Georges St-Pierre Film Study Part 3 - Wrestling, Takedowns, and Setups

Part 3 of my GSP project that focuses on his wrestling, takedowns, and takedown setups.

Wladimir Klitschko and the long man's defense

Wladimir Klitschko put on one of the better performances of his recent career in a losing effort to Anthony Joshua, partly due to the strength of his defence. Join us as we explore the principles and concepts that make his long defensive guard so effective.

Georges St-Pierre Film Study Part 2 - Weaknesses and Stylistic Evolution

Part 2 of my GSP project that focuses on the changes in GSP's stance throughout his career and the exploitable tendencies in his game. 

Head Movement in MMA Breakdown

Garry Tonon vs Gilbert Burns Match Study

A study of the adjustments and counters Tonon and Burns made throughout their match at Polaris 4.

Georges St-Pierre Film Study Part 1 - Striking Tactics

Part 1 of my GSP project that focuses on basic striking tactics.  Next up we'll go over the weaknesses in his striking and the evolution his style has undergone throughout his career.  Also in the works are breakdowns on his wrestling, top game, bottom game, and GnP

Writing for Cagepages

I'm writing breakdowns for cagepages.com now, so I'll be posting less frequently on this blog.  You can continue following my work here and follow me on twitter at @RyanAWagMMA for more updates.  I'm working on a massive (30+ minute long) GSP film study that I'll be posting on here in the future.

Jorge Masvidal's Rhythm Manipulation

Breakdown of Jorge Masvidal's use of rhythm to stifle Ross Pearson's counterpunching at UFC 201.

Holm vs Shevchenko Breakdown: Playing the Matador

Holly Holm became an overnight sensation in the MMA world when she dismantled the original Bantamweight queen, Ronda Rousey, via lateral movement, sharp pivots, and intercepting check hooks.  The tables had turned on Saturday when Valentina Shevchenko used a tighter, more technically sound variant of that game to pick Holm apart over five rounds.

UFC 200 Weekend Breakdown Part 2 - Triumph of Former Kings

The return of TJ Dillashaw seems to have been overlooked amidst all the hubbub of UFC 200, but he looked as good as ever against Raphael Assuncao.  Their first fight ended in a controversial decision win for Assuncao, but Dillashaw put a decisive stamp on his victory this time.

UFC 200 Weekend Breakdown Part 1 - Joanna Champion vs Claudia Gadelha

The UFC went all out for international fight week once again, this time in a bigger way than ever before.  Two cards packed with exciting action fighters, each topped off by a brilliant main event, served to build tension in the lead-up to what was undoubtedly the best card of all time.  Unfortunately UFC 200 became yet another entry in the saga of Jon Jones' rapid downward spiral.  After popping for banned substances, Jones was replaced by an unprepared, underweight Silva.  Fortunately UFC 200 had enough talent to stand strong independent of Jones.

Breaking Down the Natsu Basho: Hakuho's 37th Championship

Sumo's Natsu (summer) Basho has just concluded and with its end comes the continued dominance of Hakuho.  Running through the competition with finesse and incredible skill, the Mongolian Yokozuna ended the tournament with a perfect 15-0 record.  This Basho marks Hakuho's record-setting 37th championship and 12th undefeated championship.

UFC 197 Breakdown: Killing the Contenders

Perhaps the only story in MMA more intriguing than the ongoing UFC vs Conor McGregor power struggle is the redemption of a former champion.  The fact that Jones was never bested for his title, rather stripped due to his own actions, only increases the tension.  UFC 197 served as part one of Jones' redemption story as he turned in a workmanlike performance against OSP, rarely ceding control of the fight but also taking care not to venture too far outside his own comfort zone.  Part two will come at UFC 200 where he faces the reigning champ, Daniel Cormier.

Miesha Tate vs Holly Holm Breakdown: The Gameplan to Beat Holm

Holly Holm set the Mixed Martial Arts community ablaze with her destruction of Ronda Rousey at UFC 193.  While Holm received her share of adulation, and rightly so, much of the clamor was directed toward the former champion.  Overwhelmingly volatile in nature, critics not only condemned Rousey's attitude and actions, but aimed critiques toward her tactical and strategic abilities as well as her training.  While much of the technical criticism was valid (and indeed, I partook more than a little myself), the popular notion that she chose to strike with Holm - and payed for it - was not.  Rousey spent the entire fight desperately seeking out the clinch and, for the most part, failing to utilize it effectively.  What she payed for on the feet was not a willingness to strike with Holm, it was an inability to exploit Holm's style and capitalize on her tendencies.

Orthodox vs Southpaw Tactics in MMA

Breakdown of the tactics at play in an orthodox/southpaw matchup.  Check out reddit user mma_boxing_wrestling's companion article to learn more about the strategy behind them.

Rizin FF - Day 1 Breakdown

Many, including me, looked on with a skeptical eye at the efforts of Nobuyuki Sakakibara to resurrect the spirit of Pride through his new promotion, Rizin FF. And for good reason - on paper this card was marred by a lack of talent and a lack of quality matchmaking for the talent it did have. But after the initial fight, excitement kept mounting as each new fight brought action and thrills, until the headliner between Shinya Aoki and the half-mummified ghost of Kazushi Sakuraba. In the end we were left with an enjoyable, action-packed card that delivered the entertainment of fast-paced MMA along with the nostalgia of the ring and kicks/knees/stomps to the head of a grounded opponent.

UFC 194 Breakdown - Jose Aldo's Kicks

UFC 194 Breakdown - Conor McGregor's Straight Left

UFC 194 Breakdown - Chris Weidman's Pressure

UFC 194 Breakdown - Luke Rockhold's Distance Management