. Mastering these techniques and strategies will not only enhance your control in the fight but also increase your chances of securing victory when it counts most.

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