By Gareth A Davies, Telegraph.co.uk
The unique style and use of angles to punch employed by Manny Pacquiao, who has won world titles from flyweight to welterweight, is crossing over into other combat sports.
‘The Pacquiao’ was used in a mixed martial arts fight on Saturday night – to stunning effect. One of Pacquiao’s trademark punches, where he dips his shoulder and head throws an overhand left-cum-hook, was used by Las Vegan UFC heavyweight Frank Mir in Memphis on Saturday night to deliver a devastating knockdown of his French opponent Cheick Kongo.
Mir, the former UFC heavyweight champion, who strikes from the south paw stance, delivered the same punch Pacquiao hit Ricky Hatton with in May 2009. Mir set the move up in the same way. He feinted to get Kongo moving into the direction of the left punch, and kerpow – the long left landed.
Mir explained: “It’s something we’ve been saying the whole training camp. We call it “The Pacquiao,” because Manny Pacquiao will step off as a southpaw and throw the overhand left. As soon as I hit Kongo I went to catch him with the uppercut and I didn’t see him, he was on the ground.”
“I knew I had the capability of beating Kongo based on what I could do in sparring. It’s just something I had to make sure crossed over. I charged him a little too aggressively (once he was down). I should have passed and established the under hook. Instead he was able to rotate and get back to his knees for a takedown which could have been a major mistake on other opponents like Cain (Velasquez) or Shane Carwin. But instead he gave me his neck and I train with Robert Drysdale on a daily basis. If I get someone’s neck in the heavyweight division, it’s over with.”
Mir’s submission win over Kongo – in the co-main event of Penn vs. Sanchez at UFC 107 could propel the Las Vegan into a fight against Shane Carwin while Brock Lesnar recuperates on the sidelines after stomach surgery.
ENDS
Source: blogs.telegraph.co.uk
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