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Techniques, Tutorials and Gear for BJJ, MMA and Submission Grappling

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Home » UFC

UFC

How Has MMA Training Changed Since the First UFCs?

June 14, 2024 by Stephan Kesting

Sport Specific MMA Traning

I was honoured to talk MMA with Denis Kang, an MMA pioneer with 55 fights in organisations ranging from Pride FC to the UFC. In this conversation, we covered how fighting off the wall, sparring with small gloves, and doing more sparring and less conditioning before a fight has changed MMA training. How Has MMA Training Changed Since the First UFCs? - Audio Only This conversation was also … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Mixed Martial Arts, Podcasts Tagged With: Denis Kang, MMA, MMA training, The Strenuous Life BJJ Podcast with Stephan Kesting, Training, UFC, Video

What Happened to the UFC?

May 15, 2024 by Stephan Kesting

What happened to the UFC with Luke Thomas

Luke Thomas is one of the most influential MMA analysts in the game and the host of The Morning Kombat Podcast. I was delighted to talk to him on my own show, The Strenuous Life Podcast, today.  We covered... How the sport of MMA has changed The rise of Eastern European fighters Why is the terrible behaviour of MMA fighters tolerated Can other MMA organisations ever rival the UFC … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Mixed Martial Arts, Podcasts Tagged With: Luke Thomas, MMA, The Strenuous Life BJJ Podcast with Stephan Kesting, UFC, Video

Nate ‘The Rock’ Quarry

December 19, 2021 by Stephan Kesting

Stephan Kesting Interviews Nate Quarry

I was thrilled to have MMA fighter Nate 'The Rock' Quarry on the podcast where we talked about being raised in a cult, his comeback to the UFC after a serious back surgery, his biggest loss in MMA, the UFC monopoly, and staying in shape after retirement. Nate is active on Twitter where he can be found @NateRockQuarry; please let him know if you enjoyed our conversation! Links to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Interviews, Mixed Martial Arts, Podcasts Tagged With: Injuries, Interviews, MMA, MMA training, Nate Quarry, The Strenuous Life BJJ Podcast with Stephan Kesting, UFC

Oleg Taktarov Interview: Sambo in MMA and the UFC

June 1, 2020 by Stephan Kesting

Oleg Taktarov Interview on The Strenuous Life Podcast

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s94y2uII3Oo I was absolutely thrilled to welcome Oleg Taktarov to my podcast.  Oleg used his Sambo skills to win UFC 6, beat Dolph Lungren in a widely publicised boxing match, and fought at the infamous Pentagon Combat event which ended in a riot and got MMA banned in Rio de Janeiro. Oleg is also a great teacher - I personally use techniques and concepts I … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Mixed Martial Arts, Podcasts, Training Tagged With: Boxing, Gripfighting, Judo, Leglocks, Oleg Taktarov, Sambo, The Strenuous Life BJJ Podcast with Stephan Kesting, Training, UFC

Interview with Greg Nelson, Brock Lesnar’s MMA Coach

January 30, 2020 by Stephan Kesting

greg-nelson-interview-on-the-strenuous-life-podcast-episode-253

How do you turn 290 lb WWE superstar and human wrecking ball Brock Lesnar into a UFC champion in a relatively short amount of time? And assuming you have those skills, then how do you then pivot to train smaller fighters, including 155 lb UFC champion Sean Sherk and 115 lb 'Thug' Rose Namajunas? In this interview I go deep into fight strategy and training camp design with MMA master … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Mixed Martial Arts, Podcasts Tagged With: Brock Lesnar, Conditioning, Greg Nelson, Interviews, MMA, MMA training, The Strenuous Life BJJ Podcast with Stephan Kesting, UFC

Fighting in the Octagon and the Battle Within with Eliot Marshall

February 5, 2019 by Stephan Kesting

Eliot Marshall on The Strenuous Life Podcast

Eliot Marshall is BJJ black belt and a former professional mixed MMA fighter who also appeared in Season 8 of The Ultimate Fighter show. He now helps run Easton Training Centers and the Elevation Fight Team. In today's episode of my podcast (The Strenuous Life Podcast) we talk about how to run a successful BJJ school, the financial incentive structures in MMA fight teams, the physical and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Competition, Interviews, Podcasts Tagged With: Competition, Eliot Marshall, Interviews, MMA, MMA training, Physical Attributes, Schools, The Mental Aspect, The Strenuous Life BJJ Podcast with Stephan Kesting, The Ultimate Fighter, UFC

Rosi Sexton on Fighting in the UFC, Neck Training, the Art of Learning, and More…

January 23, 2019 by Stephan Kesting

rosi sexton neck conditioning

Rosi Sexton is Cambridge educated and has a PhD in Theoretical Computer Science.  And she's a musician, a writer and a physical therapist. Plus she's fought in BodogFight, EliteXC, Cage Warriors and was the first British Woman to fight in the UFC.  But she's also I was thrilled to have her on the podcast where we went deep into her background, her training, and her approach to learning and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Conditioning, Female Grapplers, Interviews, Podcasts Tagged With: Competition, Conditioning, Injuries, Interviews, MMA, MMA training, Neck Strengthening, Rosi Sexton, The Mental Aspect, The Strenuous Life BJJ Podcast with Stephan Kesting, UFC

When Should an MMA Fighter Retire?

December 2, 2018 by Stephan Kesting

When should a fighter retire from MMA?

Quitting MMA One of the hardest decisions a fighter ever has to make is when to hang up the gloves and retire from the MMA game. In many sports professional athletes are usually forced into retirement by orthopaedic issues. A knee just can’t take the pounding anymore… A problem shoulder just keeps on getting worse… As the the mileage takes its toll and the injuries add up, athletic … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Mixed Martial Arts, Podcasts Tagged With: Chuck Liddell, Competition, Injuries, MMA, MMA training, The Mental Aspect, The Strenuous Life BJJ Podcast with Stephan Kesting, UFC, Video

A Weight Cutting Plan for BJJ, MMA, and No Gi Competition

September 4, 2018 by Stephan Kesting

Safe weight cutting plan on the Strenuous Life Podcast

Weight cutting is a fact of life in modern MMA and also in many jiu-jitsu and submission grappling competitions.  And the person who does it correctly usually has an undeniable advantage. But it can also be very dangerous if done wrong - people have sabotaged their performance, gone into kidney failure, and even died after cutting weight badly. So if you're going to cut weight you need to do … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Competition, Health & Nutrition, Interviews, Mixed Martial Arts, Podcasts Tagged With: Ben Zhuang, BJJ, Competition, Cutting Weight, Interviews, Mickey Gall, MMA, MMA training, No Gi, Nutrition, The Strenuous Life BJJ Podcast with Stephan Kesting, UFC, Weightlifting

Podcast Episode 131 – Kirik Jenness of The Underground Forum, the Fighter’s Notebook and More

March 20, 2018 by Stephan Kesting

Interview with Kirik Jenness on Stephan Kesting's Podcast

In this episode I have a great talk with Kirik Jenness who is mayor for life of the underground forum at https://mixedmartialarts.com, the author of The Fighter's Notebook, the official records keeper for mixed martial arts, and has "done every job in MMA except for being a ring girl." This man is one of the founding fathers of MMA in North America and had a TON to share! Here's just some of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Interviews, Mixed Martial Arts, Podcasts Tagged With: Competition, History, Interviews, Kirik Jenness, MMA, MMA training, Sparring, Teachers, The Mental Aspect, The Strenuous Life BJJ Podcast with Stephan Kesting, Training, UFC

MMA Weight Cutting with UFC Fighter Alan Belcher (And More)

May 30, 2017 by Stephan Kesting

Cutting Weight in MMA with Alan Belcher

  I just released a new interview with UFC star Alan Belcher who has had some of the most exciting, edge-of-your-seat fights in the UFC. In our chat Alan shares lessons learned from 26 MMA fights including… The details of cutting major amounts of weight before an MMA fight His mindset while fighting Rousimar Palhares, one of the dirtiest and scariest fighter in MMA Lifting … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Interviews, Mixed Martial Arts Tagged With: Alan Belcher, BJJ, Competition, Cutting Weight, Interviews, MMA, MMA training, Striking, The Mental Aspect, The Strenuous Life BJJ Podcast with Stephan Kesting, Training, UFC, Video

New Podcast: Impact, Concussions and Brain Damage in Mixed Martial Arts

October 28, 2016 by Stephan Kesting

Impact, concussions, MMA and the human brain

I've just released a brand new podcast on Grapplearts Radio called 'Does MMA Make You Stupid?' Now that might sound like a deliberately provocative title, but the topic of brain damage in combat sports is so important that I want to make sure this podcast reaches as many people as possible. This podcast grew from an article I wrote a few years ago about the current state of head impact … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Health & Nutrition, Mixed Martial Arts, Podcasts Tagged With: Brain Damage, Concussions, History, Injuries, MMA, Striking, The Strenuous Life BJJ Podcast with Stephan Kesting, UFC

What’s the Right Stance for MMA?

April 13, 2016 by Stephan Kesting

Stances and Footwork in MMA

In MMA you see fighters using a variety of stances.  Some crouch, some stand upright, some look like wrestlers, others look like kick boxers.  And sometimes you see stances straight out of Karate, Capoeira, and Kung Fu... Given all these options how can fighters choose what'll work best for them?  Or, in simple terms, what's the best stance for MMA? Of course the answer is never so simple. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Mixed Martial Arts Tagged With: Denis Kang, Footwork, MMA, Stance, Striking, Techniques, UFC, Video

Does MMA Make You Stupid? Impact, Concussions and Brain Damage in Mixed Martial Arts

September 12, 2015 by Stephan Kesting

MMA has been my guilty pleasure for a long time. On the one hand, I'm a huge fan. I've been watching the UFC since its inauguration in 1993, and have enjoyed fights in Pride FC, Shooto, WEC, Strikeforce, Bellator, and many other organisations. I have good friends who are professional fighters, and have helped them prepare for their fights. And I have nothing but respect for the skill, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Featured, Health & Nutrition, Mixed Martial Arts Tagged With: Brain Damage, Concussions, History, Injuries, MMA, MMA training, Sparring, Striking, The Mental Aspect, UFC

The 2 Easiest Takedowns for No Gi Submission Grappling and MMA

August 29, 2015 by Stephan Kesting

2 simplest no gi takedowns

Just because you didn't wrestle in High School or do 10 years of Judo doesn't mean that you always need to pull guard! In this 5 minute Youtube video Denis Kang and I riff about the the simplest, easiest takedowns for No Gi. Denis is a BJJ black belt and has fought in Japanese Pride, the UFC, and ADCC, so his credentials are impeccable. And me? I just like to find the easiest ways to do … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Grappling Techniques, Mixed Martial Arts Tagged With: ADCC, Denis Kang, MMA, No Gi, Pride FC, Takedowns, Techniques, UFC, Video, Wrestling

Anderson Silva Screws Up (Video Proof)

July 9, 2015 by Stephan Kesting

Dan Inosanto Teaches Anderson Silva

Anderson ‘The Spider’ Silva in his prime was probably the most talented striker the UFC ever had. This man could do it all: insanely high striking accuracy, pinpoint punches, devastating knees, unreal timing, an amazing ability to bob and weave.  When he was on fire he didn’t just beat opponents: he broke them and systematically dismantled them, and left them slumped unconscious on the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Mixed Martial Arts, Training Tagged With: Anderson Silva, Dan Inosanto, MMA training, Striking, The Mental Aspect, Training, UFC

Podcast EP27: Roxanne Modafferi about MMA Training, Continuing to Improve, Tryouts for The Ultimate Fighter, and More

June 30, 2015 by Stephan Kesting

Roxanne-Modaferri-TUF-MMA

In this podcast episode I talk with Roxanne Modafferi, MMA fighter and TUF standout, about The differences between MMA training in Japan and the USA, Continuing to improve after 12 years in the sport, Training tweaks that finally snapped a 6 fight losing streak, What tryouts forThe Ultimate Fighter were really like, And much more... To hear this podcast episode in full, you … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Female Grapplers, Interviews, Mixed Martial Arts Tagged With: Conditioning, Interviews, MMA, MMA training, Roxanne Modaferri, Striking, Takedowns, The Strenuous Life BJJ Podcast with Stephan Kesting, The Ultimate Fighter, UFC

How to Defeat The Judo-Style Rolling Armbar

January 1, 2014 by Stephan Kesting

Love her or hate her, Ronda Rousey is an armbar machine.  At UFC 168 she defeated Meisha Tate with her eighth armbar in eight MMA fights.  This armbar streak is an amazing achievement, and a lot of people (including a lot of people who don't actually train) have been asking me how to counter this attack. I was thinking about doing this but it turns out that someone beat me to it. Ronda got … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Grappling Techniques, Mixed Martial Arts Tagged With: Armbar, Escapes, Jimmy Pedro, Judo, MMA, Ronda Rousey, Submission, Techniques, Travis Stevens, UFC, Video

Five Reasons to Grapple in a Streetfight

November 1, 2013 by Stephan Kesting

5 reasons to grapple in a streetfight

A lot of self proclaimed self defence experts will emphatically and categorically tell you to "never, ever go to the ground in a streetfight."  But no single strategy works in every situation, and anyone telling you to always do something, or never do something, is automatically wrong. The truth is that you may well be forced to use your grappling skills in a self defense context. I've added … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Self Defense Tagged With: Clinching, History, Rear Naked Choke, Self Defense, Striking, Submission, UFC, Video

Podcast EP18: John Perretti, MMA Matchmaker

October 3, 2013 by Stephan Kesting

I recently talked to John Perretti, the former matchmaker for both the Ultimate Fighting Championship and the Extreme Fighting Championship. In our fifty minute interview John and I discussed the early days of the sport, how he found and selected fighters, brain trauma in the combat sports, his disdain for the current state of the UFC, and much more. So if you're a fan of early MMA there's a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Interviews, Mixed Martial Arts Tagged With: History, Interviews, John Perretti, MMA, The Strenuous Life BJJ Podcast with Stephan Kesting, UFC

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