Last month, Renzo Gracie showed his skills as he stepped into the cage at One Championship: Reign of Kings in Manila, Philippines.
With refined technique, he took down Yuki Kondo with an intelligent hook to later find a choke from the back. A detail that made the whole thing work happens to be an old trick of his.
“This position was taught five months prior to Brandon Vera at the airport in Manila,” said Luca Atalla, CEO of Graciemag and Gallerr. “What’s interesting is that at that point, Renzo had no idea he would be fighting in the Philippines — there was nothing set.
“Brandon is Filipino, and he was in the front row during Renzo’s fight. Besides the hook on the leg for the takedown, another important detail is the hand under the shoulder. The position is entirely connected. Renzo applies the technique on top so that Kondo will defend his face and he will have an easier time placing the hand under the shoulder. It’s a well-known technique, but the grip Renzo does is very tight, and it makes it impossible for Kondo to explode to get on all fours in search of escaping.”
In the following video, you can watch the decisive moments of Renzo’s fight, as well as the impromptu lesson he gave Brandon Vera. And to learn the lessons Renzo extracted from his latest MMA bout, you can click here.