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Coaches see the sport differently and look at the sport differently than anyone else, picking up on different things and paying attention to movements, habits, or intangible pieces that others might not notice, but that could have a significant impact on the action inside the Octagon.
Every matchup offers its own unique collection of elements that might pique a coach’s interest and get them paying a little closer attention to once the fight gets underway.
So what is that one thing in this matchup?
Krause: I think one thing people aren’t talking about here is how much bigger Aljamain is than TJ. He is significantly bigger, and he will be significantly bigger on fight night, too.
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I also don’t know what size the cage is. If it’s the smaller cage, that’s going to heavily impact Aljamain’s game in a positive way, but if it’s the big cage, that’s going to help TJ a little bit.
Madden: Who was the last good wrestler that Aljo fought? Was it Cody Stamann, in terms of someone with a wrestling pedigree?
I think that’s something we should pay attention to is that Yan is not known for his wrestling, Cory is not known for his defensive wrestling, Pedro Munoz, Jimmie Rivera — so we’re going back to Cody Stamann four years ago in 2018. I do think that is something for us to pay attention to is that TJ is the most accomplished wrestler of those past opponents, and it will be interesting to see how Aljamain’s wrestling stacks up against TJ’s wrestling, because if TJ can shut down these shots and keep Aljo off his back, we’re in for a really interesting fight, for sure.
James Krause is the head coach at Glory MMA & Fitness in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, home of veteran UFC talents like Tim Elliott, Julian Marquez, Jeff Molina, and interim flyweight titleholder Brandon Moreno.
Sean Madden is an independent striking coach who spent a number of years working with the Elevation Fight Team in Denver, Colorado. Most recently, he helped sharpen Lauren Murphy’s striking ahead of her upset win over Miesha Tate.