Backhand in MMA

[Towel88]

I was curious what you guys think about this technique and why you don't see it much in the UFC.

A lot of the pros from my gym like to throw a lead backhand after a lead hook, mostly if they miss with the hook. Guy I was sparring yesterday is 3-0 as a pro and has won 2 fights by TKO with this strike....

Just curious on your guys thoughts, as it is not something I see by the top guys

 

[mon]

Like a lot of trad techniques it was thrown out with the bath water. Like any technique it needs to be drilled and more importantly this needs to be context specific. No doubt like spinning techniques it'll make a come back after a few people start utilising it well.... Props to your mate

 

[BudoNoah]

When it comes to MMA, people have a tendency to believe that whatever is popular is all that's effective. As mon pointed out, a lot of people discarded it as useless because of its popularity in sport karate, and similar tournament rulesets. It can be a flicking strike that can distract your opponent, and jam their guard from an angle they don't expect, or it can be thrown with intent and get a surprising amount of power. It doesn't replace a jab, but it has its uses. All it will take is a few high profile people using it successfully before it becomes popular.

 

[Silver tongue samurai]

I was curious what you guys think about this technique and why you don't see it much in the UFC.

A lot of the pros from my gym like to throw a lead backhand after a lead hook, mostly if they miss with the hook. Guy I was sparring yesterday is 3-0 as a pro and has won 2 fights by TKO with this strike....

Just curious on your guys thoughts, as it is not something I see by the top guys

I love doing this and catch a lot of people with it. After missing a lead hook ill almost throw like a jab and it usually comes out as a backhand. The BMT Back em up drill has a combo (Lead hook-jab-cross) thats very similar to the motion. I swear Tj also does some kind of flicky backhand after missing hooks. Sufficient to say it definitely has its uses

Awesome drill as well.

 

[DoctorTaco]

It’s an illegal strike in western boxing so any mma striking coaches with that as a background aren’t familiar enough to teach it