Media DDP: Experience in adapting is why I'll wrestle (head coach agrees)

[Unheralded Truth]

DDP:

"It's the most important fight of my life, like the fights before this. So we are preparing like we've never prepared before. Yeah, I'm not going in there to
fight his fight. I'm fighting my fight, just like I dealt with Adesanya's striking and Strickland's boxing. I'm gonna do the same here but with Khamzat's
wrestling. You can be as smart as you want and follow any system but when a fight comes it's about the fight in your heart, and I truly know that I
outwork any- and everybody that I've stepped into the octagon with."

Morné Visser:

“Khamzat doesn’t know what it is when people want to wrestle him. He’s only facing guys who are trying to get away from his wrestling. We don’t want
to try and get away from his wrestling, instead we want to fuck him up in his own game.”

 

[World eater]

We shall see. Talk is cheap.
But my reaction is

 

[octagonation]

Can´t wait to see Dricus run right into a Chimaev choke while trying to out wrestle him

 

[rjmbrd]

We shall see. Talk is cheap.
But my reaction is

Consider Dricus's breakdown of wins:

11 - submission
9 - knockout
3 - decision

He himself is a world class MMA adapted grappler. Khamzat will be the best grappler he's faced, but Dricus is substantially better at submission grappling compared to most of Khamzats opponents. Burns would be the exception but the size difference between Dricus and Burns is massive.

Usman got off the couch and was stuffing take downs by round 2. If Dricus takes Khamzat into rounds 3-4-5 I could see him initiating grappling. Getting Khamzat to expend energy on counter wrestling could be a big advantage in later rounds when he's less dangerous.

 

[Chagaev]

Dricus' coach sounds like a warrior, Khamzat's lucky he's only fighting his pupil.

 

[MMACro]

Khamzat will once again show there's levels to this

 

[KO Shotz]

Cannot wait for this fight.

 

[mkess101]

Consider Dricus's breakdown of wins:

11 - submission
9 - knockout
3 - decision

He himself is a world class MMA adapted grappler. Khamzat will be the best grappler he's faced, but Dricus is substantially better at submission grappling compared to most of Khamzats opponents. Burns would be the exception but the size difference between Dricus and Burns is massive.

Usman got off the couch and was stuffing take downs by round 2. If Dricus takes Khamzat into rounds 3-4-5 I could see him initiating grappling. Getting Khamzat to expend energy on counter wrestling could be a big advantage in later rounds when he's less dangerous.

He needs to make absolutely sure Khamzat is gassed before he initiates any grappling. I said this in another thread--these Caucuses guys get reputations as "wrestlers"...but they aren't just elite wrestlers. They're elite GRAPPLERS. Because they aren't Brazilian some people don't rate their submission games as elite but Islam for example tapped elite grapplers Charles and Moicano easily (Charles was already hurt to be fair but you get the point). If DDP tries to initiate grappling against a non depleted Khamzat, good chance his neck is getting wrapped up.

 

[Ramon Antonio]

He needs to make absolutely sure Khamzat is gassed before he initiates any grappling. I said this in another thread--these Caucuses guys get reputations as "wrestlers"...but they aren't just elite wrestlers. They're elite GRAPPLERS. Because they aren't Brazilian some people don't rate their submission games as elite but Islam for example tapped elite grapplers Charles and Moicano easily (Charles was already hurt to be fair but you get the point). If DDP tries to initiate grappling against a non depleted Khamzat, good chance his neck is getting wrapped up.

But Islam didn't tap or control Volkanovski easily on the ground. Even when he had his back he couldn't do anything with it.

 

[mkess101]

But Islam didn't tap or control Volkanovski easily on the ground. Even when he had his back he couldn't do anything with it.

Right, I'm not trying to say "The second it hits the mat it's insta sub" or anything. My point is that going on the offensive vs these guys isn't "safe" in terms of grappling. Volk is obviously ridiculously hard to sub. Ortega had a deep guillotine and Volk rode it out. Islam never put him in real danger on the mat. But anyone who thinks DDP can't shoot right into a D'arce vs Khamzat doesn't know what they're talking about. There **could** be a time in the fight where offensive wrestling makes sense for DDP because Khamzat is depleted and the threat is low. But early on it's a mistake imo if DDP tries.

 

[Aurelian]

He needs to make absolutely sure Khamzat is gassed before he initiates any grappling. I said this in another thread--these Caucuses guys get reputations as "wrestlers"...but they aren't just elite wrestlers. They're elite GRAPPLERS. Because they aren't Brazilian some people don't rate their submission games as elite but Islam for example tapped elite grapplers Charles and Moicano easily (Charles was already hurt to be fair but you get the point). If DDP tries to initiate grappling against a non depleted Khamzat, good chance his neck is getting wrapped up.

Dricus has been grappling since he was young and probably dedicated this whole camp mostly to wrestling. Hell maybe even focusing on it before the fight got booked since he knew Khamzat was a likely opponent. He has 11 sub wins. If you think about it what's he gonna do KO Khamzat? Might as well take the initiative and try to tire him.

 

[Chagaev]

Khamzat trained with top level wrestlers, surely he was the nail before and his defensive wrestling should be on point.

But anyway I don't think Dricus gets to initiate the wrestling unless Chimaev is tired or choses to stand. Chimaev shoots from too far.

 

[Ramon Antonio]

Right, I'm not trying to say "The second it hits the mat it's insta sub" or anything. My point is that going on the offensive vs these guys isn't "safe" in terms of grappling. Volk is obviously ridiculously hard to sub. Ortega had a deep guillotine and Volk rode it out. Islam never put him in real danger on the mat. But anyone who thinks DDP can't shoot right into a D'arce vs Khamzat doesn't know what they're talking about. There **could** be a time in the fight where offensive wrestling makes sense for DDP because Khamzat is depleted and the threat is low. But early on it's a mistake imo if DDP tries.

It's not supposed to be safe. It's a fight. Almost everyone went in with a defensive wrestling mindset against Khamzat and it didn't work out well for them. Lot of people are so focussed on not getting taken down that they become hesistant to throw any strikes etc. They're just sitting ducks. The earlier DDP can do something significant the better.

 

[mkess101]

Dricus has been grappling since he was young and probably dedicated this whole camp mostly to wrestling. Hell maybe even focusing on it before the fight got booked since he knew Khamzat was a likely opponent. He has 11 sub wins. If you think about it what's he gonna do KO Khamzat? Might as well take the initiative and try to tire him.

All of that is fine, he's still not the grappler Khamzat is and engaging willfully into grappling exchanges when both are fresh is playing with fire and living in Khamzat's world.

 

[mkess101]

It's not supposed to be safe. It's a fight. Almost everyone went in with a defensive wrestling mindset against Khamzat and it didn't work out well for them. Lot of people are so focussed on not getting taken down that they become hesistant to throw any strikes etc. They're just sitting ducks. The earlier DDP can do something significant the better.

Did I say he shouldn't let his hands go? Obviously he should try to cause damage. But shooting TD's early on is begging to be subbed by the better grappler.

 

[Aurelian]

All of that is fine, he's still not the grappler Khamzat is and engaging willfully into grappling exchanges when both are fresh is playing with fire and living in Khamzat's world.

I doubt he'll have much of a choice other than grappling with him when they are fresh. Shoot or get shot. But seriously Dricus putting Khamzat on his back immediately would be a major win it itself. Of course if this is his plan idk why he's yapping about it.

 

[Ramon Antonio]

Did I say he shouldn't let his hands go? Obviously he should try to cause damage. But shooting TD's early on is begging to be subbed by the better grappler.

I disagree (but can see your point).

IMO Khamzat absolutely doesn't want to get taken down by DDP. DDP shooting early on him shows that he has to at least be somewhat aware that he may do something crazy like that + shows how confident he truly is. It may also open up some striking especially with the way DDP blitzes. I'd agree there's risk to it, but he's ending up on the ground anyway as I don't think DDP can defend against Khamzat's takedowns in the first round, so might as well go for it.

 

[mkess101]

I disagree (but can see your point).

IMO Khamzat absolutely doesn't want to get taken down by DDP. DDP shooting early on him shows that he has to at least be somewhat aware that he may do something crazy like that + shows how confident he truly is. It may also open up some striking especially with the way DDP blitzes. I'd agree there's risk to it, but he's ending up on the ground anyway as I don't think DDP can defend against Khamzat's takedowns in the first round, so might as well go for it.

My point is more about what I said before (but might be in a different thread). Khamzat is looked at as a "wrestler" but he's more than that, he's an elite grappler with a slick submission game that can lock up chokes quickly if an opportunity presents itself. DDP shooting offers that opportunity.
IMO the best ptv for DDP is to not be scared or wary of takedowns but let his strikes go. Try to time a knee as Khamzat shoots. Or an uppercut. Like you said, he's not gonna sprawl his way out of being taken down, may as well try to land something damaging when Khamzat shoots that lightning fast shot from way out. And if he takes him down, work to get up obviously.

 

[188912345]

I think team Dricus think his strength and size will be enough to compete in the wrestling/grappling department, hence why he seems to have bulked up for this fight.

I think they are overlooking all the other relevant attributes, like speed/agility/technique/balance, etc.

 

[Ramon Antonio]

My point is more about what I said before (but might be in a different thread). Khamzat is looked at as a "wrestler" but he's more than that, he's an elite grappler with a slick submission game that can lock up chokes quickly if an opportunity presents itself. DDP shooting offers that opportunity.
IMO the best ptv for DDP is to not be scared or wary of takedowns but let his strikes go. Try to time a knee as Khamzat shoots. Or an uppercut. Like you said, he's not gonna sprawl his way out of being taken down, may as well try to land something damaging when Khamzat shoots that lightning fast shot from way out. And if he takes him down, work to get up obviously.

What you're describing is literally what everyone tried and didn't work. Why would he follow that gameplan? He's not affraid to wrestle with Khamzat or being on the ground with Khamzat.

Volk stylistically should've avoided going to the ground with Islam too. But he didn't and it worked very well in the first fight.