The Jab Shuffle Cross By “Wonder Boy’ Stephen Thompson
Nowadays in MMA athletes are always looking for the best training regime, any techniques they can learn to help them get to the top. There are many different sparring combinations that you can drill to improve your striking ability.
Drilling combinations that leave your opponent facing away from you are assured to get the desired results inside the cage. Utilising the right angles to load up on your cross is an extremely effective weapon in bringing down your opponent.
In this video Stephen “Wonder Boy“ Thompson takes us through one of his favourite striking drills, which he calls “The Masvidal knockdown“. Famously known from Wonder Boys fight against Jorge Masvidal at UFC 217, where he pulled off this technique to dominate his opponent and go on to win a unanimous decision.
Who Is The Wonder Boy Stephen Thompson?
Stephen Thompson is widely considered one of the best strikers to ever reach the octagon. He currently competes in the welterweight division in the UFC and holds a record of 16 wins, 4 losses and 1 draw in MMA. Before he joined the UFC he was a full contact kickboxer where he was undefeated in 37 amatuer fights and 20 professional fights. So rest assured The Wonder Boy has you covered when it comes to learning striking drills.
Take A Look At Stephen's Instructional! Click Learn More!
Check Out This Striking Drill Below!
This video starts by Stephen Thompson explaining why he named this drill The Masvidal Knockdown, he talks about how he utilised this in his fight against Jorge Masvidal. Seeing this technique work inside the cage and against a quality competitor in Jorge, you know it works!
When you're setting up for this drill, have your training partner put focus pads on. Make sure you are bouncing on your toes and moving around alot, so your opponent doesn't know what strikes you are going to deliver.
You have to bait your opponent into throwing a jab at you, you can do this by throwing your own jab at them first. Remember to lean your head away from your jab; this makes it easier to slip the counter punch. Anticipation is key here, knowing when his jab is coming at you is vital for you to take the next step in this technique.
As your opponent counters your jab with their jab, you have already leant to the side, making it easy to now step to the side of your opponent. Now you are in a very good position as your opponent is exposed and facing away. Step in with full extension on your cross and land one across their chin!
An important detail to remember is when you step to the side, don't square up your body to land the cross as you will have minimal power. You must stay in that 45 degree angle so that when you step in with your cross it has power created by momentum.
Landing a good headshot typically means hitting their chin which is referred to as the button. Other good spots to land are the jawline or the ear, any of these spots will do the trick! Just remember to practise these techniques in the gym until they become muscle memory, then you too will be creating history just like The Wonder Boy!
Learn More From The UFC Star Stephen Thompson!
If you liked Stephen Thompson’s striking drill and you want to check out other drills he has to offer then have a look at his series Movement as a Weapon by Stephen Thompson Available exclusively on Dynamic Striking!