Combat Sports Archives

UFC 324 Results: Justin Gaethje Wins Interim Lightweight Title

UFC 324 took place on January 24, 2026, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, headlined by an interim lightweight title fight between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett. Gaethje earned a unanimous decision after five rounds to claim the interim belt, while Sean O’Malley, Waldo Cortes-Acosta, and Natalia Silva also picked up key wins on the main card. The event featured multiple finishes across the prelims and set the tone for the UFC’s 2026 schedule.

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How to Stand Properly in Muay Thai

Striking / Jay Durden

Mastering the Muay Thai stance is the first step to becoming an effective fighter. Your feet, knees, hands, and posture all work together to maintain balance, protect your body, and generate power. Without a solid stance, even the strongest strikes and fastest kicks lose their effectiveness.

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Muay Thai Basics for Beginners

Striking / Jay Durden

Starting Muay Thai can feel overwhelming, but progress begins with mastering the fundamentals. Proper stance, footwork, and controlled strikes form the foundation, while consistency and a focused mindset help beginners build skill, confidence, and discipline step by step.

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How To Mix Punches And Kicks

Striking / Jay Durden

Learning to mix punches and kicks is a process, not a trick. It starts with balance, builds through smart setups, and comes together when you stop rushing your strikes. When you focus on clean transitions and simple combinations, your hands and legs begin to work as one, making your striking more effective and easier to control.

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Best BJJ Gi for Competition: Essential Gear Guide

BJJ, Gis / Cameron

If you’re competing in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, your gi matters more than most people realize.

The right comp gi can make grip fighting harder for your opponent, improve mobility during scrambles, and keep you comfortable under tournament pace all the while still staying fully IBJJF legal.

We wrote this guide and broke down the best BJJ gis for competition based on real training and testing, including premium picks, budget-friendly options, and what to look for if you want a gi that gives you a legal edge on match day.

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Muay Thai Punching Basics

Combat Sports Training, Striking / Jay Durden

Punches are a core part of Muay Thai and affect everything from balance to defense. This article covers the basics of stance, guard, and punching technique to help you build a solid foundation and improve how all your strikes connect.

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How to Improve Your Roundhouse Kick

Combat Sports Training, Striking / Jay Durden

The roundhouse kick is one of the most effective strikes in any striking art, but only when it’s built on sound mechanics. Power doesn’t come from forcing the leg through the target—it comes from the ground, the hips, and the way the body moves as one unit. Without balance, rotation, and control, even a hard kick becomes unreliable. This article breaks down the roundhouse kick step by step, focusing on stance, hip engagement, clean contact, and recovery, so the technique holds up under pressure, not just on pads.

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How to Improve Your Shin Conditioning

Combat Sports Training, Striking / Jay Durden

Shin conditioning is often misunderstood. It is not about smashing your legs until they go numb or pushing through pain for the sake of toughness. In reality, it is a slow process of adaptation. When the shin is exposed to controlled, repeated impact, the body responds by strengthening bone, toughening surrounding tissue, and reducing sensitivity over time.

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How To Fight A Grappler If You’re A Striker

MMA, Striking / Jay Durden

Striker versus grappler is one of the toughest matchups in MMA. This article breaks down how strikers can manage distance, defend takedowns, and stay composed when the fight hits the ground. It focuses on smart movement, calm decision-making, and practical adjustments that help turn difficult style clashes into winnable fights.

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Paddy Pimblett Cancels Celebrations for UFC Focus

MMA, News / Jay Durden

Paddy Pimblett is all business as UFC 324 approaches. The popular Liverpool lightweight has scrapped his birthday celebrations to stay locked in on preparation for his interim title fight against Justin Gaethje, a matchup that represents the toughest test of his career and a potential turning point in the UFC lightweight division.

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BJJ Gi Guide: How to Choose the Right BJJ Gi

BJJ, Gis / Cameron

Most people buy the wrong BJJ gi not because they’re lazy, but because no one explains why certain gis feel better, last longer, or pass competition checks while others don’t.

We put together a complete guide breaking down how to choose the right BJJ gi based on fit, weave, weight, durability, climate, and real training experience. Plus, the gis on our list have all been personally tested and scored.

If you’re buying your first gi or adding some to your rotation, this guide will save you money, frustration, and bad purchases.

Read the full guide on Grapplers Graveyard

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Why Balance Matters More Than Speed in Striking

Combat Sports Training, MMA, News / Jay Durden

Speed may look impressive in striking, but it is balance that determines real effectiveness. Without proper balance, fast punches and kicks lose power, accuracy, and control, often leaving a striker vulnerable to counters. Balanced movement allows fighters to generate force from the ground, recover quickly after attacks, and maintain strong defense. By prioritizing balance over speed in training, strikers build a more reliable, efficient, and sustainable skill set that performs under pressure.

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Islam Makhachev Turns Down UFC 324 Title Fight

MMA, News / Jay Durden

Islam Makhachev, the UFC welterweight champion, has turned down an offer to defend his title at UFC 324 in January 2026. After winning the belt at UFC 322, Makhachev said the quick turnaround didn’t give him enough time to prepare. The card’s main event will now feature an interim lightweight title fight, while Makhachev plans to return for his first title defence in spring 2026 against a top contender.

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How to Get a DQ in BJJ Competitions (And How to Avoid It)

BJJ, Rules and Scoring / Cameron

Getting disqualified in a BJJ competition is one of the easiest ways to lose a match without actually being outperformed. Most DQs happen because athletes ignore the rules, lose control, or assume a technique is legal when it is not. Understanding what causes a disqualification helps competitors stay safe, follow the rules, and keep their chances of winning alive.

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Trap x Jitsu BJJ Rash Guard Review

BJJ, Rash Guards / Cameron

New Review Just Dropped: Trap X Jitsu Rash Guards

I tested out the latest rash guards from Trap X Jitsu, and honestly — these things impressed me. Comfortable, breathable, durable, and the best designs I’ve seen from any brand in a long time. If you’re looking to upgrade your no-gi lineup, this breakdown will help you decide if they’re worth adding to your rotation.

Read the full review here

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Tony Ferguson Defeats Warren Spencer Unanimously

Boxing, News / Jay Durden

Tony Ferguson continued his late-career resurgence on Saturday night in Dubai, defeating Warren Spencer by unanimous decision at Misfits Boxing 23. The former UFC interim lightweight champion controlled the fight from start to finish, scoring a key knockdown in the second round and outworking Spencer over five rounds to capture the vacant Misfits Middleweight Championship. The win marks Ferguson’s second straight victory in the promotion and another positive moment after a difficult final stretch in the UFC.

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ACBJJ 20: Arman Tsarukyan’s Amazing Victory

BJJ, News / Jay Durden

Arman Tsarukyan earned a late submission victory over Mehdi Baydulaev at ACBJJ 20 in Moscow on December 17, 2025, capturing the promotion’s Stars Belt. The grappling main event was briefly halted after an illegal knee prompted referee intervention, but Tsarukyan regrouped and secured a rear-naked choke in the final seconds to close out the contest.

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UFC Vegas 112: Main Card Recap and Fight Results

MMA, News / Jay Durden

UFC Vegas 112 was full of action from start to finish. Manel Kape knocked out Brandon Royval in the first round, while Kevin Vallejos and Melquizael Costa also scored big wins. The night had a rare draw and a close split decision, leaving plenty of questions for future matchups.

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This Is Why BJJ Humbles Everyone

BJJ / Jay Durden

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has a quiet way of humbling people. It does not shout or embarrass. It simply places you in positions where strength fails, ego disappears, and patience becomes your only option. On the mats, excuses do not survive contact with reality. Every mistake is answered immediately, and every improvement must be earned. Over time, you stop trying to prove who you are and start learning who you need to become.

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Sanabul BJJ Rash Guard Review

BJJ, Rash Guards / Cameron

Hey Everyone! We are back again with another gear review. Today, we’re taking a closer look at the CORE Short Sleeve Compression Rash Guard the Model Zero Short Sleeve Rash Guard and a variation that for some reason, we could not find on thier site . Since Sanabul has a lot of different rash guards

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The ‘Dvalishvili’ Puzzle Solved: A Detailed Technical Dive

MMA, News / Jay Durden

Everyone has been talking about how intense the fight between Merab and Yan was at UFC 323, but how did Petr Yan finally weather the storm that the likes of elite fighters for instance, Umar Nurmagomedov, Sean O’Malley and Cory Sandhagen couldn’t. Petr Yan himself lost to Merab Dvalishvili back on their first meetup which

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Elite Sports BJJ Rash Guard Review

BJJ, Rash Guards / Cameron

Hey Everyone! We are back again with another gear review. Today, we’re taking a closer look at the Elite Sports Rash Guard. Unlike heavier gear categories where we use the full Graveyard Scale (1–10), rash guards and shorts are evaluated with our Simple Verdict System. These items usually have subtle differences that don’t justify hard

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UFC 323 Results : Main Card Outcomes From Las Vegas

MMA, News / Jay Durden

UFC 323 showcased several major shifts in two weight classes, including a new bantamweight champion and an unexpected flyweight title change. The event took place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and featured five main card bouts that influenced the direction of multiple divisions. Petr Yan Takes the Bantamweight Belt From Dvalishvili The main event

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How NOT to Roll: How to tell if a partner is being too Aggressive

BJJ, Combat Sports Training / Cameron

Anyone who has spent some time on the mats knows that rolling can either be the highlight of training or the thing that makes you question why you came. Most people you train with are respectful and genuinely trying to improve. Every so often, though, you run into someone who turns what should be a

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BJJ Gi Weaves: Explained

BJJ / Cameron

A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gi might appear simple at first, but the fabric’s weave shapes nearly every part of your training experience. The weave affects durability, airflow, weight, comfort, and even how much control an opponent can gain from gripping your jacket. Understanding the different weaves helps you choose a gi that actually matches your needs,

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