ANALYZING THE FINAL ROUND'S HEAD KICK KO FINISH

It has been three tough rounds now. Round 1: we covered the importance of breaking down your sparring and fight footage. Round 2: why the teep is the "god weapon". And in Round 3: the importance of the clinch and why it is almost a god weapon.

Time to break down the fourth and final round. 

To recap very quickly, Sean had a tough first three rounds. His opponent’s teep is laser sharp, and he has very strong punching combinations.

Sean knows that he’s down on the scorecards. He has to go out on his shield or else he’ll likely lose the decision.

For the epic conclusion to this fight, check it out:

Fight Breakdown: Head Kick TKO Technique (Round 4)

Head Kick KO Loss: Analysis

As you saw, unfortunately, this did not go Sean’s way. His opponent, Phetch, was able to rock Sean with punches and eventually land a brutal head kick.

Even though both knockdowns came from head...

How To Knock Your Opponent Out With Elbows Inside The Clinch

We’ve all got blades on our arms, some are sharper than others, but they slice and dice all the same. These blades I’m referring to are elbows.

Elbows, like knees, are made to be utilized within close range. Though you may be within the range they’re designed for, that does not always mean you’ll be able to use them properly. Positioning is key. 

What type of position will we be looking at today?

We’ll look, as one always should, at the position of maximal leverage; in this particular instance, the clinch. This is an important point to consider if you’re facing an opponent more physically able than you are. 

It would be silly to fight on an equal playing field, therefore you must be able to maneuver to positions advantageous to you and disadvantageous to him. 

The clinch will be such a position for you. Here are the tricks:

4 Deadly Elbow Techniques In The Clinch

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IF SET UP PROPERLY, THE QUESTION MARK KICK, ALSO KNOWN AS THE BRAZILIAN KICK OR DOWNWARD ROUNDHOUSE, IS ALMOST ALWAYS GUARANTEED TO LAND.

MASTERING THE QUESTION MARK KICK

Popularized by especially bendy fighters like Saenchai, the question mark kick is one of the most deceptive kicks in fighting

Its deception comes from its potential to be set up by the low kick and the teep – the two most common kicks you’ll ever see in fighting. It can use the exact same chamber as both.

This means that every single low kick or teep that comes could end up being turned into a knockout blow.

That’s a scary thought.

Here’s more detail on how to execute the technique, presented by Evolve MMA:

DECEIVING YOUR OPPONENT WITH THE TEEP

If you notice in the video above, there’s a slight difference in the low kick’s chamber and the question mark kick’s. The knee from the kicking leg is clearly moving in a different...