Matt Brown: ‘Blueprint exists’ how to beat Stephen Thompson, however some fighters decline to follow

It’s been 11 years considering that Matt Brown handed Stephen Thompson his very first loss in the UFC. He waits his method as the very best possible method to beat the multi-time welterweight title opposition.

If Shavkat Rakhmonov wishes to beat Thompson in their crucial match at UFC 296Brown thinks Rakhmonov would be a good idea to follow it.

“We do not understand that he’s going to beat ‘Wonderboy,'” Brown stated of Rakhmonov on The Fighter vs. The Writer“‘Wonderboy’s among those guys– if you do not battle him right, he’s going to f ****** get you.

Kevin Holland discovered that out. Kevin might beat ‘Wonderboy’ I believe 90 out of a 100 times, however that a person time, he’s like, ‘I’m going to stand with you, and not just am I going to stand with you, I’m going to do range combating with you. I’m going to offer you area to toss your strategies, and I’m going to toss my own too, and we’re visiting who’s much better.’ Well, ‘Wonderboy’ is quite f ****** proficient at it. You do not wish to play that video game with him.”

Brown, who’s 2nd all-time for knockouts in UFC history, didn’t complete Thompson back in 2012. Rather, he protected a dominant three-round choice win. While taking Thompson to the ground played a part in his success, Brown argues that it was another part of his tactical plan to assault the amazing striker that truly made the distinction in the battle.

“I seemed like I type of opened the secret box of ‘Wonderboy’ when I battled him,” Brown stated. “This is how you battle him. You stroll forward, you bite down on your mouth piece, you stroll forward, you may conjecture, however do not stand apart here [at distance] where he can spin, where he can blitz. Where he can dance around with his quick feet and long limbs and s ***. Move forward, and it does not even need to be a fumbling thing.

“Everybody states I simply battled him. I took him down– I believe 3 or 4 of the takedowns were sweeps, more like Muay Thai design. That’s what you’ve got to do. You’ve got to be best in his face.”

With a karate background, Thompson enjoys tossing strikes from uncomfortable angles, especially when he has space to work. He typically tosses his challengers off with a sideways position that appears hard to attack. Brown stated perseverance and a desire to participate in an intense, dirty fight actually makes all the distinction.

“I see it all the time– guys with that design do not manage it well and they’ll use themselves out attempting to develop range all the time,” Brown stated. “That’s how you battle them. The plan exists.

“You combat their design, they’re most likely going to win. That’s what combating is. That’s actually what fight sports is.”

Rakhmonov stays unbeaten with a 100 percent ending up rate in his profession. Lots of experts call him a future champ in the department.

If Rakhmonov plays to Thompson’s strengths, that may be a dish for catastrophe.

“Wonderboy’s entire video game is, how do I enforce my will on you by funneling you to my strength,” Brown stated. “A great deal of these guys, he does not need to funnel them. They attempt to play to his strength.

“It’s nearly like if somebody was combating Bo Nickal and their whole tactical plan was to out-wrestle him. Like, what are you doing? I see that all the time when these ‘Wonderboy’ battles.”

Regardless of the caution, Brown does not anticipate Rakhmonov to attempt and show himself versus Thompson.

“I do not see Shavkat playing that video game with him either,” he stated. “I believe Shavkat’s going to close the range on him, put a great deal of pressure on him, be aggressive and f *** him up respectable. Moral of the story. I’m preferring Shavkat quite greatly personally.”

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