Which Martial Art Should I Learn First?

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Martial arts have roots that you can trace back to ancient history. At their very essence, these combat forms were developed for protection and self-defense. As such, many of them are used in the military and remain part of most people’s cultural heritage.

That said, a military-like approach is not the only way to learn a martial art form. You can also start practicing specific MMA styles for recreation or as a hobby. You might also want to get into them for career reasons and to become a professional.

So, which martial arts should I learn first? Let’s go over the popular forms of martial arts and the top things to consider when learning them.

Popular Martial Art Forms

What’s great about martial arts is they change you holistically. They aren’t just about the physical. Rather, they are about the mental and spiritual, too. You’ll find these values ingrained in the following popular combat practices:

  • Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
  • Muay Thai
  • Karate
  • Taekwondo
  • Jujitsu
  • Judo 
  • Aikido

As you may have noticed, Japanese-originating martial art forms dominate the “most popular” list. In essence, this gives you a clue as to how self-disciplined Japanese people are and where their worldly values stem from.

Things To Consider When Taking up a Martial Art Form

Your preferences are likely to determine which martial art form you take up first. However, you might also want to consider the following factors for choosing a particular practice:

Ease of Learning

We wouldn’t exactly call easy martial art forms “easy,” but they can be easier to learn than others. For instance, some forms allow you to learn the basics from available audio-visual content online. They might also make practicing fundamental techniques and formations at home easier.

If a particular type of martial art lets you practice with dummies, then it’s likely one of the easier types to learn. For example, Jiu-jitsu is one such discipline that enables you to get started at home with dummies. However, eventually, you will need a partner to spar with to hone the most important skills of the practice. If you find one who’s just as interested as you are, or perhaps even more skilled than you, that would be even better.

One of the things that make Jiu-jitsu a great starter is its purpose. Initially, this martial art form was developed for taking down bigger, heavier opponents with as little fuss as possible. The fact that it’s one of the lighter disciplines out there makes it even more of a draw for first-time learners.

Motive

Why do you want to learn a martial art form? Think about it deeply, as failing this part could prevent you from seeing your journey through to the end.

You could have several motives for engaging in a combat practice, including self-protection, fitness, purpose, and discipline. Whatever these motives may be, assess them thoroughly and see if they can get you through training long-term.

If your primary purpose is recreation, you might want to go for a martial art form that’s a little less structured, like Jiu-jitsu. For as long as it serves your particular purpose, everything goes with this discipline. You can also opt not to learn the set of Jiu-jitsu moves in its entirety and simply attempt to master those that serve your specific motive.

A form that’s significantly more solid in terms of structure is Muay Thai. It turns parts of your body into weapons for delivering offense and defense. The purest form of Muay Thai is governed by a set of rules that are as solid as they come. That’s why one doesn’t take Muay Thai learning lightly. More often than not, a person only pursues the art form when he or she plans on going professional.

Capacity

Your physical traits and personal characteristics should very much be considerations for pursuing a martial art form. That’s because some forms hold a really high standard for even their beginners.

For instance, Krav Maga is almost impossible for non-physically-gifted individuals to get into. This and other martial art forms requiring the same level of intensity could test your pain and endurance levels to their limits. After all, it takes an extremely tough and determined individual to fight through immense pain and deliver techniques powerfully and accurately.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: One of the Safest Forms of Martial Arts

These days, there’s a lot of buzz surrounding Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or BJJ due to it becoming a major component in most MMA styles. How do you think you’ll fare in it? How safe is it, exactly?

BJJ is among the safest martial arts disciplines due to its solid set of rules governing training and competition. So much about this combat sport is rooted in honor, respect, and discipline, resulting in most of its mid- and high-level practitioners being more concerned with safety than anything else.

In terms of journey length, BJJ is one that takes your entire life to learn holistically. That’s because it doesn’t simply focus on the technical side; it also centers on the internalization of a lifestyle.

Nevertheless, from a purely technical perspective, a black belt in BJJ could take at least 10 to 15 years to accomplish. Some prodigies have gotten there in less time, but not all of us have these individuals’ gifts and skills. The quickest route to a BJJ black belt was achieved in just three years, an impossibility for many. Modeling your journey after this progression could prove fruitless and potentially dangerous, so don’t do it.

Nonetheless, the fact that BJJ centers on safety and lifestyle internalization means that it’s one of the best martial arts practices for first-timers.

You Can Learn Most Martial Art Forms First

Learning a martial art form has less to do with the art form itself than the learner. Basically, most popular combat practices can be ideal for beginners if they meet the person’s needs for learning, motivation, and physical and mental capacity. Considering your specific strengths and weaknesses should lead you to select a form of martial arts that’s right up your alley.

Goal consideration is also as important. You might want to be studying it at your place, and not all martial art forms allow for that. You might also be interested in taking up more than one martial art form, which is great but not always advisable for a beginner.

Logan Paul Goes the Distance with Floyd Mayweather

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Logan Paul is one of the biggest Youtubers’ on the platform with 23 million subscribers. In 2018, Paul fought in his first ever boxing match against fellow youtuber, KSI. After a tie in that match, they fought again in 2020 and Paul barely lost by split decision.

On the other side of the ring was Floyd Mayweather. He is arguably THE BEST boxer of all time. He is a lightweight fighter who was 50-0 in his professional career, winning by KO 27 times. Along with being a huge fighter, Mayweather is a very large social media influence, racking up 23 million followers on Instagram. Mayweather is one of the richest athletes on earth, and shows off his wealth whenever possible.

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Although Logan Paul was the bigger man, weighing 34.5 pounds more, and 6 inches more than Mayweather, he was also much less experienced in comparison. While Mayweather had been a professional fighter for just over 20 years and Paul had only fought for 3.

In the end, Logan Paul, the underdog, ended up going the distance with Mayweather in this exhibition bout. Even though many felt that Mayweather won the fight, Logan Paul survived 24 minutes with the obviously better fighter. Paul was also very aggressive the whole time, and was able to hit Mayweather many times. In my book, this is a win for both fighters as Mayweather made A LOT of what he loves most, money, and Logan Paul exceeded everybody’s expectations.

photos by Jim Rodriguez of Five Reasons to Bet (@JRodShow)

Errol Spence Jr. vs Danny Garcia Main Card Pick & Predictions

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Main Event: Errol Spence Jr. vs Danny Garcia for WBC & IBF Welterweight Title 

 

Pick: Errol Spence Jr

By: Decision

Fight Goes the Distance: Yes                                                                                                                                                                      

Breakdown: Errol Spence Jr. makes his long awaited return to face the tough Danny Garcia for both the WBC and the IBF Welterweight titles. On one side you have potentially the pound for pound greatest boxer today in Spence Jr. taking on a very game Danny Garcia who’s only two losses have come versus Shawn Porter and Keith Thurman, two of the best in the division. Spence is a southpaw who likes to work behind his jab. He starts off with a jab to gauge distance, then proceeds to add to it with body hooks and then uses his footwork to back you into the corner. Garcia has that excellent counter left hook, which will be interesting to see if he is able to figure out the puzzle of Errol. Garcis is undoubtedly a great fighter however it seems like the days of his prime are behind him. His last two fights have shown that he still has the ability to get the win and his ring iq is very high, however, it’s a different game when you’re facing someone such as Errol Spence. He is too defensive and is way better at controlling distance and pace. What makes Errol one of the pound for pound greats is his striking diversity, while most other fighters look to headhunt, Errol prefers to keep you guessing which allows for more holes. We see this in his fight against Carlos Ocampo when in the first round he won with two perfectly placed body hooks. The ability for Errol to wear fighters down and get better as the fight goes on is one that gives him an edge. At times we have seen Garcia just look to bide his time and try to work just enough to get a decision win, instead of going for the kill. And sure that makes you get knocked out less but versus fighters whose volume is very high such as a Spence Jr, you cannot allow yourself to get behind in the cards and just look to throw 1 or 2 punches for every 5 or 6 from Spence Jr. If Garcia wants any chance to win this fight, he will need to start first early and often and get a lead on the scorecards. However with his excellent timing and distance management, look for Errol to outbox Garcia over the course of the fight and get this one by decision. 

 

Co-Main Event: Habib Ahmed vs. Sebastian Fundora

Pick: Sebastian Fundora

By: TKO Round 7

Fight Goes the Distance: No                                                                                                                                                                  

Breakdown: We have an interesting fight at welterweight when we will see Sebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundora taking on Habib Ahmed in a Super Welterweight Title Eliminator in the co-main event. Sebastian is the way bigger fighter at a towering 6’6 compared to Ahmed’s 5’8. This fight is going to be very hard for Ahmed to win due to the fact that he will always be out of range when Fundora is in range. Fundora has great boxing abilities and the winner of this fight will get a shot at the Super Welterweight Champion. For Sebastian to win this fight, he will have to work the jab to continue to make Ahmed keep his distance. He will need to make sure that he avoids the counterpunches from Ahmed to win this. Look for Fundora to capitalize on Ahmed overextending himself to get into range. Fundora by TKO Late

 

Fight #3: Francisco Santana vs. Josesito Lopez

Pick: Josesito Lopez

By: Decision

Fight Goes the Distance: Yes 

Breakdown: Josesito Lopez does what more boxers should do. Regardless of his record, he continues to try and line up the best possible fight and continues to show his guts. Having faced Keith Thurman and Canelo Alvarez, He has great experience coming in. Santana Has not faced anyone at the level of Lopez nor has he shown the ability to get the win. Lopez has much better footwork and pace in the ring, whereas you will see Santana get sloppy and not be able to lead the dance. Look for Lopez to have a masterpiece in this fight where we will get to see him showcase his abilities and work in and out of range to get the win. 

 

Fight #4: Miguel Flores vs. Eduardo Ramirez

Pick: Eduardo Ramirez

By: Decision

Fight Goes the Distance: Yes 

Breakdown: Ramirez is coming in as the underdog in this fight, but watching his film, it shows that he is able to elevate himself to another level at times. He is a boxer that does carry some risk with his aggressiveness and volume at times, but if we see the best Eduardo Ramirez come in, it is likely we can see him take this fight. In the other corner, we have Miguel Flores who’s’ coming off of a loss vs Leo Santa Cruz. As we know, Santa Cruz is one of the greats at his weight so no shame in that loss. But we did not see the Miguel Flores that we wanted to see in that fight. He was slow and it was clear that the speed of Santa Cruz was too much. Look for Ramirez to dance around Flores and get the win in the cards. 

 

Parlay of the Week: Spence Jr., Fundora, Lopez

 

You can follow Johnathan on Twitter  @ThreePieceCombo 

UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs Vettori Picks & Predictions

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Parlay of the Night: Movsar Evloev, Ovince St. Preux, Jack Hermansson 

 

Main Event: #4 Jack Hermansson vs #13 Marvin Vettori

Pick: Jack Hermansson

By: Decision

Breakdown: Jack Hermansson is finally locked in on Marvin Vettori after his two previous opponents Darren Till and Kevin Holland fell out due to various reasons. This fight is a great matchup where we will see the ever evolving Hermansson take on the last guy to push the Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya in Vettori. This being a 5 round fight is a big advantage for Jack being that he was preparing for this while Vettori was preparing for 3 rounds against Jacare Souza. Hermansson comes in with a strike advantage of 5.1 to 4.3 when it comes to landed strikes per minute. Vettori isn’t heavy on throwing lots of volume on the feet. He tends to throw one strike at a time whereas you will see Jack Hermansson throw multiple at a time, especially if he is able to land that first shot. He does a good job using his jab and striking to back you up to the fence where he will either continue to piece you up with shots or he will put you in a position vulnerable for a takedown. By no means is Jack Hermansson a highly technical striker, but he is a level above Vettori and has good enough combinations and variety on the feet to give him an edge. Hermansson has shown the ability to control the ground game as well. Vettori does offer a better takedown percentage at 47% compared to Hermansson’s 35%, however Hermansson averages more takedowns on a per 15 minute basis averaging 2.2 takedowns per 15 mins compared to 1.7 for Vettori. In this fight we will see it start out very competitive but throughout the course of the fight, Hermansson will take control and get the win. Vettori hasn’t been finished before, so this one is likely to go to the cards. 

Potential Props: Over 2.5 (1.66/-152), Hermansson to win by UD (7.5/+650) 

 

Fight #2: Ovince St Preux vs Jamahal Hill

Pick: Ovince St. Preux  

By: Submission

Round: 2

Breakdown: Ovince St Preux is coming off of an impressive knockout win where he finished his opponent with a slicing counter left hook on the button. On the other side you have the undefeated Jamahal Hill who has looked good in his first few UFC outings. OSP is one of the most experienced fighters on this UFC roster formerly challenging for a title. The athletic OSP that we’ve known over the years isn’t the same one we see today, however he brings a high octagon iq and a ton of experience with him entering the cage. Jamahal hill has not faces anyone close to the caliper of OSP and although he’s a great striker, that’s the only dimension of his game that is threatening. He does have good footwork and has shown good takedown defense against lower level fighters but going against someone as big as Ovince is will be a new challenge for him. Hill also will not have his usual few inches of height and reach advantage due to the big frame of OSP. This big frame will be strong enough to initiate the clinch and control Hill to the ground. Once he’s in this position, look for OSP to wear out Hill on the ground with ground and pound until the submission presents itself. 

 

Fight #3: Gabriel Benitez vs Justin Jaynes

Pick: Justin Jaynes

By: Knockout 

Round: Round 1

Breakdown: This fight is a sleeper for a potential fight of the night or at least a performance bonus. Justin Jaynes is a heavy hitter with a mean left hook that has put out a few opponents. On the other hand Gabriel Benitez is a bouncy striker who likes to enter and exit range and use a good diversity of strikes. Benitez comes in having 4 of 8 of his losses coming in the first round. He is someone who starts slow and gets better as the fight goes on but sometimes that costs him. Jaynes on the other has won his last 5 by way of first round knockout. This seems like almost a perfect storm for Jaynes to deliver one of those excellent left hooks. There is of course the chance that Benitez will survive and gets better as the fight goes on, but Jaynes as an underdog in this fight has a good chance of cashing in and coming off of his first loss in 2 years where we saw him fade in the later rounds, look for him to be able to carry that hitting power longer than before. 

 

Fight #4: #14 Montana De La Rosa vs Taila Santos

Pick: Taila Santos 

By: Decision

Breakdown: Let me tell you that initially due to the amount of unknown in this fight, it would be safer to leave this one out of parlays. That being said we will see a heavy clash in styles when we see someone who is great on the ground in Montana De La Rosa taking on the great striker Taila Santos. Santos is coming in with only one loss, and that loss being a split decision so she has shown the ability to get fights won by scoring and using her footwork. Montana De La Rosa does not have good striking by any means but if she is able to take this fight down, then it will most likely be hers. The reason we are going with Taila Santos is due to her showing before. Even if she gets taken down, she has shown to avoid it for a while and is able to also score enough to mitigate the scoring of the takedown and control time. Look for Santos to try to keep this fight standing and work De La Rosa to the scorecards. 

 

Fight #5: Roman Dolidze vs John Allan

Pick: Roman Dolidze

By: Submission

Round: 3

Breakdown: 1 of 3 undefeated fighters on the main card, Dolidze is coming in off of an impressive head kick win in his UFC Debut. John Allan did pick up the win in his last time out against Mike Rodriguez, but it was overturned to a no contest due to a failed drug test. Dolidze has finished all of his fights and has won multiple world grappling titles outside of the UFC. This is a huge problem for Allan because 80% of his losses have come by submission. Allan has heavy hands and it will be interesting to see if he carries the same power after coming off of PED’s. Dolidze is a heavy hitter as well so we might see some time where both fighters are feeling each other out initially. Allan is a slight underdog in this fight, but due to the credentials of Dolidze it feels like that number should be bigger. Look for Dolidze to pick up the win late in this fight, or for it to potentially hit the cards. 

 

Fight #6: Movsar Evloev vs Nate Landwehr

Pick: Movsar Evloev 

By: Decision

Breakdown: Undefeated Movsar Evloev is coming in having won all 3 of his UFC fights in the same dominant fashion. He is continuing to get better on the feet while having near Khabib-esque technique with his takedowns and the way he keeps his weight on you. Nate is a great fighter who when paired up against the right person is sure to always deliver a banger of a fight. But facing someone like Movsar Evloev is a different animal from the ones that Landwehr has faced before. Movsar keeps his hands high which will do well against someone who is a headhunter like Nate. Nate does show the ability to avoid that first takedown, but when his opponent continues to try and drag him down, he usually ends up on the floor. In this position we will see Movsar control most of the fight and likely pick up the decision win. 

 

You can follow Johnathan on Twitter @ThreePieceCombo

Three Piece Picks: UFC 255 Figueiredo vs Perez Card

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Main Event: (C) Deiveson Figueiredo vs #4 Alex Perez

 

Pick: Deiveson Figueiredo 

By: TKO

Round: 3

Breakdown: Deiveson Figueiredo is coming in making his first title defense after putting down Joseph Benavidez twice. He is coming into this fight with a single blemish on his MMA record at 19-1. On the other side, Alex Perez is coming in as Dana White Contender Series Alumni and having a record of 6-1 in the UFC and 24-5 overall. In this fight, the power of Figueiredo is going to be the key. He comes in with a distinct advantage in striking. He also comes in as a Brazilian Ju Jutsu Black Belt. Alex Perez comes in with an advantage in the wrestling advantage, but how long will he be able to keep Figueiredo down? Proven in his previous fights, he is shown to be able to stave off takedowns, and even if he does get taken down, he can get back up and work off of his back if not fully get back up. Perez is also shown to leave himself open when striking. In his fights against Joseph Benavidez, he got dropped after leaving himself open to counterpunches. If he gets dropped against Joey B, it’s hard to see him fight a perfect fight against Deiveson Figueredo and make him miss if he plans to throw any type of offense. Now there is a clear path for Alex Perez, which is if he can get the takedown, he can sap the energy of Figueiredo and tire him out. We know that Figueiredo has shown a bit of a cardio problem, and it’s uncertain if this will be a problem going forward. He has made claims that he is 9 lbs lighter now than he usually is at this time, so if his body fat and amount of muscle that he’s carrying is a bit down, we can see his gas tank improve. Perez has great wrestling and this fight is much closer than the odds show ( +230 Alex Perez), but his striking still has holes in it, and if Figueiredo can land just one, it could be the beginning of the end for Perez. Look for Figueiredo to outpower Alex Perez and take this win by TKO 

 

Co-Main Event: (C) Valentina Shevchenko vs. Jennifer Maia

 

Pick: Valentina Shevchenko

By: TKO

Round: 2

Breakdown: Maia is coming in as a heavy underdog going as high as +1000 on some books. Valentina comes in with an advantage in almost all the stats. This is going to be her 4th title defense and she has looked impressive in every one of her title fights. Even in her only loss in a title fight against Amanda Nunez, it was a split decision and she took the female GOAT to the judge’s scorecard. She has a distinct advantage on the feet because of her footwork and striking. Her ability to manage distance and keep herself at a safe distance has been her strength. She makes her opponent miss so much and then works the counterpunches. She comes in as a southpaw and is an excellent muy thai practitioner. She comes in with all the advantages in the striking stats and grappling stats except for significant strikes per minute which is only because Maia gets more shots down once she takes her opponent down. In this fight, Maia will need to try to get Valentina on her back and keep her there. Valentina has good takedown defense which is sitting at 77% right now. She is also great at timing her clinches with her opponent’s takedowns and getting knees and punches on the break. Valentina will systematically break down Jennifer Maia in this fight and it will be an excellent showcase for her. Maia does have a path to victory in trying to take this fight to the ground, but the former Invicta FC Flyweight Champ has a tall order in trying to impose her will for 5 rounds with the champ. Look for Valentina Shevchenko to show her brilliance both on the feet and with her defense and take this fight in the middle or later rounds via TKO. 

 

Fight #3: Tim ‘The Dirty Bird’ Means vs platinum’ Mike Perry

 

Pick: Mike Perry 

By: Decision

Breakdown: Tim Means is coming in off of an impressive win vs Laureano Staropoli where he showed his veteran ring awareness. The problem is that every time he has gotten a win recently, he’s followed it up with a loss. Mike Perry is also coming in 3-5 over his last 8 fights, but his last 3 losses were against Donald Cerrone, Vicente Luque, and Geoff Neal. He has fought much harder competition than Tim Means and for not having a corner in his fight he showed a lot of diversity in his game. Not only did he fight a stand-up game, but he also took the fight to the ground and defended very well against someone who was excellent on the ground. His gas tank looked great and on top of that, he’s got a lot to fight for. He’s got a baby on the way, he’s infamously got some taxes due and he’s had some out of the octagon engagements that haven’t been in his favor when it comes to his wallet. Tim Means is an excellent veteran who can still put a win together if he’s able to put it all together as he did in his last fight, but look for Perry to take control of this fight and brawl his way to a win. 

 

Fight #4: #2 Katlyn Chookagian vs #4 Cynthia Calvillo

Pick: Cynthia Calvillo

By: Decision

Breakdown: Katlyn Chookagian is coming in off of a loss vs Jessica Andrade, while Cynthia Calvillo is coming in with a win over former #1 Contender Jessica Eye. She is also on a 3 fight winning streak not including the draw she had. In her last fight, she showed her ability to keep on the gas pedal and maximize her output. She landed 150 of 294 in her last fight averaging about 30 significant strikes per round. She also is multifaceted with the ability to take the fight to the ground. She averages 2 takedowns per 3 round fight and if she’s able to land two in this fight, her low center of gravity will make it very hard for Katlyn to get back to her feet. Chookagian has shown the ability to beat lower-level fighters, it’s just a problem once she’s fighting against high-level ones. She got dominated in her losses vs current champion Shevchenko and former champion Jessica Andrade. She uses a lot of mirage in her fights meaning she throws a lot of volume that doesn’t really hurt her opponents. Calvillo has all the advantages in the striking and grappling stats. For her, the big key will be trying to manage her distance vs a taller fighter and potentially taking her down. If she can do so, it’s more than likely we’ll see her win by decision. 

 

Fight #5: Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua vs Paul ‘Bearjew’ Craig 2

Pick: Paul Craig 2

By: Decision

Breakdown: This is a rematch after their draw in November of last year. Rua is coming in having won 5 of his last 7 but those fights span over the last 5 years. The fights he had 4 fights ago is a different version of the fighter he is now. He’s absorbed lots of damage over the time and is now past his prime. Paul Craig is coming in the more active fighter with 5 fights to his name in the last year and a half. Interestingly, Rua is 1-6 in his last 7 fights in the US. Craig has 12 of his 13 wins coming by submission, so that seems like the path he will have to try and pursue. With the BJJ Black belt of Rua, it’s unlikely that he will be able to get the submission fully, but we will likely see him control the fight with top position and grind it out to a victory. 

 

You can follow Johnathan on Twitter @ThreePieceCombo

 

Three Piece Picks: UFC Fight Night (Felder vs Dos Anjos)

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Main Event: #7 Paul Felder vs #12 (WW) Rafael Dos Anjos

 

Pick: Rafael Dos Anjos

By: Decision

Breakdown: Paul Felder is coming in on 5 days notice taking this fight which makes this fight all the more crazy. We might see him come out early and try to get an early win which he is more than capable of doing. Rafael Dos Anjos is coming in having lost 4 of his last 5, but 3 of those are fights against Usman, Covington, and Leon Edwards which are not easy outings. This fight is a little more one dimensional as Felder does not utilize the takedown very often. He tries to stand and bang and it is evident with 10 of his 17 wins coming by knockout. This fight is an uphill battle for Felder because of the lack of time to prepare and if Dos Anjos can take him down early, it would tremendously hurt the chances of him winning the fight. I see Dos Anjos winning this one because he can change levels if need be and he has had a longer time to prepare for a fight. Felder is tough so this one has a good chance of making it to the judges. 

 

Co-Main Event: Abdul Razak Alhassan vs Khaos Williams

Pick: Khaos Williams

By: Decision

Breakdown: If you can hold your breath for the first two and a half minutes, then you can bet on Khaos Williams winning this fight. Most of Abdul Razak Alhassan’s fights have ended within the first half of the first round. If you can hold him down and eliminate the power early, you have a much higher chance of winning the fight. Alhassan has not won a fight outside the first round. Khaos has the ability to take the fight to the ground. It was shown in his fights outside the UFC. If he is able to utilize his wrestling and take this fight down, it really gives him a huge chance in this fight. Abdul is shown to gas out in the later rounds and his punches become very labored. He has a good chance to win the fight in the first two and a half minutes but after that, his chances go down heavily. Khaos should come in with a good gameplan and should be able to take this fight.  

 

Fight #3: Julian ‘The Cuban Missile Crisis’ Marquez vs. Saparbek Safarov

Pick: Julian Marquez 

By: KO

Round: 2nd Round

Breakdown: Marquez is coming in off of a two-year layoff so it will be interesting to see how the time off has affected his game. He comes in still decently young at 30 years old and only has 9 total fights on his record. As of right now, he sits at 7-2 with 6 of his 7 wins coming by way of KO/TKO. As for Saperbek Safarov, he’s had a tough outing here in the UFC. He has gone 1-3 in his 4 fights losing all 3 via finish. It seems like he has had a tough time finding his footing in the UFC. It is favorable that we will see a finish in this fight. Safarov does have the ability to take this fight down and if he does he have a gameplan to win. But the advantage on the feet is heavily favoring Marquez and we will take him by the win. 

 

Fight #4: Kay Hansen vs Cory ‘The Hobbit’ McKenna

Pick: Kay Hansen

By: Decision

Breakdown: This strawweight bout is an exciting one as we’ll see Cory McKenna make her UFC Debut to take on Kay Hansen. Kay Hansen is coming in with an edge especially on the ground. She has 4 of her 7 wins by submission and in her first fight in the UFC, she was able to get two takedowns and an armbar for the victory. This fight is going to be a tough outing for Mckenna. She is outmatched on the ground and Hansen is known to be able to get the fight on the floor. It is possible that Cory steals a round by being abe to keep the fight standing for a small period of time, but this one feels like it’s going to be a lot of groundwork with Kay Hansen on top. 

 

Fight #5: Eryk ‘Ya Boi’ Anders vs Antonio Arroyo

Pick: Antonio Arroyo

By: Decision

Breakdown: This fight is a very close one in the betting books with Anders coming in -155 and Arroyo coming in at +125. Anders is coming in having lost 4 of his last 6 and 3 of those 4 losses have come by decision. On the other hand, 9 of 12 fights for Arroyo has ended in the first round. He is more well rounded as he has 4 wins by knockout and 4 wins by submission. I think the ability to take the fight to the ground and control the position for Arroyo will be the key to the fight. Anders does seem to have the power advantage in this fight, but the power gets neutralized on the ground. 

 

You can follow Johnathan on Twitter @ThreePieceCombo 

 

Three Piece Picks: Terence Crawford vs Kell Brook Main Card

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Main Event: Terence Crawford vs Kell Brook, 12 rounds, WBO World Welterweight Title 

 

Pick: Terence Crawford

By: KO/TKO

Single Round: 10th round 

Winning Group of Rounds: (7-12)

Fight Goes the Distance: No                                                                                                                                                                           

Breakdown: Terence Crawford is coming undefeated at 36-0 with 14 wins coming in title fights. With this title fight experience, he is 14-0 in those title fights as well as having 11 of them come by way of knockout. On the other side, you have Kell Brook, who is coming in with a lot of big fights under belt. He has fought the likes of GGG, Shawn Porter, and even Errol Spence. He does not take the easy fights and for that, you know that there is a warrior in him. In this sport, it is important to have a strong mental game and when you’re going after killers and not worrying about your record, you will develop a reputation of being a hitman going after the best fights. But he is going against the top Pound for Pound fighter (According to ESPN) and Crawford is still in his prime. This fight for him will allow him to showcase his talents and build him up towards a super fight. For Brook to win this fight, he would need to continue to put on a pace that would make Crawford uncomfortable for most of the first rounds. It is able to be done, but it is more likely that Crawford picks up the win here. 

 

Co-Main Event: Joshua Franco vs. Andrew Moloney, 12 rounds, WBA WORLD SUPER FLYWEIGHT TITLE

Pick: Joshua Franco

By: Decision

Fight Goes the Distance: Yes                                                                                                                                                                        

Breakdown: This fight is a rematch from earlier in June where Franco won and took the WBA (Regular) super-flyweight title. In that matchup, Franco was able to dictate the pace of the fight and was able to cruise into a 12 round unanimous decision. The scorecards showed a relatively easy win for Franco and he became the new Champion. This fight will most likely look similar to the first one. One good thing about Franco is his ring awareness and ability to dictate control of the ring. By doing this he keeps the fight in his comfort zone and gets his punches warmed up by the time the middle rounds are coming up. Look for Moloney to come out a little strong early to try and avenge his loss but Franco taking control in the 3rd round and winning an easy decision. 

 

Fight #3: Joshua Greer Jr. vs. Edwin Rodriguez

 

Pick: Joshua Greer

By: Decision

Fight Goes the Distance: Yes 

Breakdown: Joshua Greer is coming in off getting dropped twice in only his second loss of his career. He has fought much harder competition that Edwin Rodriguez has. Every fight that Rodriguez has fought that has been a higher level of competition, has lead to him taking a loss. Greer is coming in with a heavy speed advantage. If he is able to get a feel for using his speed early in this fight, it could end in KO, but being that it is only an 8 round fight, it is more likely to see the scorecards. For Rodriguez to win, he’d have to try to get some more dirty boxing in to close the gap between him and Greer but if Greer is able to do what he is able to do with most people, which is stay out of reach and use his speed to get combos in, he will win this fight counterpunching away. Greer by Unanimous Decision. 

 

Fight #4: Tyler Howard vs. KeAndrae Leatherwood

 

Pick: Tyler Howard 

By: Decision 

Fight Goes the Distance: Yes 

Breakdown: Tyler Howard is coming in as the undefeated boxer in this bout and Top Rank is looking to push him as far as he can go. He is a good fighter with great head movement and fundamentals in striking. This fight is made for Howard to get the win and continue to build his record. At 18-0 it is getting closer to him being able to have a record to challenge one of the bigger names sitting atop of the division. 

 

Fight #5: Luis Porozo vs. Raymond Muratalla

 

Pick: Raymond Muratalla

By: TKO

Round: 8th

Fight Goes the Distance: No

Breakdown: Raymond “Danger” Muratalla is a great exciting prospect to keep your eyes on. At only 23 years old, he is 10-0 and is working his way up into being a good fighter in the 135lb division. Luis Porozo on the other hand is coming in 15-4 and has had a few tough outings as of late. Muratella is good at fighting a technical fight and working those combinations. He will start with a one, and work his combinations up to four and five piece combinations that will catch his opponents from all different angles. If he continues to grow at the pace he is, we could see him in a few years vouching for a title shot. His skillset is transferrable through most levels of the division so keep your eye out for Raymond Muratalla. 

 

You can follow Johnathan on Twitter @ThreePieceCombo

Next for the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion: Adesanya or Texiera?

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With 2020 on the cusp of ending, there has been a crossroads as to which way the UFC should go when it comes to who gets the shot at the Light Heavyweight Champion Jan Błachowicz. With Jon Jones relinquishing the belt and seemingly having his eyes on the Heavyweight strap, Jan was the first person not named Daniel Cormier or Jon Jones in the last 10 years. Now, with rising star Israel Adesanya cleaning out the Middleweight division, he has set his eyes on becoming a double champion. But after a dominating win over the former #1 contender Thiago Santos, Glover Texiera has made himself a huge case for getting himself a title shot. So which one of these two options are the best and most likely to end up happening. 

 

Israel Adesanya- Best for Business 

After clearing out the division beating the likes of Paulo Costa, Yoel Romero, Robert Whittaker, Kelvin Gastelum, and even Anderson Silva, Israel Adesanya has become a star in the UFC with a path to become the GOAT. Undefeated at 20-0, he now eyes becoming the 5th ever “Champ-Champ” holding both the Middleweight title and Light Heavyweight title. After winning the title, he hopes to face off against who the boss Dana White says is the GOAT, Jon Jones in what would likely be one of, if not the biggest fight of all time. This would also come roughly at a time where fans would likely be back in play and this fight would sell out an arena. The current record for most attendance in a UFC event is Adesanya vs Whittaker in the Marvel Stadium, Australia, where they sold 56,214 seats. You put Jon Jones in that mix and you have the potential to top that. The only person left to face Adesanya in the Middleweight division is Robert Whittaker who he already beat, and he has earned the reputation to be able to try to become a double champion. Seeing a fight between fighters in the GOAT conversation is rare and when you have the chance to put this together, this isn’t a chance you want to miss. This is on the same level as putting Khabib vs GSP because you know for a fact the fighter that wins this fight, will be regarded as the Greatest of All Time. 

 

Glover Texiera – Best for the Division

With Jon Jones gone from the Division, there seems to be a new life in the Light Heavyweight Division. After losing to Jon Jones in 2014, Glover has remained a staple of the top of the division. Multiple times since then, he has come one fight away from a rematch, only to fall short. Now well in his 40s, Glover has seemed to figure something out winning 5 fights in a row including two title challengers. After a statement win over Thiago Santos, it makes 100% sense for him to get the next shot against Jan Błachowicz. Both of them have a similar story, taking a much harder path to get to the belt than most. For Jan this would allow him to work through his own division and start building his own legacy. This would also allow for the most flow from this division to continue working through it’’s talent allowing the newer Light Heavyweight contenders to get their shot at the belt as well. The division has new life for the first time in 10 years and this chance to release all the buildup from the past will allow for some fresh matches that are sure to deliver. Texiera vs Jan would be an absolute banger with a finish near guaranteed.

 

My Guess: Israel Adesanya

The odds are is that they are going to go with the money. Whenever that is an option for Dana White, it seems like that is the one he will take. Having the once in a lifetime ability to put two guys at or near their primes like Jones and Adesanya would be one for the ages and not something you would want to pass up. 

 

You can follow Johnathan on Twitter @ThreePieceCombo

Three Piece Picks: UFC Fight Night, Santos vs Texiera Card

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Main Event: #1 Thiago Santos vs #3 Glover Texiera 

 

Pick: Thiago Santos

By: KO 

Round: 2nd Round

Breakdown: This fight will likely end up being the #1 contenders fight for the UFC Light Heavyweight belt. As of right now, Current LHW Champ Jan Blachowicz is looking like he will face Israel Adesanya. But if one of these fighters can make some real noise, ending the other one emphatically, they can bring the spotlight to themselves and try to get a shot at Jan. Thiago Santos is coming back off of a torn up knee in his valiant effort in a split decision loss to Jon Jones. Glover Texiera is coming in off of a comeback win against Anthony Smith where he dominated the latter rounds to score a win by TKO. Glover is an excellent technical fighter, he has good stand up, he able to take you down and he can submit you. But at he takes some time to start up, as where Santos comes out explosive at the start. With having advantages in all the striking stats, this one could end quick with the amount of power and explosiveness that he brings. He comes in guns blazing having 15 of his 21 wins come by KO/TKO many in the first and second round. Look for him to come out explosive with Texiera starting slow, and this one may end in spectacular fashion. 

Co-Main Event: Andrei ‘Pitbull’ Arlovski vs. Tanner ‘The Bulldozer’ Boser

Pick: Tanner Boser

By: Decision

Breakdown: Looking to have his first 3 fight win streak in the UFC, Tanner ‘The Bulldozer’ Boser is also looking to make a name off the former UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei ‘Pitbull’ Arlovski. Tanner has won 3 of his 4 fights in the UFC and if he wins this one, he’s going to crack the top 20 and potentially secure a fight for a ranking. Andrei is coming in having gone 4-9 in his last 13 fights but he is still a great fighter at his age. The problem is that he’s going against someone that averages 1 extra strike per minute (Arlovski: 3.54 Boser:4.54) and who has defense is 5% better. Boser is finding his groove here in the UFC and facing someone like the 41 year old Arlovski who has 11 of his 19 of his losses come by KO/TKO. Look for Boser to come out and wear down the defense of Arlovski early and wear him down later in the fight. Arlovski is no wash with only having been only been KO/TKO’d twice over the last 4 years. The two guys to do it? Francis Ngannou and Jairzinho Rozenstruik, but who has not been knocked out by those guys? Boser will be able to land some strikes but the veteran sense of Arlovski keeps him alive long enough to see the judges.  

 

Fight #3: Raoni Barcelos vs Khalid Taha

Pick: Raoni Barcelos 

By: TKO

Round: 3rd Round

Breakdown: Raoni Barcelos is coming in on an 8 fight win streak and Khalid Taha is coming in off of a 13 month layoff. What we can look to this fight and see right off the top is that Taha might be coming in with some ring rust. He has a disadvantage in striking (2.64 vs 4.79 for Raoni in Landed per Minute) a lot of this comes in as ground and pound. For Barcelos, the easiest path to victory for him will be to continue to do what he has done which is winning 4 of his last 5 with a finish. With only a 64% takedown defense for Taha and 58% takedown accuracy for Raoni, it will only take 2 attempts to get him on the ground. With also having the ability to use that ground game as a weapon, opponents tend to worry about the takedown and forget about the hands. It is very possible that Taha gets caught, but it is more likely that Barcelos takes him down, gets into dominant position, and finishes him via ground and pound.

 

Fight #4: #15 Ian ‘The Hurricane’ Heinisch vs Brendan ‘All In’ Allen

Pick: Brendan Allen

By: Decision

Breakdown: Both of these guys are extremely well rounded and this is one of the tougher matches on the card. If you’re looking for a parlay, its recommended to stay away from this one. A backstory in this one is that both guys come in having held the LFA Middleweight championship in 2018 and 2019. Getting into the numbers, both guys are willing to take it to the ground. They both average north of a takedown a fight so as well as have a strike differential less than a strike per minute off of each other. This fight could come down where they go shot for shot and whoever is able to get the takedown first will get the win. Allen does have a knockdown and at least takedown in 2 of his 4 fights and is coming in on a 7 fight win streak, a being perfect 3-0 in the UFC. This is an eliminator for the 15th rank in the Middleweight division and if Allen can dominate this fight he can see himself knocking in the Middleweight top 10. 

 

Fight #5: #4 Claudia ‘Claudinha’ Gadelha vs. #8 Xiaonan ‘Fury’ Yan

Pick: Xiaonan Yan

By: Decision

Breakdown: Xiaonan is looking to break into the top 5 with a win over Claudia Gadelha. She comes in having all advantages in all the striking stats while still showing the ability defend and even shoot for the takedown. Gadelha is much more ground game focused and if Yan is able to keep it on the feet, this fight easily goes to Yan. She is coming in on a 5 fight win streak and is looking for more. This fight is unlikely to end in a finish due to the nature of the fighters. It is more likely we will see a round of Claudia able to take Yan down and try to control her, and 2 rounds of Yan boxing Claudias face in. 29-28 Yan. 

Three Piece Fight Picks: Devin Haney vs. Yuriorkis Gamboa Card

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Main Event: Devin Haney vs. Yuriorkis Gamboa for WBC Lightweight Title

 

Pick: Devin Haney

By: Decision

Fight Goes the Distance: Yes                                                                                                                                                                      

Breakdown: Devin Haney looks to continue his title reign and add another known name to the hitlist when he takes on Yuriorkis Gamboa. Haney is coming in undefeated and at only 21 years old taking on a legend in the sport in Gamboa, he can continue to build his name for himself and keep bringing in the money. For Gamboa he is coming in off of a valiant effort vs Gervonta Davis where he tore his achilles tendon and continued to fight with the knockout artist all the way to the 12th round until he took a loss. The former champ was dominant against top competition in the early 2010s but it seems like he’s on the back end of his career and is steadily declining. Haney is coming in super fresh and light on his feet and is able to put together great combinations. His 2 and 3 piece combinations are lightning quick and going against someone who is coming off an injury, we could see a lot of those fast combinations get through. Gamboa is a warrior, and will most likely do enough to see the judges, but this fight is more than likely going to be a showcase for Haney as he works his way to a decision win. 

 

Co-Main Event: Filip Hrgovic vs Rydell Booker

Pick:  Filip Hrgovic 

By: Knockout

Round: 3

Group of Rounds: (7-12)

Fight Goes the Distance: No                                                                                                                                                                       

Breakdown: Future Heavyweight contender Filip Hrgovic is coming in to take on Rydell Booker. Filip has looked great knocking out most of his opponents within the first few rounds. Just creeping into his prime at 28, he looks like all he will need is a few more fights until they put him into a title shot. We may very well see that happen in the next 2 or 3 fights. Rydell Booker is coming in at almost 40 years old and for him, this is a tough outing. He’s had a long layoff due to having a drug bust after taking the first loss of his career. It’s going to be hard for him to come in even with a few other fights under his belt but after coming out but for Filip, his power will carry him like it has over the last few fights and he should get a KO in the first few rounds. Gypsy King Tyson Fury touting him as “a future World Champion”, keep your eye on the talented Filip Hrgovic. 

 

Fight #3: Devin Vargas vs. Zhilei Zhang

 

Pick: Zhilei Zhang

By: KO

Round: 3

Group of Rounds: (1-6)

Fight Goes the Distance: No  

Breakdown: Olympic Medalist Zhelei Zhang is coming in undefeated to take on the 22-6 Devin Vargas. Zhang has shown the ability to knock people out left and right with 16 of his 21 wins coming by knockout, most of them in the first few rounds. After starting his career 17-0, Vargas has now lost 5 of his last 8. His last loss was against former champ Andy Ruiz and all 5 of those losses have been by knockout. While building his streak he was showing to be able to use his power without weighing in the risk and taking risky punches without getting caught. Now that he has faced higher talent, those risks he takes sometimes do not pay off, and with someone as disciplined and as the power to counter punch as well as Zhang, it is more than likely a KO comes out for Zhang. 

 

Fight #4: Reshat Mati vs. Marcos Mojica

 

Pick: Reshat Mati

By: TKO

Round: 4

Fight Goes the Distance: No  

Breakdown: The 22-year-old prospect Reshat Mati comes in looking to build to his undefeated 7-0 record when he takes on Marcos Mojica. For Mojica, his last 3 losses have come by knockout in early rounds. Mati has gone to decision before because but with this one, he’s facing someone who has shown to be hittable. Mati’s talent will be on display because Marcos is a fighter who will come in and try to work his offense and while he does that, he leaves himself somewhat open. More than likely we will see Mati get to show out and will pick up another good win vs Mojica. 

 

Fight #5: Juan Jose Martinez vs. Movladdin Biyarslanov

 

Pick: Movladdin Biyarslanov

By: Decision

Fight Goes the Distance: Yes

Breakdown: With this fight only scheduled for 6 rounds, this one is quite likely to see the cards. Movladdin is coming in after getting a comeback win after a couple of losses in a row. He does have the power to be able to win fights with his punches, but he is not as fast as Movladdin. In this fight, we will see him use his fast footwork and his pressure to get the win against Juan Jose. 

 

Fight #6: Darren Cunningham  vs.  Juan Gabriel Medina

 

Pick: Darren Cunningham

By: Decision

Fight Goes the Distance: Yes

Breakdown: Cunningham is a 23-year old prospect out of Las Vegas, and is undefeated at 11-0. He has shown to use an amount of patience that keeps his risk low and works him to decisions. Over his last 4 fights, 2 of them have gone to decision. He is a technical monster and is able to defend, use his footwork, and use combinations to get himself a win. Cunningham is a budding star and you can see with a style like his that he can take himself far and in a few years we can see his name headlining a card.