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Technique Talk: Duke Roufus on MMA striking’s evolution, Anthony Pettis vs. Jose Aldo and more

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Via mmafighting.com By Luke Thomas

Here’s a basic question: how is striking in MMA changing and where is it headed? The answers aren’t entirely obvious, but watching UFC lightweight Anthony Pettis bounce off of the cage makes one wonder if this is a gimmick or the beginning of a full-fledged change in the way people strike in MMA. Noticing how effective it is, I’m trending toward the latter.

Duke Roufus, the trainer to Pettis and many other elite MMA fighters, believes Pettis’ cage use is one component of MMA’s striking evolution. Sure, the cage is becoming a weapon of sorts, but the level of striking in MMA is improving, particularly on the defensive end.

Where it’s headed, though, is a matter of projection. To help me understand its present and potential future, I spoke with Roufus about how his star pupils are pushing the envelope of what’s possible, what they want to achieve and what we can reasonably expect to change in the coming years. Roufus also discusses Pettis’ impending featherweight title bout against champion Jose Aldo and forecasts how their contrasting striking styles will match up when their August bout takes place.

Let me start with that victory (against Donald Cerrone). Generally speaking, did that go as planned?

Oh yeah, definitely. All the techniques are premeditated. Everything we planned to do in training except for one. Anthony of course had to put his “Showtime” spin on it and he did his off-the-cage knee, which is beautiful.

Were liver kicks part of it specifically? To what extent was the way it ended a natural consequence of the way Anthony strikes versus “we see a real vulnerability there with him keeping his hands in a particular way?

Anthony has really worked on his Muay Thai and Thai-style kicking. Wherever he connects, it’s gonna do damage whether it’s the head of Joe Lauzon or it’s gonna be a leg kick, a body kick. He’s getting very proficient. He and I both grew up in taekwondo so my transformation from taekwondo to karate to kickboxing to Muay Thai has really helped him bridge the gap from taekwondo to Muay Thai and how to really use the dexterity of his technique. Now he’s a really powerful kicker as well as a flashy kicker too.

For folks that don’t have that experience, when we see in MMA a guy with the taekwondo background, he throws the side kick or spinning kick where a Muay Thai kicker is some guy who faces you at 12 o’clock and drills you with his shin to the leg, body or head. Is that a fair assessment?

Yeah, that’s kinda accurate, but at the same time, Anthony is so used to using his feet since he was five years old that it’s effortless for him to pick up his legs and power kick people. His muscles are trained to move quicker and faster than someone who’s only been doing it 5, 6, 7 or even 10 years. He’s been doing it for 20 years of his life already and that’s a huge advantage in the kicking game. He can pick up his legs so quick, that’s why his kicks are so hard to defend.

The time from forward to target is very small and that’s why he’s so successful with his kicks. I’ve been able to help him bridge the gap between Thai boxing and Muay Thai and taekwondo and that’s been the fun part of it. Taking some of the cool moves like the cartwheel kick he did is taking from traditional Muay Thai. There’s a famous Muay Thai fighter in Thailand that uses that kick often so those are the types of things going on. These types of things are just a blast to do.

To what extent is the athleticism a part of it. You mentioned when he kicks somebody, it’s the speed. Could someone who’s not as quick as Anthony do what he does, or is this something that he really brings to life because he has the particular athletic skillset?

Oh definitely he’s a way superior athlete as well so that’s why it works well for him. That’s the best thing he’s got going for him now is his athleticism too.

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