#4 Chris Weidman’s standing-elbow
Trending
‘The All-American’ Chris Weidman (13-2) is a former UFC Middleweight (MW/185 pound) champion and an NCAA-Div 1 All-American wrestler. Weidman’s MMA base is wrestling and BJJ. His work under the tutelage of Matt Serra and Ray Longo has paid dividends by helping him improve his striking, turning him into a well-rounded MMA fighter.
‘The Filipino Wrecking Machine’ Mark Munoz (14-6) is an NCAA-Div 1 All-American wrestler as well, with an MMA base of wrestling, BJJ and boxing.
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
Weidman faced Munoz in July of 2011 at UFC on Fuel TV: Munoz vs Weidman. Weidman dominated Munoz in the grappling exchanges and also succeeded in keeping his stocky opponent at the end of his strikes on the feet.
Weidman outclassed Munoz throughout the first round and started off round 2 by feeding Munoz a constant dosage of feints. Munoz lost patience and rushed his way into range, in response to which Weidman timed Munoz with a beautiful standing elbow.
Munoz was out on his feet and Weidman landed a few unnecessary ground-and-pound shots, leaving Munoz in a pool of his own blood. Now it’s essential to note that Weidman’s strike wasn’t a Sok Ti (slashing elbow) although it had a slight downward (45-degree) angle. It was, in fact, a Sok Tad (horizontal elbow) that is thrown with the intention of stunning or knocking out your opponent.
The Sok Tad is thrown by swinging the elbow at a 90-degree angle to the armpit whilst planting one’s feet. However, in Weidman’s case his Sok Tad managed to not only knock Munoz out cold but also deliver a huge cut across his face. ‘The All-American’s’ excellent timing and powerful display of Muay Thai has landed him on number 4 on our list.
