Athletes
When A Game Plan Works To Perfection
Looking Back At Some Of The Most Flawlessly Executed Game Plans Inside The Octagon
Every fighter visualizes themselves winning long before they make the walk, running through sequences of strikes, defenses and scenarios in their minds to make those movements second nature once they step into the Octagon.
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But fighting is unpredictable, with countless factors such as injuries, weight-cut issues and in-fight adjustments affecting performance. Sometimes, though, an athlete nails their plan flawlessly, resulting in a spectacular performance. Here’s just a handful of examples of fighters executing their game plans perfectly.
Jorge Masvidal Flying Knee KOs Ben Askren
Jorge Masvidal’s flying knee knockout over Ben Askren at UFC 239 will not only go down as one of the greatest knockouts in UFC history but as one of the best-executed game plans of all time. Believing Ben Askren would shoot for a takedown as soon as he closed distance, “Gamebred” practiced landing a flying knee throughout training camp and is even on video just days before the fight practicing the exact fight-ending sequence. All that practice led to stopping Askren in a record-breaking five seconds.
Conor McGregor One-Punch KO’s José Aldo
Second only to Masvidal’s flying knee is Conor McGregor’s swift knockout of featherweight legend José Aldo to capture the title at UFC 194. While not quite as fast as Masvidal, McGregor stopped Aldo in just 13 seconds, which holds the UFC record for fastest knockout in a title fight. Just like Masvidal, McGregor was captured on video in the locker room prior to the fight mimicking both Aldo’s movements and how he’d counter with a step-back left hand, which he executed perfectly to knock out Aldo and earn undisputed gold.
Dustin Poirier Debilitates Conor McGregor With Calf Kicks
While there have been many instances of leg kicks being used effectively in UFC fights, like Kaue Fernandes against Harry Hardwick and Jonathan Martinez versus Adrian Yanez or Cub Swanson, Dustin Poirier’s massive rematch with Conor McGregor at UFC 257 was defined by calf kicks. While Poirier didn’t actually stop McGregor via leg kicks, 18 calf kicks debilitated McGregor’s mobility and left him like a sitting duck against the Octagon, where Poirier unloaded a series of strikes to put McGregor away in the second round. Despite a back-and-forth contest early on, Poirier bided his time and stuck to the plan to secure the biggest win of his illustrious career.
Merab Dvalishvili Shoots 49 Takedowns vs Petr Yan
In Merab Dvalishvili’s first meeting with Petr Yan, he seemed to have one goal in mind: take Yan down. Over the course of 25 minutes, “The Machine” attempted an unprecedented 49 takedowns. While only 11 were successful, that relentless pressure and constant threat of a takedown kept Yan from getting comfortable and limited his offensive output, ultimately leading to a unanimous decision victory for Dvalishvili.
Derrick Lewis Flying Knee KOs Marcos Rogerio de Lima
At UFC 291, Derrick Lewis produced one of his flashiest finishes to date, taking a page out of Masvidal’s playbook with a flying knee against Marcos Rogerio de Lima. When asked by Joe Rogan if that was exactly how he drew up the finish, Lewis said no, but he did plan to “throw some bulls*** and see if it lands.” The bulls***: a flying knee right out of the gate that connected, leading to an onslaught of ground-and-pound strikes and the eventual finish. While not meticulously planned like Masvidal’s, Lewis decided moments before the fight and still executed it to perfection, adding another spectacular knockout to his record.
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