What happened to closed guard? And what replaced it?

[Terminalwhitebelt]

I have seen closed guard less and less in MMA (which makes sense for obv reasons). My question is: what replaced it, and why?
From recent memory I can think of a ton people playing half guard from bottom, but how is that any better than closed guard?
It seems like fighters work on turning away from their opponent (while keeping an underhook to stop giving up their back) in order to work up to their feet.
My only theory is that half guard / positions that occupy the hands of the guy on top is safer than closed guard where the guy on top has their hands free to punch/elbow.

 

[mjoln]

Trump closed it

 

[Hellowhosthat]

I have seen closed guard less and less in MMA (which makes sense for obv reasons). My question is: what replaced it, and why?
From recent memory I can think of a ton people playing half guard from bottom, but how is that any better than closed guard?
It seems like fighters work on turning away from their opponent (while keeping an underhook to stop giving up their back) in order to work up to their feet.
My only theory is that half guard / positions that occupy the hands of the guy on top is safer than closed guard where the guy on top has their hands free to punch/elbow.

Closed guard locks you on the bottom and it's generally a losing position in MMA unless you have great subs but to use subs you have to open the guard up anyway.

 

[BigOlJeet]

Only cans use it now.

 

[Terminalwhitebelt]

Only cans use it now.

lmao the last time I remember it used was Kevin Holland vs Dolidze (but Holland did this weird thing where he triangled his legs)

 

[CerebralKnievel]

Closed guard locks you on the bottom and it's generally a losing position in MMA unless you have great subs but to use subs you have to open the guard up anyway.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

lmao the last time I remember it used was Kevin Holland vs Dolidze (but Holland did this weird thing where he triangled his legs)

Body triangle from guard isn't weird. Anderson Silva used to do it a lot.

It makes me laugh when someone does it because Rogan always starts complaining about it.

 

[gentel]

Basically, these days everyone is too wise about defending the subs and sweeps from closed guard, so it's practically just stalling and conceding the round via GnP

Half guard is one of the worst positions in MMA cause it allows more GnP

Ironically, giving up a no-hooks back body lock and going for the stand up is turning out pretty effective

 

[Myrddin Wild]

Closed guard is a defensive position that accepts the bottom with no chance of sub or escape.

To have any chance at a sub or an escape, you have to open it. Various strategies from half guard have sub & escape options as well, but they also open thingz up for teh fighter on top.

 

[Thy]

Get gnped from the guy on top of u prolly didn't help. Lotsa people lost consciousness from closed guard or lost a lot of points in it. Better to scramble and post up, work for subs to create scrambles and better positions maybe? i dunno, things evolve.

 

[Shaolin Alan]

Closed guard has been replaced by fence hugging

 

[WoozyFailGuy]

It's fine in pure BJJ where you're not getting pelted with punches, or now, 12-6 elbows.

In MMA competition, I much prefer butterfly guard, opens up more sweeps and subs.

 

[Sean Chowdhury]

no one likes to stay on their back in modern mma, the new meta is fighters trying to scramble back to their feet by attacking heel hooks or using butterfly hooks

 

[Megatronlee]

I have seen closed guard less and less in MMA (which makes sense for obv reasons). My question is: what replaced it, and why?
From recent memory I can think of a ton people playing half guard from bottom, but how is that any better than closed guard?
It seems like fighters work on turning away from their opponent (while keeping an underhook to stop giving up their back) in order to work up to their feet.
My only theory is that half guard / positions that occupy the hands of the guy on top is safer than closed guard where the guy on top has their hands free to punch/elbow.

Didnt get replaced.

We just know how to win a fight now

 

[laleggenda27]

Closed guard locks you on the bottom and it's generally a losing position in MMA unless you have great subs but to use subs you have to open the guard up anyway.

Closed guard is pretty much only useful when you're either:

1. Hurt and trying to recover; or
2. Stuck under a superior grappler and trying to stall.

It's a purely defensive position, so it should be used sparingly.

 

[GordoBarraBJJ]

Kron got tko'd by bryce

 

[italiamusica]

I don't practice jiu jitsu but maybe it's because people aren't really going for triangles anymore, so there's really no reason to stay in closed guard? Also, to a lot of judges it could be seen as stalling or not trying to advance the position, if they're not going for a submission. It also just seems like a bad idea if you don't have a good ground game, it's almost locking yourself into a position to get hammered on the noggin'.

 

[chiefwiggum]

Short elbows

 

[froggyluv]

The ghey just became too strong with that one

 

[Pain4Pain]

It’s good for stalling after getting hurt or a round that’s about to end.

Bisping used it very well against GSP and peppered him with strikes to the point where he hesitated taking him down. It seems advantageous for a taller fighter on the bottom.