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Arnold Allen vs Sodiq Yuseff Thread
Let’s focus on basic handfighting for a second.
When you meet the opponent’s hand straight on, you mitigate straight shots, but leave an opening for them to hook over.
When you control the outside of their glove, you open yourself to jabs/straights up the middle.
When you meet the opponent’s hand straight on, you mitigate straight shots, but leave an opening for them to hook over.
When you control the outside of their glove, you open yourself to jabs/straights up the middle.
When opponents choose to forgoe the handfight, it’s probably their intention to get u overextending and blast you w/ a counter.
Here’s Poirier asking Gaethje to engage the handfight, noticing he WONT, & immediately turning his hand over into a hook to beat Gaethje to the punch.
Here’s Poirier asking Gaethje to engage the handfight, noticing he WONT, & immediately turning his hand over into a hook to beat Gaethje to the punch.
With Yusuff dictating the pace early, he literally tries to clench Allen’s fingers to gain more control.
Now they’re playing a game over who can win the position.
Arnold pivots off while guiding the glove away with a ‘palm outwards grip’
Why’s that important?
Now they’re playing a game over who can win the position.
Arnold pivots off while guiding the glove away with a ‘palm outwards grip’
Why’s that important?
Similiar to Dustin’s infamous “Crawfish Shell” Arnold Allen implements a stonewall defense to deflect & parry punches with the lead elbow pointed in an upwards trajectory.
Allen smoothly transitions from the stonewall guard to a reactive shot when Yusuff commits to kicking.
Allen smoothly transitions from the stonewall guard to a reactive shot when Yusuff commits to kicking.
Countering with bodywork! Rare in MMA
Arnold pushes the lead hand away so there’s no possibility of a hook and can draw out Yusuff’s rear hand.
Allen slips inside & underneath the straight, leaving Yuseff’s midsection exposed for the body uppercut.
Arnold pushes the lead hand away so there’s no possibility of a hook and can draw out Yusuff’s rear hand.
Allen slips inside & underneath the straight, leaving Yuseff’s midsection exposed for the body uppercut.
Not saying this is dirty tactic, fighting grips and applying them is a skill for a reason, but people won’t be lining up to spar if you do this in the gym lol
Good preemptive defense here, rolling under & side-stepping out on the side he threw with.
Most of the fight Allen had to draw Yusuff onto his shots while keeping an exit in mind.
Meanwhile Yusuff could simply plant & counter because his pressure would force Allen to move.
Most of the fight Allen had to draw Yusuff onto his shots while keeping an exit in mind.
Meanwhile Yusuff could simply plant & counter because his pressure would force Allen to move.
Once again Allen disengages from the handfight by turning the palm out so he can use a stonewall defense.
Allen has a read on Yusuff’s timing and he’s not attempting to setup the kicks anymore, which allows Allen to rip left hands when Yusuff squares his hip.
Allen has a read on Yusuff’s timing and he’s not attempting to setup the kicks anymore, which allows Allen to rip left hands when Yusuff squares his hip.
There comes a point where you have to mix up your tactics or else your opponent will catch on, especially at this level.
Live by the handfight die by the handfight lol
Live by the handfight die by the handfight lol
With Allen controlling open-space & Yusuff being more of a plodding fighter, Allen has room to setup the highkick.
Classic southpaw double threat. Jab feints to stand Yusuff tall, make him believe he’s slipping towards safety, instead of launching himself into left-sided bombs.
Classic southpaw double threat. Jab feints to stand Yusuff tall, make him believe he’s slipping towards safety, instead of launching himself into left-sided bombs.
Yusuff abandoned the handfight & used non-committal straights (where the shoulder rotates out before the punch) to throw off Allen’s rhythm & split his guard.
Yusuff would use lowkicks to take advantage of Allen’s cross-steps, trapping him along the fence for clinch entries.
Yusuff would use lowkicks to take advantage of Allen’s cross-steps, trapping him along the fence for clinch entries.
Leaving out some of the crafty stuff he does with the southpaw jab, figured I’ll probably go more in-depth on that someday
