UFC 194: 5 keys to victory for Luke Rockhold

3. Mix in Takedown Attempts

In a pure wrestling match Rockhold would be completely outclassed by Weidman, who was a two-time NJCAA All-American and a two-time NCAA Division I All-American. But in terms of functional MMA wrestling the two are more evenly matched.

Of course Weidman still has the edge but Rockhold won’t be able to just avoid the wrestling game, instead he needs to embrace it. Rockhold can’t let Weidman force the wrestling exchanges he needs to also look to initiate the grappling.

While he shouldn’t look to make wrestling his primary weapon he does need to give Weidman something else to think about. The more Weidman has to think about takedown defense the less time he can spend setting up his own takedowns.

Weidman may be the better pure wrestler but Rockhold is no slouch and he is athletic enough to surprise the champion and put him on the mat. Rockhold scoring a takedown would go a long way towards chipping away at that championship aura Weidman currently has.

If Rockhold can make Weidman question his wrestling game – even just a little bit – it would change the entire complexion of the fight. A champion whose confidence has been rattled is much more likely to make bad decisions and mistakes in the bout; just look at Ronda Rousey.

Next: 2. Listen to the Corner