MMA Grappling Recap – Wonders From the Undercard

Christos Giagos – UFC Vegas 17

One potentially legitimate criticism of grappling is the tendency to be slower, more static, less dynamic; not so here. From start to finish Giagos flowed on Neal, taking him down effortlessly, moving from mount to the back, landing strikes, and switching positions. For the fight that opened the entire card, it was excellent, and these two clearly deserved to be higher up the event. Giagos put on an excellent display and really showed that you don’t need a submission for exciting MMA grappling. 

Jimmy Flick – UFC Vegas 17

Where Giagos forwent the submission, Jimmy Flick forwent everything else. This was out of nowhere, a real shock in the fight. Jimmy wasn’t doing well, getting beaten up on the feet and possessing inferior wrestling, so he bypassed the takedown all together. Off Cody Durden catching a head kick and going to a single, Jimmy jumped up, secured a flying triangle in a flash, and finished in the very first round. That one came out of nowhere. 

Taila Santos – UFC Vegas 17

Taila Santos vs Gillian Robertson was a balanced match when it came to grappling. Robertson went for the armbar, hunting it the majority of the fight and believing that she had the submission advantage. That might have been a mistake, with Santos shutting her down and firing off ground and pound. Both athletes slashed with elbows, set up triangles, and tousled for the top position, but the advantage was clearly with the Brazilian. This was an excellent competitive grappling match and a great performance from Santos. 

Jose Perez – Cage Fury FC 91

There was one fight outside of the UFC that really took my eye with grappling ability – Perez vs Dorman. Perez’s performance was absolutely flawless. A huge takedown, excellent passing to side control and mount without getting stuck in the mud, almost takes the back and somehow turns it into the truck and the rarely seen banana split submission. It was brilliant from start to end, with a highlight-reel finish. 

So there it is, all over one week. Domination, a submission out of nowhere, a technical battle, and a perfect fight, all focussed on MMA grappling. Were there any matches we missed that should have been in there? Let us know. Miss last week’s article? Give it a look, always be updated on every week’s MMA grappling!

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