In partnership with
FIRST THINGS FIRST
Welcome to Open Note Grappling.
Every Tuesday morning I send out a breakdown of the best combat sports action. In less than 10 minutes you'll learn how the top fighters win and anything else fighters, martial artists, and fight fans need to know.
This week we’re talking about what actually makes a good guard in jiujitsu. To explain it, we’re going to look at the best guard I’ve ever seen in the UFC, Charles Oliveira.
Before we get started I want to shout out this week’s sponsor The Black Tux!
I’m really excited about The Black Tux. They make it easy to rent high quality suits for any occasion. I literally used them to rent a suit for a wedding I’m going to next week and I couldn’t be happier with how everything looks and fits.
Can You Guess Which Suit Costs $1,200?
Plot twist: The one on the right is from The Black Tux and costs under $500. The "luxury" one on the left? That’ll run you $1,200 for essentially the same quality and style.
Your wedding photos will last forever, but that doesn't mean you need to pay forever-prices for a suit that looks identical. Smart brides know where to save without sacrificing style.
Now let’s get into it.
What's In Today's Letter?
In less than two weeks Charles Oliveira will fight for the UFC lightweight title again. This time, it’s against the undefeated former Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuria.
Although already a champion, Topuria is playing the role of newcomer. He’s 28 and he’s only fought once at lightweight in the UFC.
Oliveira is 35. 22 of his UFC fights have been at lightweight. He’s also fought an additional 12 times at featherweight. His 23 wins are second most in UFC history but his 20 finishes and 16 submissions are UFC records.
With a long and winding action packed record you might be wondering, how has Oliveira managed to stick around this long and continue finishing people? Over the course of a single fight and his whole career one word answers the question.
Guard.
Charles Oliveira has the best guard in MMA. That has helped him pick up both the most finishes and submissions in UFC history. But it’s also give him a unique position of safety that no other fighter in the sport has ever enjoyed.
Why is Oliveira’s guard so effective? It’s one of the only functional layered guards we’ve ever seen. Today we’re going to explain what that means and show you why Oliveira has the best guard in MMA.