How to Win an MMA Match
Train regularly and well., Make weight as smoothly as possible., Keep a good stance., Know your advantages and be prepared to use them., Study your opponent's previous fights., Know the advantages of different attacks and targets., If your opponent...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Train regularly and well.
Although it might be obvious, it isn't obvious to every MMA amateur fighter.
Some professionals train up to seven hours a day on their fighting skills, so it's fairly evident that self discipline and focus on daily training is an important part of getting anywhere near success in MMA.
Just be aware that a failure to train consistently and with dedication will mark you as a likely loser from the start because you'll lack the requisite practice and exercise required.
At the very least, you need proficient skill in striking, clinching, and ground-fighting.
As well, learn about successfully transitioning (or resisting transitioning) between the three above skills.
Train in everything, as striking or grappling alone is not enough.
If there is an area you're weak in, your opponent will take advantage and defeat you easily.
Optimally, you should also work on conditioning your body as a whole.
Increase your strength, speed, balance, coordination, and cardio.
Finally, work on increasing your tolerance for pain.
This one may never be completely worked out but you can do your best to improve your tolerance. -
Step 2: Make weight as smoothly as possible.
Most, if not all, of your fights will be in an organization that requires you to fight in a certain weight class (there are nine weight classes).Aim always to be as heavy as you can be, but still be in the weight class you want to fight at.
Try to spread out your weight gain or loss over a long period of time because too much weight loss and you'll feel tired and disoriented in the fight, and too much weight gain and you'll have more fat than muscle, along with poor cardio. , Ideally, your feet should be shoulder length apart and slightly bent.
Your hands should be up in front of your face, your chin should be down, and your shoulders up, to protect you from knock-out.
If your opponent attacks your body, block with your elbows.
Ignore the temptation to use your forearms because you need those up to protect your head. , If your opponent is weaker in ground fighting, take the fight to the ground.
If you have a reach advantage, use your kicks to keep your opponent off you as much as possible.
If your opponent has the reach advantage, get in close to nullify it. , Look what he or she likes to do.
Is your opponent like Mirko Cro Cop, who is a striker and hates being on the ground, even when he's on top? Or is your opponent a Brock Lesnar, where it's just takedown and beat up? If your opponent tries to fake intents, don't fall for it.
You've seen what your opponent likes to do, and you aren't going to let him or her pull it off. , Hitting the legs can slow your opponent down, and if your opponent can't put weight on them, s/he can't push off the ground and hit you with as much power.
Hitting the torso can put strain on the lungs, making your opponent tired.
In addition, a powerful enough strike to the stomach or kidneys can seriously injure your opponent, forcing your opponent out of the fight (though this doesn't happen often).
Attacking your opponent's head hurts a lot (there are a lot of nerve endings in your face, so it's more sensitive than other areas), and it has the potentiality for a knockout.
In addition, punches are a lot faster and more accurate than kicks, but kicks have more power and longer reach.
Kicks are ideal for attacking the legs and punches are better for attacking the head, with the torso in the middle for both. , If you manage to grab your opponent's wrist, then you can pull him or her forward, kick the back of his or her knee, and choke 'em out.
If s/he has his or her hands down, go for the head.
If s/he has his or her hands across his/her face too closely, this might hurt their vision, so go low (like leg kicks and knee kicks, if the organization allows it). , They can see the fight from an angle you can't, and they're probably a lot calmer than you, so they'll have a much better idea of what to do than you will. , Don't use one technique over and over.
If there is a technique working really well against another opponent, use it, but throw others in there as well.
Become too predictable and your opponent will soon have the advantage. , No matter what situation you're in, there's always a way to win, even if your opponent has you in a rear-naked choke, arguably the best submission in existence.
You can always escape, counter, or at least survive, but you have to stay calm. , Congratulate your opponent and tell him or her it was a great fight, whether you lose or win, and be as sincere as possible.
Acting like a jerk stems from pride, and pride can cloud your vision, make you underestimate your opponent, and generally be your downfall.
Look at Michael Bisping.
He is a great, skilled fighter, and he deserves all the praise he gets.
But, he let it go to his head, got full of himself, acted like a jerk to Dan Henderson, and got knocked out by Dan Henderson in their fight.
Even if you're as anti-tradition as a martial artist can get, the traditionalists know what they're talking about when they say, "A martial artist must always be humble". -
Step 3: Keep a good stance.
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Step 4: Know your advantages and be prepared to use them.
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Step 5: Study your opponent's previous fights.
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Step 6: Know the advantages of different attacks and targets.
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Step 7: If your opponent gives you the slightest opening
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Step 8: take it.
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Step 9: If you have someone shouting directions from your corner
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Step 10: listen to them.
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Step 11: Mix it up.
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Step 12: Never panic.
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Step 13: After the fight
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Step 14: don't be a jerk.
Detailed Guide
Although it might be obvious, it isn't obvious to every MMA amateur fighter.
Some professionals train up to seven hours a day on their fighting skills, so it's fairly evident that self discipline and focus on daily training is an important part of getting anywhere near success in MMA.
Just be aware that a failure to train consistently and with dedication will mark you as a likely loser from the start because you'll lack the requisite practice and exercise required.
At the very least, you need proficient skill in striking, clinching, and ground-fighting.
As well, learn about successfully transitioning (or resisting transitioning) between the three above skills.
Train in everything, as striking or grappling alone is not enough.
If there is an area you're weak in, your opponent will take advantage and defeat you easily.
Optimally, you should also work on conditioning your body as a whole.
Increase your strength, speed, balance, coordination, and cardio.
Finally, work on increasing your tolerance for pain.
This one may never be completely worked out but you can do your best to improve your tolerance.
Most, if not all, of your fights will be in an organization that requires you to fight in a certain weight class (there are nine weight classes).Aim always to be as heavy as you can be, but still be in the weight class you want to fight at.
Try to spread out your weight gain or loss over a long period of time because too much weight loss and you'll feel tired and disoriented in the fight, and too much weight gain and you'll have more fat than muscle, along with poor cardio. , Ideally, your feet should be shoulder length apart and slightly bent.
Your hands should be up in front of your face, your chin should be down, and your shoulders up, to protect you from knock-out.
If your opponent attacks your body, block with your elbows.
Ignore the temptation to use your forearms because you need those up to protect your head. , If your opponent is weaker in ground fighting, take the fight to the ground.
If you have a reach advantage, use your kicks to keep your opponent off you as much as possible.
If your opponent has the reach advantage, get in close to nullify it. , Look what he or she likes to do.
Is your opponent like Mirko Cro Cop, who is a striker and hates being on the ground, even when he's on top? Or is your opponent a Brock Lesnar, where it's just takedown and beat up? If your opponent tries to fake intents, don't fall for it.
You've seen what your opponent likes to do, and you aren't going to let him or her pull it off. , Hitting the legs can slow your opponent down, and if your opponent can't put weight on them, s/he can't push off the ground and hit you with as much power.
Hitting the torso can put strain on the lungs, making your opponent tired.
In addition, a powerful enough strike to the stomach or kidneys can seriously injure your opponent, forcing your opponent out of the fight (though this doesn't happen often).
Attacking your opponent's head hurts a lot (there are a lot of nerve endings in your face, so it's more sensitive than other areas), and it has the potentiality for a knockout.
In addition, punches are a lot faster and more accurate than kicks, but kicks have more power and longer reach.
Kicks are ideal for attacking the legs and punches are better for attacking the head, with the torso in the middle for both. , If you manage to grab your opponent's wrist, then you can pull him or her forward, kick the back of his or her knee, and choke 'em out.
If s/he has his or her hands down, go for the head.
If s/he has his or her hands across his/her face too closely, this might hurt their vision, so go low (like leg kicks and knee kicks, if the organization allows it). , They can see the fight from an angle you can't, and they're probably a lot calmer than you, so they'll have a much better idea of what to do than you will. , Don't use one technique over and over.
If there is a technique working really well against another opponent, use it, but throw others in there as well.
Become too predictable and your opponent will soon have the advantage. , No matter what situation you're in, there's always a way to win, even if your opponent has you in a rear-naked choke, arguably the best submission in existence.
You can always escape, counter, or at least survive, but you have to stay calm. , Congratulate your opponent and tell him or her it was a great fight, whether you lose or win, and be as sincere as possible.
Acting like a jerk stems from pride, and pride can cloud your vision, make you underestimate your opponent, and generally be your downfall.
Look at Michael Bisping.
He is a great, skilled fighter, and he deserves all the praise he gets.
But, he let it go to his head, got full of himself, acted like a jerk to Dan Henderson, and got knocked out by Dan Henderson in their fight.
Even if you're as anti-tradition as a martial artist can get, the traditionalists know what they're talking about when they say, "A martial artist must always be humble".
About the Author
Jennifer Wells
Creates helpful guides on hobbies to inspire and educate readers.
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