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Two of the previous generation’s best Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitors took major steps forward in their new MMA careers this weekend. We’re going to look at their impressive techniques and explain why they’re such exciting prospects. Then, in the premium section, I’m going to give y’all a sneak peak on the next phase of this newsletter. It’s the core of why I started this project.
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What's In Today's Letter?
TWO JIUJITSU STARS STEP FORWARD IN MMA
Marcelo Garcia Black Belt Mansher Khera Is Headed To The UFC
This weekend was supposed to be the debut of The GFL. The GFL was supposed to be a new play on team MMA. The GFL was not supposed to run out of funding before their first show.
So it goes.
With no major events on the calendar I decided to catch up on prospects trying to rise from the wretches of the regional MMA. I caught two standout grapplers taking two different and important steps forward in their MMA careers.
Marcelo Garcia black belt Mansher Khera won his trip to the UFC.
Marcelo Garcia is on everyone’s short list for the best Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitor ever. If he’s not #1 he’s no lower than #3. Garcia is famous for his pace and tireless submission cycles at the ADCC World Championships. So it’s no surprise Khera has excellent submissions as well - he’s 9-0 and 6 of those wins are submissions.
Here is how one of Khera’s recent fights went.
Khera throws his right leg over Saenz’s right arm to take away his defense. Then he rolls Saenz face down to get a clear lane at his neck. Khera can’t finish the one arm rear naked choke so he rolls Saenz face down again. While Saenz’s hands are underneath his body Khera pulls his left arm out to close the rear naked choke with two hands.
Mansher Khera - Hector Saenz
And here is how Khera’s MMA career started.
Khera steps between Floyd’s legs and twists him to the ground with a no gi uki goshi. Floyd turns away to try and stand up but Khera throws the near hook in and takes Floyd’s back. Khera locks a body triangle and secures two cross grips. Then Khera traps Floyd’s right arm with his right leg.
Mansher Khera - Travis Floyd
Notice any similarities between these two sequences? Khera used the modern grip fighting system known as the straight jacket to trap his opponent’s arm. Check it out below. See how Khera has trapped his opponent’s arm in the circle?
Click here to read more about the straight jacket system from an old premium article of mine.
While Khera is a phenomenal submission artist that’s not the only reason why I’m excited for him to enter the UFC.
HOW KHERA’S CONTROL LETS HIM CRACK
Khera Is Not A One Dimensional Submission Hunter
Any long time student of Marcelo Garcia is going to have elite back attacks. This is certainly true of Khera but he brings a modern twist to how he takes, holds, and hurts opposition from the back.
With both of these next two clips pay attention to how Khera uses his legs to get the back in transition.
Khaydarov is turning into Khera. Khera is stopping him, primarily with a cross face. Khera crawls over him, but leaves his right leg between Khaydarov’s. Now he can sit off to the side, sag to the floor, and pull Khaydarov into his lap to get on his back. Khera puts his hook in to cement the position.
Mansher Khera - Aziz Khaydarov
This dazzling positional dominance has not been an isolated incident. Here he is doing something similar in his LFA title fight.
Dixon throws up a triangle. Khera shrugs it off and throws Dixon’s legs by to land in side control. Dixon turtles to get back up and Khera slides his near hook in. Khera doesn’t get his far hook in, so he uses a twister hook to keep Dixon’s hips up for the back take.
Mansher Khera - Devon Dixon
Now let’s go back to Khera’s fight with Khaydarov. Look at how he brutalized Khaydarov once he got the back.
Khera has a body triangle with his outside leg, his left, threaded between Khaydarov’s. As Khaydarov turns and tries to wriggle out of back mount Khera’s hips stay glued to him and he can keep punching him. Brutal.
Mansher Khera - Aziz Khaydarov
And this inside body triangle is exactly how Khera got his only TKO win.
Khera has a body triangle. Dixon tries to turn to open up space. He ends up belly down and Khera threads his leg between Dixon’s. Now Dixon is stuck. He can turn but he can’t make any space so Khera can unload on him. The sequence ends with the ref moving over to step in.
Mansher Khera - Devon Dixon
Acrobatic back takes? Punishing and direct submissions? Horrific pinning for ground and pound? What more could you want?
Another acrobatic Brazilia jiu-jitsu star starting their MMA career? That happened just this Thursday.
DYNAMIC JIUJITSU MAKES IT’S WAY TO MMA
Renato Canuto’s Career Is Off To A Great Start
Renato Canuto is one of the most exciting grapplers to ever compete. Gi or no gi, it doesn’t matter. Canuto has won world championships with both, and has a habit of leaping into victory
Barch grabs a collar tie with his right arm. Canuto reaches for an over tie before over hooking Barch’s right arm. Barch walks forward and Canuto leaps into a kani basami, or flying leg scissor. Barch tries to roll but Canuto finds the heel and uses 5050 to finish the inside heel hook.
Renato Canuto - PJ Barch
That’s no scrub that Canuto is getting that off. Barch took 3rd at the ADCC World Championships. So it shouldn’t be a surprise Canuto made quick work of his first opponent in MMA.
Canuto uses an uchi mata to turn off the fence and reverse Stewart. Then comes the really interesting part. Canuto decides to step off of the back to hit Stewart. In between strikes, Canuto pulled Stewart back down to the mat to hit him more. After ~ 40 seconds straight of strikes to the head and body the ref ended the fight.
Renato Canuto - Corey Stewart
A win in your first professional MMA fight is impressive. Sure. But more impressive is how Canuto accomplished that.
MMA is not grappling, but many wrestlers, judokas, and jiujitsu players start fighting and forget to punch. So, the fact that Canuto is already recognizing when to let go of a position and pursue a different spot that allows him to punch and kick is very very reassuring for his future in fighting.
LINKS, INSTRUCTIONALS, AND MORE MATCHES TO STUDY:
What Are We Talking About Today?
If you want to learn how to take the back using twister hooks like Mansher Khera did click here.
If you want to learn more about inside body triangles, click here to watch Jack Slack’s study on Scottish and Japanese Twisters.
Renato Canuto was one half of maybe the best jiujitsu match ever. Watch the high octane highlights here.
FloGrappling also made a short documentary on Renato Canuto. Watch it for free here.
THE MOST IMPORTANT NEWS (you might have missed)
In response to Jon Jones claiming he’s closer to retirement than fighting, someone set up a petition to have Jones stripped of the title. Last I checked there were over 80,000 signatures.
ATOS has announced they are in for CJI and their wildcard is Felipe Pena. Considering how well ATOS did at ADCC, they’re not far from my favorite to win the whole thing.
Maybe the best fighter that the PFL had on their roster is in the UFC now. Former Bellator 135 pound champion Patchy Mix is fighting Mario Bautista. If you want to read more about Mix click here.
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