Discipulus
Black Belt
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Here's part one of my latest breakdown, which focuses on the two men vying for the heavyweight title at UFC 166 tomorrow. This installment breaks down the game of JDS, including the flaws that allowed Cain to beat him last time out, and the skills that he might use to turn the tides in the rubber match.
Let me know what you think!
JDS and the Lucky Punch
This Saturday, the UFC heavyweight title is on the line. The two men fighting for the belt have each beaten the other once already, so suffice to say that this rubber match is a big deal for them. This write-up marks something of a big deal for me too, as Junior Dos Santos is now the first fighter about whom I have had the privilege of writing two full-length articles. So before we get into the tactics and the techniques, I'd like to express my sincere appreciation to the kind people of Bloody Elbow for giving me this opportunity to write about my passion. Thank you to the folks behind the curtain, and to you, the ever-supportive audience before the stage.
Alright, wipe away those sentimental tears. It's time for some face punching.
Typically when I write about the tools a fighter will need to succeed in a matchup, and the pitfalls he will need to avoid, I am going on conjecture. I can educate myself on the chances of the fighter based on similar matchups and stylistic advantages, but the fight itself is always at least a little bit different from how I predicted it.
Rubber matches are different. We've already seen how JDS can beat Cain, and we've seen how he can lose. On that note, today we'll be taking an in-depth look at Junior's past two fights with Cain, with a few looks at his other fights for clues as to how he might have evolved his game for this matchup. This afternoon we'll look at the current champ, Cain Velasquez, in the same way.
Velasquez Breakdown Here
Landing the Lucky Punch
In their first fight, Junior Dos Santos did what heavyweights have always done: bummed out all the people who bought tickets by ending the fight almost immediately. In 64 seconds, Junior Dos Santos flattened Cain Velasquez with an awkward right hand behind the ear, and a series of brutal punches on the ground to the same target.
This was almost immediately called a "lucky punch." As a fan, it's hard not to view sudden KOs this way. And with the five round beating Cain administered in the rematch, the shouts of "lucky punch" have only grown louder. What else are we supposed to think when a bout ends in such a quick and unexpected fashion?
Perhaps we should come to the conclusion that Junior Dos Santos, owner of 12 knockouts and an incredible 10-fight winning streak, has some idea of how to sleep fools with his fists. Here's how he did it to Cain the first time around.
1. Dos Santos fakes a jab as he steps off line.
2. He connects with a right hand to the body, but eats a counter jab/hook from Cain.
This was Junior's last attack before the one that felled Velasquez. This is important, because the knockout only happened as a result of this set up.
1. Junior and Cain circle one another.
2. Dos Santos steps off line, hiding his footwork with another jab fake. He visibly winds up his right hand.
3. Cain attempts to counter exactly as before, with a left hook as Junior changes levels. He is focused on his quickly moving target, Junior's head.
4. The right hand connects, thumb to temple, and folds Cain up like a lawn chair.
(GIF) Note how similar frames 2 and 3 are to the first exchange. Junior sells the right hand to the body two ways. First, the chambering of his overhand right, in which he drops his hand to his hip in what many would call poor technique, looks like a hand being lowered to the body. Second, as his weight moves forward with the punch, Junior bends his knees and lowers his elevation. The moment Velasquez sees Junior's lowered right hand (check out his line of sight in frame 2), he prepares to counter to Junior's exposed jawline. As Cigano changes levels, Cain feels safe in committing, his eyes fixed on Junior's cro-magnon skull (now look at his line of sight in frame 3).
By the time he notices Junior's right hand sailing over his shoulder, Cain can only wince and turn away. No, it wasn't pretty. In fact, that may just have been the ugliest punch ever landed. But the point is that it landed, and it landed as a result of deliberate strategy.
In combat sports, there is no such thing as a lucky punch. Junior threw a hard punch which was intended to hit Cain in the head. It did. None of us should be surprised. Luck may be a factor in everything, but the only lucky man in that fight was Cain Velasquez-lucky that Junior was happy to relent when the ref pulled him off.
Continues at Bloody Elbow...
Let me know what you think!
JDS and the Lucky Punch
This Saturday, the UFC heavyweight title is on the line. The two men fighting for the belt have each beaten the other once already, so suffice to say that this rubber match is a big deal for them. This write-up marks something of a big deal for me too, as Junior Dos Santos is now the first fighter about whom I have had the privilege of writing two full-length articles. So before we get into the tactics and the techniques, I'd like to express my sincere appreciation to the kind people of Bloody Elbow for giving me this opportunity to write about my passion. Thank you to the folks behind the curtain, and to you, the ever-supportive audience before the stage.
Alright, wipe away those sentimental tears. It's time for some face punching.
Typically when I write about the tools a fighter will need to succeed in a matchup, and the pitfalls he will need to avoid, I am going on conjecture. I can educate myself on the chances of the fighter based on similar matchups and stylistic advantages, but the fight itself is always at least a little bit different from how I predicted it.
Rubber matches are different. We've already seen how JDS can beat Cain, and we've seen how he can lose. On that note, today we'll be taking an in-depth look at Junior's past two fights with Cain, with a few looks at his other fights for clues as to how he might have evolved his game for this matchup. This afternoon we'll look at the current champ, Cain Velasquez, in the same way.
Velasquez Breakdown Here
Landing the Lucky Punch
In their first fight, Junior Dos Santos did what heavyweights have always done: bummed out all the people who bought tickets by ending the fight almost immediately. In 64 seconds, Junior Dos Santos flattened Cain Velasquez with an awkward right hand behind the ear, and a series of brutal punches on the ground to the same target.
This was almost immediately called a "lucky punch." As a fan, it's hard not to view sudden KOs this way. And with the five round beating Cain administered in the rematch, the shouts of "lucky punch" have only grown louder. What else are we supposed to think when a bout ends in such a quick and unexpected fashion?
Perhaps we should come to the conclusion that Junior Dos Santos, owner of 12 knockouts and an incredible 10-fight winning streak, has some idea of how to sleep fools with his fists. Here's how he did it to Cain the first time around.
1. Dos Santos fakes a jab as he steps off line.
2. He connects with a right hand to the body, but eats a counter jab/hook from Cain.
This was Junior's last attack before the one that felled Velasquez. This is important, because the knockout only happened as a result of this set up.
1. Junior and Cain circle one another.
2. Dos Santos steps off line, hiding his footwork with another jab fake. He visibly winds up his right hand.
3. Cain attempts to counter exactly as before, with a left hook as Junior changes levels. He is focused on his quickly moving target, Junior's head.
4. The right hand connects, thumb to temple, and folds Cain up like a lawn chair.
(GIF) Note how similar frames 2 and 3 are to the first exchange. Junior sells the right hand to the body two ways. First, the chambering of his overhand right, in which he drops his hand to his hip in what many would call poor technique, looks like a hand being lowered to the body. Second, as his weight moves forward with the punch, Junior bends his knees and lowers his elevation. The moment Velasquez sees Junior's lowered right hand (check out his line of sight in frame 2), he prepares to counter to Junior's exposed jawline. As Cigano changes levels, Cain feels safe in committing, his eyes fixed on Junior's cro-magnon skull (now look at his line of sight in frame 3).
By the time he notices Junior's right hand sailing over his shoulder, Cain can only wince and turn away. No, it wasn't pretty. In fact, that may just have been the ugliest punch ever landed. But the point is that it landed, and it landed as a result of deliberate strategy.
In combat sports, there is no such thing as a lucky punch. Junior threw a hard punch which was intended to hit Cain in the head. It did. None of us should be surprised. Luck may be a factor in everything, but the only lucky man in that fight was Cain Velasquez-lucky that Junior was happy to relent when the ref pulled him off.
Continues at Bloody Elbow...
I won't deny that I'm baiting a little bit with the title, but I hope that leads to pleasant surprise when people realize the irony in my use of the phrase. 
