Daniel Cormier (DC) recently put his heavyweight title on the line against the former champ, Stipe Miocic.
Read MoreRecently, I was having a conversation about two of the best fighters in MMA history. The two in question are Georges St-Pierre (GSP) and Khabib Nurmagomedov. This then led me to the question – who would win?
Read MoreWithin BJJ, there are a few unspoken rules. And these have to do with the conversation surrounding rank, other people being promoted and how you gauge yourself against them.
Read MoreIf anyone wants to step foot on to the Lockdown mat, regardless of skill and talent, they are welcome. If someone is a good fighter, then they are more than welcome. The more skilled people we have, the better everyone gets.
Read MoreAfter all these years of training, I still haven’t figured out how to move my head out of the way of punches without giving up other aspects of striking and giving my opponent an opening.
Read MoreFor MMA fans in NZ and Australia, the fight between Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker is about as big as it gets. It’s for the undisputed UFC middleweight title and sees Whittaker, who was born in NZ but grew up in Australia taking on Adesanya, a Nigerian born man who has adopted NZ as his home. This is the biggest fight to affect this corner of the globe.
Read MoreThere are always difficult times in our lives. Life can end up being our biggest opponent, beating us up and consequently, we struggle. Struggling can take effect in physical or emotional form. When we feel like that, should we stay home, or should we train?
Read MoreDuring my tenure as coach at Lockdown MMA, I have always mentioned the term “pub rules.” When I say pub rules, I am referring to how people react regardless of any kind of martial training. To use it, is to take advantage of the reptile part of our brain – the reactions we have that we just don’t think about. The instinctive and natural way people react to certain situations that often require years of training and effort to counteract.
Read MoreWithin most combat sports, people compete in weight divisions, and this is with good reason. Size plays a role in competition, especially when pain is involved.
Read MoreIn my opinion, Khabib ‘The Eagle’ Nurmagomedov is the best MMA fighter on the planet right now. His undefeated record and ability to absolutely nullify his opponents have been a very impressive feat in the UFC. His techniques appear to be simple yet yields some of the best results.
Read MoreSo, there’s this theory. It goes something like this: if you started something before puberty, your body adapts, allowing you to hold those skills for life.
Read MoreA big part of being a martial artist is staying humble. However, the more you train and the better you get, the harder that becomes.
MMA has been the most humbling sport I’ve ever done. I started my fight career in kickboxing and its there that I had the most success in any one sport.
Read MoreWhen the history of MMA is written, the Lion’s Den will feature as an early instalment of dominant fight camps. Nowadays, we think of fight gyms like AKA (American kickboxing academy), Tristar Gym and Jackson/Wink MMA academy. But before these fight gyms captured the imagination of MMA fans and fighters alike, the Lion’ Den was the big kid on the block. How did they become so dominant?
Read MoreSince getting back to training pure BJJ, I set myself a target. I had aimed to tap out the black belt I usually roll with. With the benefit of hindsight though, I realise that was a stupid goal… really stupid.
Read MoreWithout doubt, the number 1 fight gym in New Zealand is City Kickboxing. Based in Auckland, City Kickboxing has received a lot of success; in one UFC event, they had three fighters come away successful and they are also the home of the current interim middleweight UFC champion – Israel Adesanya. In terms of MMA success, City Kickboxing is light years ahead of other gyms in NZ.
Read MoreThe hook to the body is one of the most effective punches there is. For the puncher, it is a thing of beauty. Do it right, and your opponent is out for the count. However, like anything else in fight sports, it is easier said than done.
Read MoreYears ago, I was told something that stuck with me. When training for fight sports, “more isn’t better, better is better and any fool can train hard”. So, with our limited time, how do get the most out our workouts?
Read MoreWhen competing in fight sports, some of us connect our self-worth to the result of the competition. One’s sense of worth is tied up in victory; often feeling better about ourselves when we win. Now, what I am saying is different from enjoying winning, I’m talking about how a person views themselves in relation to a victory or a loss.
Read MoreOver the years I have noticed something interesting in sparring. People will try a move three times and if there is no success then they will give up on that move. Turns out that this trait is hard wired in to our mammal DNA.
Read MoreIn the fight world, we need to have very short memories. Within fight sports, generally speaking, we try to avoid making as many mistakes as possible. Some of the best fighters earn this title due to the limited number of mistakes made during their performances. In saying that though, it is a very difficult task, and this often results in a series of obvious mistakes. However, if we think about what just went wrong for too long, then the chances are you’re about to be drowning in a sea full of mistakes.
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