Any takedown that requires you to shoot under your opponent is going to be more difficult for fighters considered tall for their weight class. Plenty of taller grapplers tend to even prefer pulling guard in order to work off their back against shorter-limbed opponents.
The Top 5 Takedowns For Taller Fighters Are
- Ankle Picks
- Inside Trip or Ouchi Gari
- Uchi Mata
- Osoto Gari
- Tomoe Nage
Naturally, being tall for your weight class and having a longer reach can be advantageous in other ways for a fighter. When it comes to takedowns, however, utilizing leg trips, ankle picks, hip throws and other takedown methods that don’t involve getting lower than your opponent is a taller fighter’s best strategy. In this article, we break down the top 5 takedowns for taller fighters.
Ankle Picks
The height and long-limbs of a taller MMA fighter bodes well for using ankle picks in MMA. Essentially any takedown where you grab a hold of your opponent’s ankle can be classified as an ankle pick but there are different variations and set-ups available to use. For this takedown, you may want to get in close with your opponent and get underhook with one arm and obtain wrist control with the other. Pull the underhook in tight and use wrist-control to prevent your opponent from striking you from this position. Then use your hip to knock your opponent in the thigh on the same side you have underhook. If executed properly, this should knock your opponent’s leg in the air forcing all of their weight onto their other leg. At this point, release your wrist control, reach down, and pick your opponent’s ankle taking them to the mat. Not only is this a good takedown for someone much taller than their opponent, it will land them in an advantageous position for some ground and pound.
Yoel Romero has landed quite a few impressive ankle picks through his career but the one he scored in his second ever pro-fight is likely shown on highlight packages the most. Romero was fighting Michał Fijałka in 2010 in Poland after having defeated his 1st opponent in under a minute. Rather than bumping his opponent off balance, however, Romero just scooped down low and grabbed ahold of his opponent’s ankle and ripped it out from under him. Romero would go on to win the fight in the 3rd round via retirement. The rather brazen way Romero went in for this takedown could have potentially opened him up to a knee or other strikes from Fijałka but perhaps in 2010, Yoel Romero simply wasn’t concerned with such things.
Inside Trip or Ouchi Gari
Utilizing an inside trip or ouchi gari style takedown is also going to be easier than going for a wrestling takedown for taller fighters. To execute this takedown, you are simply wrapping your lead leg around your opponent’s inside leg and taking them down to the mat. Different approaches and variations exist, however. One approach a taller fighter may want to use is to almost get your opponent in a body lock. From the clinch, push your opponent’s arm down and wrap your arms around their torso. Then step in towards your opponent and wrap one leg around theirs from the inside out and take them to the mat.
Your longer legs should give you an advantage here. In MMA, you can fall with your opponent when taking them down as well. As you fall with them, a likely position you’ll land in is half-guard. You may want to try and posture up from this position for some ground and pound, which will also be benefitted by you having longer limbs than your opponent.
Jon Jones is a fan of using inside leg trips. At 6ft 4 and 205lbs, Jones is often taller than his opponents and despite his wrestling pedigree, it benefits him to not attempt riskier takedowns on his opponents. During his fight against Quinton “Rampage” Jackson at UFC 135, Jones pulled off an impressive feat by taking down his opponent with an inside leg trip from a headlock position. Rampage was pretty tired and was thwarting off Jones’ attempts by constantly moving backwards while in the clinch position. Once he’d backed up into the cage, however, he was all out of real estate. Jones then grabbed Rampage in a front headlock. At this point, Rampage was paying closer attention to the choke than anything else and as a result Jones was able to wrap his lead leg around Rampage’s leg and take him to the mat. Jones would make Rampage tap to a rear-naked-choke to end the fight.
Uchi Mata
Utilizing a Uchi Mata throw is an excellent way for a taller fighter to take their opponent down without having to get lower than them. This judo hip throw is also an effective tool for countering your opponent’s takedown attempts. From the right-handed perspective, you want to have your right-leg positioned in between your opponent’s legs. Your right foot should be pointing toward your opponent’s left foot and you want to then make your opponent ride up on your hip. Then use your hip as a pivot point and rotate until your opponent is thrown over your body and to the mat.This should put you in an advantageous position on the ground when they land, possibly north-south or side-control.
The advantage here for a taller fighter is that by using your hip and getting close to your opponent for the throw, you never have to shoot low like you would for a traditional wrestling takedown. This throw is a great counter for if your opponent attempts to do that, however.
If your opponent goes for a single or double-leg takedown, they are likely going to make themselves vulnerable to this throw. A perfect example of a successful uchi mata counter to a takedown in MMA comes from the Douglas Lima vs Rory MacDonald fight at Bellator 192. MacDonald attempted a takedown early in the 4th round and Lima counterd with a perfect uchi mata. From there he transitioned to full mount and had MacDonald in a bad way. MacDonald would go on to win the fight via unanimous decision but Lima would avenge the loss and recapture the Bellator welterweight title in the rematch at Bellator 232.
Plenty of skilled judokas have used an Uchi Mata to counter takedown attempts from skilled wrestlers in MMA. One of those fighters is Ronda Rousey, who early in her career basically just went for judo throws and armbars, with an uchi mata being a particularly useful tool in her tool belt.
Osoto Gari
Another judo throw similar to the uchi mata which can be utilized by taller fighters in MMA is the osoto gari. Essentially, this throw is an uchi mata but your leg is going to wrap around your opponent’s outside leg instead. While the uchi mata will likely land you in half-guard after, using an uchi mata in MMA will likely land you in side control after or in a perfect position for an armbar.
A perfect example of a fighter using a successful osoto gari in MMA comes from UFC 219. Matheus Nicolau landed a perfect osoto gari on Louis Smolka late in the 3rd round. It actually looked as though he was coming in for a jab but his intent was to take his opponent down. Nicolau landed in side-control after sweeping Smolka’s outside leg and would go on to win a unanimous decision.
Another example of an osoto gari in MMA comes from Khabib Nurmagomedov’s fight with Raphael Dos Anjos in April of 2014. With 3 minutes to go in the 3rd round, RDA had Nurmagomedov up against the cage but Khabib got his leg around his opponent’s outside leg and took him down with an osoto gari. He would go on to win a unanimous decision over the former UFC lightweight champion, the 22nd straight victory of his career by that point.
Tomoe Nage
Easily the most fun throw for a taller fighter to attempt is the Tomoe Nage.This throw is pretty difficult to execute in a fight, however, especially one with no gi. It would be most beneficial for a taller fighter, especially one with long legs. Basically for this throw, you want to grab a hold of your opponent and then fall backwards almost in a backward somersault motion. As you do this, plant your foot in your opponents stomach and take them on the ride with you. Push your opponent up with your foot and take them over your body so that their feet go completely over their head. You can then transition into full mount by doing another backward somersault and landing on top of your opponent, if you are so inclined. The advantage here for the taller fighter is that you never have to shoot low and longer legs means your opponent has farther to fall.
This move is very hard to pull off in MMA but it has happened. In a bout from UFC 13, judoka Christopher Leininger pulled off the move on Guy Mezger and transitioned to mount. Mezger was able to get back to his feet, however, and eventually finished the judoka off in the overtime period en route to winning the lightweight tournament.