Questions for the poddy

Hi Jack, can you talk about why the Cus D’amato style has gone out of favor in boxing?

Sir Jack of Slack, as a secondary question, please would you tell us some of your favourite fiction books?

Hi jack, wondering if you have any examples of fighters with good lead upper cuts?

Hey Jack, way late on this one but was wondering what your experience has been in grappling competition? I don’t do much striking anymore because I’m concerned about concussion risk, but I compete in grappling regularly locally and have a lot of fun. Have you done any of the ADCC opens/other semi-big local tournaments? Cheers!

We all know there are advantages to being the shorter man in height (easier access to takedowns/body shots, better overhand synergy etc) but are there any advantages to having the shorter arm or leg reach?

Are you now or have you ever been a player of TTRPGs (DnD, Pathfinder, GURPS etc) and if so, which has the best combat system from a mixed martial arts perspective?

Jack can you please make a a weekly pod just about answering patreon Boi questions? Thank you

What is your BJJ game personally standing to pass to submission that would be cool

Hey Jack, longtime fan. Have you got any example of the 2 on 1/russian tie being used well in mma. As an mma hobbyist I’ve been theorising about it being good and easy to enter on a high guard by cross-hand grabbing the wrist. I don’t remember seeing many people doing this though. Cheers from sweden

Do you believe that on balance, the wrestling component of the sport makes MMA more accessible to shorter fighters than striking-restricted combat sports? What skills are most important to hone for the shorter fighter in MMA?

Alot of fighters get caught bump rushing their way or running into the clinch. What are some safer ways to enter the clinch offensively or defensively?

Oi oi Jack Slack On an older pod you said “the Japanese necktie is the one that works, the Peruvian necktie is bullshit”. As someone who thinks “man, how cool does the Peruvian necktie look?” Please educate me on why I’m dumb and why I should be Japanese-necktie-pilled

How far you think yuki yoza could go in one championship? (He left k1 so i am assuming his next move is to follow his teammates takeru and noiri in one)

What is Sean O'Malley's plan? He's not active, not calling for fights, but critical of other fighters. Sitting out for six months to a year is not going to build his skill set enough to become champion. And he won't take a step back in opponents. Will be interesting to see where he ends up. Looking at the rankings, him versus Jose Aldo would be amazing.

Keith Keppner on YouTube has a video talking about boxing guards. In it, he's fairly critical of people claiming someone invented or popularized a guard, and also how reliant people can be on one guard. This made me think of Dustin Poirier and Ken Norton, who both got near or to the top of their respective sports with essentially one guard. In another video he's talked about catching punches (almost like mitt holders do, but they're aiming for your face) as a fundamental way to teach defense which reminds me of Robbie Lawler. With MMA requiring people to learn a variety of martial arts, what would you insist on someone needing to learn for a fundamental guard? Are there any boxing guards you think should be thrown out completely for MMA? Apologies if this is all over the place.

How would you fix ONE Championship and make them profitable? I love their Muay Thai product and their kickboxing tournament with Allazov, Sana, Petryosyan, Superbon etc. back a few years ago was great! But do people really care about their mma / grappling?

Hi Jack, do you think that if the UFC keep going down its current path (horrible cards, no starpower, not giving fans what they want etc) it will eventually lead to a paradigm shift in MMA promotion? Other promotions like PFL and ONE seem like they wouldnt even be able to take the scene over if the UFC went bankrupt tommorow. Is there any hope for the future of MMA?

In the light of Michael Chandler's most recent amazing performance, what is the best dirtiest fight you can recommand in MMA ? Bonus question, do you have a good book about the behind the scene shenanigans of Pride ? Or at least a insightfull look of the organisation ? Cheers !

Would Linton Vassell beat UFC 309 Stipe?

Do you think the many great southpaw MMA fighters have the same success if they were Orthodox? Cro Cop, Anderson Silva, Conor McGregor etc

Oh shit, we're going META: there are a ton of great questions here and will likely be many more. Will you split them across more than one episode and/or pepper them in to near-future pods so youll be able to answer more than otherwise?

Best uses of the cradle in MMA?

How would you envision a a Topuria/Jose Aldo match-up going? Would be interested in Prime Aldo and the modern boxing-heavy Aldo differentials in the match-up too, if possible. Appreciate your work!

jack slack face reveal when🤨🤨

Why are almost all MMA promoters such bumbling idiots and how do they continue to succeed in spite of this?

In grappling people often talk about tall/long man techniques, such as darces and triangles etc, what are the small man techniques? Are there any moves/situations that the vertically challenged have an advantage in?

Dear Mr.slack . a guy at my gym has started using the malkoun single. This guy was a 'mma guy' at a no gi gym where wall wrestling isnt the norm. He is very annoying and i dont like him. His offence was flacid double legs straight into getting pancaked, head outside singles directly into guillotines(head inside would get you kneed in the face according to him, at our no gi bjj gym), or giving up his back trying to stand up and getting immediatley rnc choked. He is terrible off his back because he has no guard game. He has suddenly become a far more significant threat due to the malkoun single which is a move i showed him because of you, and it has ruined my bjj nights. He swings an overhand (he calls it a collartie) or body jabs me (he calls it pushing) to corner me into a wall, and then he (103kg) smashes into me (78kg) guy). I dont want a 103kg guy on my back so i concede the takedown because hes not good at putting his weight on my hips anyways, but even if i get back up, he just spams the takedown again. I hate it. Is there an actual way to stop the single once im already on the wall with him already having grabbed the single? I normally fight off single legs by hopping backwards and breaking the grip but theres nowhere for me to hop back to against the wall. Or is it truly unstoppable and do i have to start practicing ringcraft at my no gi bjj sessions. If i used an awkward term, sorry, im korean, my bjj dictionary is pretty limited. Thank you in advance, love your work.

Hi Jack, have you seen these "pro combat sambo" fights the Russians are doing? Ex: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-SdeXvw6Ok. Basically MMA in the cage with a gi jacket on. Made me curious what kind of meta you think would evolve if there was gi-mma. Some things I noticed from the videos: lotsa long clinch hockey-fight-style grab the collar and stiff arm/punch, judo throws to counter that dynamic, more classic subs (armbars, triangles) and obviously gi chokes (loop chokes, bow and arrow). Interested in your thoughts.

Hi Jack, longtime boi here. If you were training an absolute beginner (average size for weightclass, average athleticism) for an amateur MMA debut, and you only had a year to focus on: 2 striking techniques/strategies, 1 takedown, 1 top game strategy, and 1 bottom game strategy, what would you focus on? You know nothing about the opponent they'll fight at the end of the year, just that it will be another average amateur debuting. What's the core Jack Slack minimal mma toolkit?

How to get better at analyzing fights?

Less a question for THE podcast and more a question for ALL podcasts... Would you ever consider in the pre fight analysis, quickly adding the betting odds for the matchups? Just as a reference for what the professional number crunchers think? Im not suggesting to do anything more than just read the actual odds at the beginning of your discussion as a measure of the general consensus.

“Long time listener, first time caller” I’m sure you’ll touch on it, but, what are your thoughts on the McGregor situation? The mma media has barely covered the topic (sans Luke Thomas) and I’ve seen you addressing these freaks defending him on Twitter, keep doin your thing king!

Dear Jack, Long-time fan of the podcast and filthy casual's guides. Silly question: As much as I enjoy listening to your urbane English voice, can you do any impressions of other UK combat sports figures?

I'm always amazed at how you're able to pull a reference to an obscure Shooto fight from 15 years ago to discuss a move or combination, as if you had just watched it yesterday. Do you do a lot of research before a podcast, or is your memory just that good?

Takedowns for gangly southpaws?

What do you think about musemeci signing with UFC for bjj stuff? What's your favourite Tekken character and why is/isn't it Hworang?

what books are you currently reading?

Best fighters to watch fly unorthodox strikes/takedowns/feints/footwork

Have any interesting or dream former UFC Champion versus Champion Match ups (In their prime of course)? For example: BJ Penn vs Ben Henderson Jon Jones vs Brock Lesnar Francis Ngannou vs Randy Couture Conor McGregor vs Dominik Cruz Renan Barao vs Cody Garbrandt

Hi Jack I’ve trained Muay Thai for almost 8 years now and I’ve gradually become interested in starting mma training. My question is what are some of the negatives and positives in the having Muay Thai as a base for mma. I’ve noticed myself that the Thai round kick which is obviously very abundant in Muay Thai has a lot of disadvantages inside mma and wanted to know if it’s even worth training the body kick any more as I just fear getting taken to the mat. Thanks

Hi Jack, any good resources/books on the influence of organized crime on Japanese mma (in English)? I'm particularly interested in people Sakakibara, but English speaking sources are tough to find. Also, best fighters footage to learn/improve elbows from?

Hi Jack, Are there ways to train punching off the cross face/out of a clinch break (ie Badr Hari, Floyd Mayweather, Andy Ruiz)? I’ve read your work about how it is difficult to pull off due to having to coordinate a push-pull double action and not allowing the opponent to fall inside the path of the punch. Love your work.

How would Cung Le have fared in Shootboxing?

Hi Jack it’s very satisfying to see a kick catch and dump. Do you think we will at some point see more sanda people coming into MMA?

Slacky. When I'm boxing I've had success using the cross guard and forearm shield combo. Do you have any examples of kickboxers who use this heavily? I'm not entirely sure how to handle body kicks other than step into them and tummy teeps continue to vex. I'm on the shorter side if this helps at all. Thanks!

3 strikers that kinda suck but you still like?

What’s happening in the sumo world right now we want more sumo content

Who would win, Heavy weight Demetrious Johnson or 3 Flyweight Fedors?

Bonjour monsieur Slack, if MMA was a team sport inside the cage (2v2, 3v3, 4v4) what would be the strategies, the different teams compositions, the rule changes to make it work etc. ?

Good J-kick fighters to watch to start watching j kick? Aside from Yuki Yoza, Tenshin and Takeru

Dricus Du Plessis fighting style is ugly but effective. What fighters come to mind with very aesthetically pleasing styles, whether effective or not?

How much do you think PED use affects the overall skill of a fighter? Is the “naturalness” of a fighter’s performances a meaningful or necessary factor in GOAT conversations

Jack, what’s your thoughts on the two one and its applications. Either the right straight into a jab like Kovalev or cross counter into a jab like Volkanovski did it to Max.

Slack, what is the general strategy in a closed stance match up? Open stance is simple enough, get your lead foot outside of your opponents and shoot a straight. Are there any general rules similar to this when it’s closed stance though? Sincerely, A boi trying not to get wrecked in sparring.

What are some cool new/coming back bjj techniques to train right now?

What are some books you'd recommend for martial arts/combat sports history? Specifically karate if you know any good ones.

What's the craic Jack Whats some of your biggest BJJ fan moments? Also what has been your biggest takeaways from Neil Melanson with his grappling for MMA style of practice. Thank you for the content good sir. Couple random ass book recommendations too please

Any examples of good feinters in boxing?

What’s your opinion on low doubles/low singles in mma? I know you’ve said in the past you don’t like how jacare and some others just dive after legs because it relies on athleticism and is a big commitment, but recently I’ve noticed some people having success off it (or going for it and then chaining other attacks), like gamrot and khamzat. I’m not particularly athletic or even good at grappling but I’ve found I can hit low doubles on people quite regularly in a bjj, just by surprising them and level change faking a bunch. And usually if I get to their ankle it’s easy to finish.

What do you think about the statement that mma has already peaked as a spectator sport with promotions such as pride, strike force, WEC and pre ZUFFA UFC. I believe we may see a company succeed in the style of ONE FC with some minor adjustments but I think the ufc may be in a steep decline atm.

What are the weirdest synchronicitys in combat sports (ie silva weidman twin leg breaks/ aljimain and sharipovs 1st and 2nd ever sadulauev stretch back to back/ Tony's highest win streak and highest loss streak back to back) some of them are so on the nose I would cringe at the campiness if it was in a TV show

Hey Slacky J, what do you think of the short vs tall dichotomy? In general, what can a shorter fighter do (and what have they historically done) to achieve success in a world of taller man? And yes, I am asking this because I'm 187 cm (6'1") at HW (I really need to lose weight), and when I see that most are 195+ cm (6'4"+) it starts to seem like it would be impossible to even reach them. Much love from a longtime fan.

How good was Joe Schilling at his height/what do you make of his career and style? He runs one of the best muay thai gyms here in East LA, but his late career hasn't been the most inspiring to say the least.

You encouraged me to get into old boxing via your history episodes. After reading about Joe Frazier, I was fascinated by the fact he was nearly blind. You’ve spoken about their nearly blind fighters like pre surgery Gaethje, Charles Oliver to an extent. Can you talk about some nearly blind fighters you know of and the interesting ways it affected their games?

If the new meta for mma is to be an expert in one fielding (ie kickboxing like poatan or wrestling like kamzat) and becoming competent/learning enough of the other areas in becoming elite; should people wanting to start their mma journey first become good in one area and focus on that before jumping into training mma even if that means sacrificing a good part of their career/youth to achieve this?

I’m right handed but left footed. I surf goofy footed (right foot forward) but my striking & wrestling stance was orthodox. When I trained 28 years ago I used to get told that I kick great with my left leg and like a spaz my right leg. That was the extent of my coaching. Out of interest, what great kickboxers/mma fighters were like this and what strategies, techniques did they employ? Cheers

With the inevitable fall of ONE fast approaching, what’s next for my boi Regian Eersel? Haven’t seen much to indicate he’d take the MMA route. Guess what I’m really asking is: with Glory & ONE on their way out, where will all the kickboxers go?

Are there any other MMA fighters that have had success using that funny off-speed/high-volume style that the Diaz brothers had? What about that style made them so effective, and is it more common in boxing and other combat sports?

Hello jack, As most of the people who participate in community & you know, PED use has always been a big blotch for MMA As it is in any sport. However I feel it’s fair to say that if we could allow fighters the upmost advantage in healing their bodies that go through mangle-ment & mal manipulation on a daily basis, they would suffer less damage. Of course the discussion of the validity of PED usage is long, but my question is Going forward into the future, as our technologies & understanding of biology, biotechnology medical technology etc. advance, There will be a time when bionic men truly step into the cage, the new 6million dollar man (accounting for inflation could be upwards of 100million dollars) What will fighting be then?

Why are people so quick to forgive crimes of sports athletes? Love from the Netherlands

After CJI you briefly mentioned that the pit or 'the alley' wouldn't work for MMA, also the open scoring system wouldn't work. Wondering why that is?

If MMA was done in the Gi would Mackenzie Dern be triple champ

We hear a lot about specific coaches who improve fighters striking or jiu jitsu But are there any coaches who stand out as the best wrestling specific coaches in the sport?

Have you had any further discussion with Heavy Hands about a joint podcast? They said they were into the idea too

If you had to make a goat list based on purely mixing of the martial arts , who would be your top five ?

Which current division in the UFC do you think would have the best GP/Tournament? Either 4 fighters 1 night, or Bellator style 8 fighters over a few events

As a fight fan, I sometimes get hit with a sense of guilt that there’s blood on my hands. Even though I watch for the more technical, tactical, and strategic side of things. As the internet’s premier fight nerd, how do you deal with the fact that people get brain damage for our pleasure and your pennies? Sorry if this is too real… Also why isn’t the underhook, head-post, with Wrist control a more popular position against the cage? Lots of space for knees and to turn over elbows. Maybe it makes it too easy to separate and circle off? Best, Your Boi Shrimps

Hi Jack. In Edwin Halsin's book on boxing he gives a half dozen strategies for dealing with certain types of boxers? e.g the slugger. What are some strategies for dealing with types of muai thai/kick boxers? E.g crowd the kicker (I've heard you mention before)

Just thinking about that time Anthony smith was saying he'd fire his corner if they pulled him out, or something to that effect. And I wonder if this culture of being a warrior contributes to bad ref stoppages. I feel like there is more of a culture of corners protecting fighters in boxing (notwithstanding wilder), and that might mean refs can rely on them a bit more to do the right thing. Corners know their fighters more intimately; knowing when it's lost, better than the ref. But if the ref can have no confidence in the corner, they are left in high pressure situations of guessing, which can lead to both early and late stops. Guess this isn't a question really, or I could just ask if you agree? Yeah it's a question now.

Do you think using the Kimura for takedown defense is still viable. Switching from purely BJJ to MMA, I’ve been using it a lot while trying to get up, but I don’t really see it in MMA nowadays.

Jack, what about that Advanced striking 2.0 for Roberto Duran? You've been promising that longer than the dude who writes the Game of Thrones books.

Hey Jack. I saw Daddy Danaher is putting out a instructional on BJJ fanatics the Americana. Do you think the Americana has the potential to be effective in high level grappling and MMA or will it always be a basic move for basic bitches?

Hey Jack! Been listening to the old history episodes lately and it got me thinking: Is there a particular older/pre Golden Age boxer you think that should get more attention? Whether it be because of their technique or just for being a crazy bastard/interesting character?

Do you think PFLator should give up on PPV, at least for the near future? There's so much money in TV rights these days, particularly in the States, so seems to me like limiting their biggest cards to a few thousand people watching (legally anyway) doesn't make sense as a way to grow. Brand yourself as the affordable product, where you don't have to shell out for a PPV every month like UFC, and make TV partners happy by having your biggest fights on their channels. Am I missing something obvious?

To the Joanna J of Koala MMA It seems being taller is an obvious benefit in striking, how does height advantage play out in grappling starting from a standing position? Also, can we hear some of your favorite fight choreography scenes from Movies/Tv (Enter the dragon is a freebie obviously)

As someone who got into MMA in the early 2010s unfortunately I missed the Pride era. I know, I know shame on me for never going back and viewing the back catalogue before so can you recommend a great/ your favorite Pride event to start with?? Love the Pod, keep up the great work!

Hello Jack, wanted to say how much I enjoyed the history Episode about britain in China! I really like the grindy clinch fighting Style with foot sweeps and throws. It works well in Sparring when I geht the right Partner, but it is very hard to train. No Gym I ever been to, showed that stuff and i cant get a hold on the Guy often enough to get much experience. How do you or would you train that?

Any chance you could do a breakdown of Yuki Yoza? Or maybe Kyokushin in MMA/Kickboxing as a whole?

Howdy Kai! Hope you and the missus are doing well! For Kai’s upcoming fight against Pantoja, what do you think should be his gameplan to winning ? please stay warm and have a great holiday season

Any other hidden gems in mma grappling? Love your work on banouris sweeps and Linton Vassell

With the demise of ONE (not paying people, not honoring Road to ONE winners, etc.) and PFL looking rough with bad buy numbers and cancelling champ fights, is BKFC the new number 2 fight promotion?

Hi Jack! I'm a muay thai guy that's interested in trying out MMA in the future. My questions are about the transfer of skills between the sports. Why don't you see the standing locks and holds of muay thai more in MMA? I love putting people in the cross face when I'm clinching, but I don't recall a time I've seen it in mma. Second question: what do you think about the concept of an elbow fighter in MMA? Is there a prolific example of someone outside of Thai boxing that's formed their game around it? There are a lot of times I'm watching guys in the UFC fight in the pocket and I'm wondering why not throw an elbow

What adjustments could you see Yan making against Merab if they fight again in the future? On one hand, it’s hard to imagine Yan doing much to Merab after their first fight, but on the other it’s difficult to imagine a martial artist of Yan’s caliber not being able to make some degree of adjustment to Merab.

Hi Jack Long time reader and it’s been a joy to see your writing evolve over the years. My primary job is working as a martial arts instructor but throughout my entire tenure I’ve always competed in fighting games. As such, I have always seen a lot of crossover between the two mediums, aesthetics aside. Recently I heard you borrow the FGCism “yomi” as an example of layered adaptation. My question is do you think that martial artists could benefit from pulling mental concepts like yomi from fighting games? A conversation was briefly held in the FGC on the other side of the coin when people stumbled into the video where GSP was talking about BJ Penn’s broken reactionary “frame data” (lol), but have rarely seen anyone in combat sports give a thought to fighting fames outside of DJ. Anyways wanted to hear your thoughts as a fighting game player and martial artist. Keep up the good work; all my students are bunch of little Slackies and lover how you break down fights. Also, have you tried the new Gief in SF6? He’s been terrorizing the game from our local scene in Seattle all the way to the pro level. Cheers, Kenji (Wimp Lo)

Worst strategy to pursue during a fight? I think Paul Craig’s “get smashed until you grab something” narrowly passes the Chito/Yoel strategy of landing one big strike to steal the round. Honorable mention goes out to “The Parasite” , aka playing guard, attempting submissions, and losing the fight cause you’re on bottom

What major MMA fighter archetypes do you see, and what’s a good current fighter example for each?

What does your game center around when sparring? Surely you aren't 'an overhand & double leg' kinda fella??

Oi oi, Slacky. Recently, Petr Yan has been in the spotlight, and I would like to ask about a technique that he will sometime utilise in his fights to great success. This being the cross scissor sweep from a back body lock. I have found this move highly effective in my wrestling training, and I was intrigued to hear your thoughts on why the technique isn't more commonly employed in MMA. Love the pod and everything you do. Petr Yan finding homeless Alga on the streets, bless.

Greetings from Canada, Do you think Charles Oliveira has a decent shot against Islam assuming Tsarukyan or tuporia haven’t dethroned him. The first fight was uncharacteristic of what Charles normally does and I wonder what he does in the division after clear the top end already

I was wondering your thoughts on training as a hobbyist or older gentleman. From your conversations I know you train still but what is your background and what has your trajectory been as you have grown older? How much do you invest in strength and conditioning versus training and how do you balance everything as someone who (I’m assuming) is not primarily focused on competition?

Can we get another wushu watch?

Do you think there's still room for specialist BJJ fighters in MMA, or must everyone now be a generalist to succeed?

Hiya Jacky Are you thinking of doing any more history episodes? The China ones and the heavyweight boxing champs episodes have got me through a lot of long trips. James

Replace the mats with a big trampoline, which fighters benefit the most and which suffer the most?

Hello Jack, what are your thoughts on the switch and immediate reversion of the gloves in the UFC? Seems we have been waiting for this for years and they gave us a new version which did not serve it’s stated purpose. Do you have a favorite glove to train in and what should the promotion resort to ideally?

Hey Slacky boi, what are your thoughts on Bas Rutten's techniques and skillset in term of legacy? He's my favorite fighter ever but how high is he on the all time striker's list essentially. Much love from the It's Not Cagefighting family

When did we stop using the nomenclature ‘cheeky nodder’? Cheers

Wall wrestling in MMA narrowing the gap between good and bad wrestlers. Overhook judo within No-Gi bjj balancing the stand up away from shit wrestling. Are there any other traditional sports where you feel modern development of a certain technique would be game changer within MMA or BJJ?

If you could erase one fight from your memory and watch it again for the first time, what fight would you choose?

Hi Jack you recently mentioned you were into Anantasak what draws you to his style? There is so many interesting fighters from the golden age of Muay Thai but we don’t see a lot of their skills in MMA today, what tools do you think could be applied from Muay Thai to MMA? Loved your piece on Wangchannoi by the way one of the best breakdowns I’ve seen.

It seems like every week we’re subjected to another round of low-effort cards, scrubs from the contender/short-notice debuts, apex slop and general decline in the quality of the product. Besides the obvious (paying the fighters more and brining in real outside talent more often), what do you think the UFC would need to do to get back on track? If Dana was replaced by President Slacky J, what would your first 100 days look like?

Hey Jackie, wondering if Therese are any substantial differences when using the shoulder roll in a open stance match up, also interested in how the jab from open stance differs from closed stance.

Hello Mr Sick I’ve got 2 questions: -you got me on the yoza hype train and now you deny me your thoughts of his most recent fight. I‘d love to hear them (Or did you share them already and I somehow didn’t catch it?) -do you know about Miguel Trinidade? I‘ve discovered him a few days ago. Crazy good for 22yrs of age. He will participate in the Glory featherweight grand prix in December. If you know him: what do you think about him? If not: look him up! He is a pleasure to watch.

Rank the weight divisions from worst to best OR What are your thoughts on the current MMA meta? Which of the 4 cornerstone styles is currently reigning supreme, or are they all sort of equal right now?

Good heavy bag drills?

Hi Jack ,Thomas here,I’m a 21 year old amateur kickboxer from Montreal.I was wondering since my parents are fucking terrified of me fighting professionally,what are the CTE studies on K1 kickboxing,we usually only hear about it from boxers and MMA fighters ?Is it comparable or worse than those other sports? Also I’m planning to land at least 15 yoza kicks on my next fight. Bless

Hey Jack, wondering if you see the UFC product continuing to decline after the 5 year espn deal runs its course. Do you think there is a light at the end of the tunnel if some restructuring happens in terms of the volume of events and the size of the roster? It’s becoming apparent that the product is suffering as a result of the roster expansion, and I wonder if you see changes being made when/if the broadcasting rights change hands. Hope you’re doing well, the X’s and O’s are slowly becoming the only enjoyable part of the sport for me as the culture around the sport becomes less tolerable, so keep up the great work, it’s much appreciated by many.

Slacky’s opinion on armored MMA and more traditional hema events. Will we get a filthy casuals guide to stick fighting? Joking aside, you’ve talked about it on the four pillars of pugilism series and I just was wondering if you had any interest in weapon based combat in the present day.

Hey Jack, how do you think a prime Fedor would fair in the modern UFC heavyweight division? Where do you think Fedor would end up in the rankings?

How long do you reckon we have to endure the Shara Magomedov hype train before its derailed? It feels on brand for this era that a partially blind russian with an … Unrefined skillset, is the new marketing favorite for the eastern European segment though. I love modern mma cant you tell

Thought on Garry vs Shavkat?

Hey Jack! Why don’t we often see the Danaher’s straight jacket system in mma? Particularly due to the current cage wrestling - back taking meta.

Do you think the hardwick brothers should push for the next UFC London card or continue developing before moving up on competition?

The Murilo Bustamante of doing a Q&A. What does an average week of watching, writing, podding look like for you?

Why do you think MMA is such a right wing sport and the UFC such a propaganda machine and how can we oppose it as fightfans, for the love of the art? Thanks for an answer, I know you don't like more political questions, but i think it's important for the standing of martial arts.

How do you overcome training hurdles? Lately my striking and MMA specific grappling have been improving and I enjoy doing those but I just can't be arsed to get better at BJJ. Every time I can't pass or get tangled in a DLR or whatever, I just think about how easy it would be to hit them. Then I get frustrated and swept. I know it's a whole different sport but still want to get better and add to my skill set.

Have you ever played around switching between a Giggler sweep threat and the electric chair trap? Someone showed me the electric chair position the other day, I thought the two might work well together.

Question: I’ve noticed a few guys in the top 10 (most notably ddp) have been throwing lead high kicks with exaggerated turn of the hip so that the kick cuts downwards on a diagonal instead of up and around. It seems to catch people off guard. Do you have any funny thoughts on this variant? I think Stephen Thompson used to do it in the early day.

How to make lead leg more effective in MMA without compromising your balance for takedowns?

I’ve quickly become a big fan of the all the fighters coming out of the fighting nerds - my question is, which of them do you think is most likely to claim a belt first? And if you think more than one has a reasonable path to the title, maybe you could rank them? Cheers :)

Why do you think ground based striking has been nerfed to the degree it has. I'm talking about knees to the head on the ground, kicks to the head on the ground, even headbutts from guard. Front headlock on the ground should be a terrible position for the person being headlocked but for some reason we have to pretend there is a force field there protectino them. What is the reasoning behind this?

Do you think McGregor being held liable for sexual assault will change anything about his standing within combat sports? Especially in light of Mike Tyson being a darling recently despite his past conviction

As a combat sports hobbyist with no plans to go professional, what is the most sustainable and healthy way to train while still developing effective skills?

I recall you sharing that you film study on a small screen. Could you detail that setup and your process? Also, esp if a screen is normal sized, do you have a method for how you literally look at fights?

Entry and exit strategies and tactics in striking range, best tactics on the fence attack and defense, MMA meta on the ground

Know you talk about it occasionally but would like to know what you consider/have heard of as the fundamentals of stance switching? Best tip I've heard is figure out which stance there defense is worse against and build from there

What are your thoughts on the benefits of punching to set up your kicks vs kicking to set up your punches? What about the different opponents that might be susceptible to one more than the other?

Hi Jack! Could you share some tips/insight on your process and approach to tape study? I always find it difficult to watch fights and take notes while still feeling like I’m keeping track of the actual flow of the bouts, and oftentimes I feel like I work too hard by essentially transcribing play-by-play that I then comb over to pick out the important information. I’d also love to know how you go about deciding what fights you watch in order to break down a fighter or matchup. Do you start with more recent fights, watch them chronologically, or pick out certain ones based on the performances and who a fighter is matched up against?

If you had to fight another MMA Podcaster, who would you fight and how do you win?

How did you get started writing articles professionally? Any tips to get your foot in the door?

how would you feel about aldo against the top 135ers eg o’malley or cory. ? think the cruz bout is beneath him since he’s looked great at 135(apart from the utah fights)

Will Jacky ever do the sifu walk though? Also as a south paw who loves jabbing, any tricks to get past the hand fight would be great

What made you decide to dedicate your time to writing about fighting instead of fighting and would you say there's certainly a bar in every weight class where knowing massive skills and the physics of it will not help if you, if you are not just a innately violent person to begin with? Love ya slacky boy

Hi Jack been watching you for a little while and your breakdowns and analysis have helped me in some parts realising my martial arts game so I’m very thankful for your content! Just wanted to ask you around the single leg because maybe it’s just me but I feel like we don’t see it as often as other takedowns in MMA, whether it’s head outside single or a head inside I feel like we don’t really see it that often. I train with Gunni Nelson and he talks about how if you’re good at a double leg then you’re good at double legs, but if you’re good at single legs then you’re good at wrestling. Just wanted to hear your thoughts 🙏

Why don’t more Light Heavyweights move up and just out athlete their way to the top 15? Despite all their flaws the likes of Walker and Petrino could make it to the rankings right?

Could you discuss similarities and differences in setups for short hooks vs elbows when fighting 1) in the pocket, 2) in clinch range, without or without a collar tie? I'm also curious to hear your thoughts on the merits of rising elbows when moving forward or being pressured back.

Hey jack, i am an amateur mma fighter and maybe this is a little silly but I was wondering how I can make my walkout more intimidating. What do the kings of scaring the shit out of people like foreman,tyson, liston etc have in common besides being a big puncher? Cheers from canada love your work

Has there been a bigger duck in boxing or MMA history than Jones and Aspinall? What are some that come to mind, and which ones have been the funniest? Somewhat related, what are some of the biggest/best/most important fights for you that never got made?

Do you think the current trend of every close fight in the UFC being a robbery is in anyway related to commentators telling the fans who they think is winning and getting it wrong because they aren’t trained judges?

Face reveal? 😘

What books would you recommend for those interested in the cultural history of martial arts e.g wrt to the boxer rebellion? Thanks slacky.

Obviously, it’s good to pivot in mma. However, when should you NOT pivot ? (To not get leg kicked for example). In sparring, I often feel like I get punished for pivoting at the wrong moment. Basically, when is it good to pivot and when should you avoid it.

Do you think Ilia can hold the belt through 2025? Or do you think he will be dethroned? Does Volk have much a chance in the rematch?

What do you see Marcus McGhee topping out at in his ufc career? Who would you like to see him fight next

Who is the best Heavyweight in the world, and why is it Reug Reug?

Hey Jack! Before martial arts and combat sports, what were you most passionate about? Thanks for all the great work, your Britain in china series is on repeat