Is Valentina a technical grappler?

[aerius]

For me being technical is about having layers and complexity in your game, that's all.

You don't really get to see the layers because she almost always gets her opponent down on the first move, Joanna's the only one who's stuffed anything and forced her to go to the next move in the chain.

Leg sweep fails so she pushes Joanna backwards while adjusting her grip to trap Joanna's head and pull it down & to the side. Yank down on head, lift trapped leg, and swing her around to complete the takedown.

 

[Rachel Da Bear]

Body lock takedowns require technique and allow you to work a inside trip/outside tripif you aren't able to create an angle or suck in your opponents hips.

In addition, don't expose you to a knee or uppercut (ask Curtis Blaydes when he wakes up). I'd speculate that training body lock take downs doesn't tax your knees as much as diving for legs.

 

[ghostmann]

You don't really get to see the layers because she almost always gets her opponent down on the first move, Joanna's the only one who's stuffed anything and forced her to go to the next move in the chain.

Leg sweep fails so she pushes Joanna backwards while adjusting her grip to trap Joanna's head and pull it down & to the side. Yank down on head, lift trapped leg, and swing her around to complete the takedown.

Apparently several missed DC's breakdown of Valentina's wrestling on ESPN plus where he says her technique is very high level, as Valentina dumps opponents with multiple subsequent chain attacks in his analysis.

 

[Jorge Luis Borges]

Uhh... this is quite possibly the most fundamental way to execute a takedown.

It's not "muscling" someone. If you have double underhooks, create an angle, and block your opponent's leg it's just an extremely effective way to get someone down.

Da Un Jung hit William Knight with this type of takedown 4 times a couple of weeks ago.

It only works on Tito!

 

[leto1776]

Pretty silly take. Shevchenko’ s takedowns are a thing of beauty. Thing is, she’s not coming from a wrestling standpoint. Valentina is an absolute master of Muay Thai and a Master of Sport in Judo. Her understand of the clinch is second to none among the ladies, and almost without peer among the men in mma, as well. Her takedowns come from not only having a complete understand of where her own center of gravity is at all times, but her opponent’s when in the clinch, as well. Understanding that and leverage allow her trips and throws to flow like water.

 

[Big Al's Texas BBQ]

I lke these type of takedowns. When done right, they look effortless and very impactful:

 

[Dece]

DC is wrong, her takedowns comes from muay thai and not wrestling. It's too different for DC to recognize how technical she is.

 

[GolovKing]

She won't wrestle with Andrade she will outpoint her soundly and maybe TKO her in later rounds.

She tries to wrestle everyone though, people talk about how great her striking is but to me she's reliant on takedowns in order to disrupt her opponent's rhythm. She's not as dangerous on the feet as people think

 

[Anaconda99]

She tries to wrestle everyone though, people talk about how great her striking is but to me she's reliant on takedowns in order to disrupt her opponent's rhythm. She's not as dangerous on the feet as people think

I don't think people say how dangerous she is on the feet she's technical and has good movement. She will keep Andrade away for probably 5 rounds or might even TKO her if Andrade tires out. Andrade is a beast but she will basically come forward in a straight line. Valentina wont fight her grappling that's Andrade best chance Val won't get caught with a power punch she just won't be there.

Also what is wrong with using TDs to make fighters lose their rhythm seems hardly like a bad thing.

 

[zr1vette]

Valentina is one of the most technical MMA fighters.

 

[Geniusss]

I think this could be a problem for her against Andrade because Andrade is physically strong as well and these types of takedowns may not work.

She's definitely gonna be able to take Andrade down if she sees the chance, Shevchenko's taken down all her oponnents in the UFC, incluiding those big girls from 135\145 like Nunes and Holm.

I know that because Andrade is shorter she's thicker but come on Nunes and Holm gotta be stronger than her and Shevchenko was able to take them down.

 

[Chael_Sonnen]

DC is wrong here. He’s thinking wrestling but Valentina is using Muay Thai trip to takedown opponents. To DC they may look wrong cause she is using a different discipline to get takedowns. Watch any of her Muay Thai fights she applies the same techniques

Spot on. Also, she is very momentum based with her takedowns, she enters with strikes and uses her forward momentum to get the trip.

 

[lsa]

"Jennifer Maia DC made a comment that Valentina's takedowns aren't really correct from a technical standpoint"... Brazilians just never figured out what the fuck SAMBO is.

What does that has to do with Val?
She has no background in Sambo..

 

[TheCryingElite]

Uhh... this is quite possibly the most fundamental way to execute a takedown.

It's not "muscling" someone. If you have double underhooks, create an angle, and block your opponent's leg it's just an extremely effective way to get someone down.

Da Un Jung hit William Knight with this type of takedown 4 times a couple of weeks ago.

You mean it’s an effective way to take Tito down.

 

[blaseblah]

DC is wrong, her takedowns comes from muay thai and not wrestling. It's too different for DC to recognize how technical she is.

They come from Judo

 

[Dan Torrance]

Valentine is one of the most technical MMA fighters.

 

[GreatSaintGuillotine]

You don't really get to see the layers because she almost always gets her opponent down on the first move, Joanna's the only one who's stuffed anything and forced her to go to the next move in the chain.

Leg sweep fails so she pushes Joanna backwards while adjusting her grip to trap Joanna's head and pull it down & to the side. Yank down on head, lift trapped leg, and swing her around to complete the takedown.

And that was a nice sequence. But one example is too small of a sample size. I'll happily retract my statement if I see more stuff like this. I'm a big fan of Valentina and I think her group game is often overlooked but I'm not gonna say something about her game that I haven't seen. I'd love to see her so more like this tho.

 

[ssBaldy]

So in other words she is the female derrick lewis.

Rogan:"Valentina why did you take your bra off?"
Schevchenko:"My boobs was hot!"

Wood watch

 

[New Yorkido]

What does that has to do with Val?
She has no background in Sambo..

She was born, lived and trained where they breath Smabo for breakfast, lunch and dinner. She doesn't have to formally train for Sambo, but she will come across it (more than BJJ) at where she is from. Capisce?

 

[Maaj19]

She's got good trips/takedowns and a good top game but she has a gap in her skillset being on bottom. If Andrade can get a takedown maybe she can win rounds on top but I doubt it.

Hope Jessica gets a knock out tho