Next Gen Giant Killer: Fabricio Andrey

Submission Grappling's Latest Phenom

Having just written extensively about Marcelo Garcia and his ADCC Absolute performances, another small man has begun to take the submission grappling world by storm: Fabricio “Hokage” Andrey.

Just as Marcelo sought to defy the odds and work his grappling game against larger men, Andrey is doing the same. He came up short in the ADCC 2022 Absolutes, facing the tricky guard of heavyweight Victor Hugo in the first round. Despite the loss, he put on a rousing performance.

Hokage turned up at the Polaris 25 Absolute Grand Prix and shocked everyone yet again. Standing at a mere 5’5 and 155 lbs, Andrey again embodied the David archetype that is so beloved throughout the sport. Certainly more physical;y imposing than Garcia was (Andrey is stacked and much more top heavy), he still stands small. Just as we asked with Marcelo, why does his game work against the giants of today?

(Read my previous article here)

Disclaimer: The video clips included in this article are not owned by the author. They are included for educational purposes only to illustrate key moments in the fighter’s career and demonstrate aspects of mixed martial arts techniques and strategies. All rights to the video content belong to their respective owners.

Grip Fighting

Just like Marcelo, Andre realizes that grip fighting is essential to wrestling larger opponents. The wrist is one of the weaker joints in the body, and is less able to reap large scale strength changes with size and training. It also the very end of the arm, meaning you can easily influence the opponents posture by moving it.

For this reason, wrist control is paramount when trying to wrestle a monster. Obtaining wrist control primarily prevents their meaty paws from controlling him. They are a defense mechanism that he uses to open up offense.

Constant wrist control in the above sequence was able to stifle the shot and make underhooks easier to shove in. Underhooks are an ideal defense when blocking a double. Proactively obtaining wrist control is the ideal defense against a freight train attempting to bring you to the ground.

Owen Livesey is a credentialed judoka in his own right, and Andrey’s ability to maintain wrist control is impressive but not impossible when your opponent out muscles you.

Though the wrist is one of the easier joints to control, there is no detriment to trying to increase the strength differential between yourself and the opponent. Andrey’s 2-on-1 grip was bothering Livesey. Without a limb, his posture can be controlled and he is shut down from all offensive options. He must address it. Andrey was not able to open up any offense in this particular instance, but he forced Livesey to react to him.

Even when trying to pass Bodoni’s guard, Andrey knows that he must keep control of Bodoni’s wrist in order to not be swept. Using that arm to control Andrey would likely bring him on top, so he keeps control of it as long as possible while trying to slip his hips from control of Bodoni’s guard.

You see here one of the main reasons Andrey enjoys to attack wrists. For a moment Livesey is able to disengage and get a collar tie. Having a big man club a hand behind your neck is bad news. Just one well-timed snap down and all of their weight is driving you into the floor. Andrey immediately shucks off the collar tie and seeks to re-establish wrist control. Stop the bear in front of you, give yourself a moment to think, and open up an avenue for offense.

Impeccable Balance & Instincts

Andrey’s wrist control is key to his defensive strategy. His strategic acumen is built upon a foundation of athleticism and instincts for the sport. There were moments throughout Polaris where Andrey would get overpowered by his opponent. That was it. Moments. Every time Andrey was taken down he immediately was able to disengage and prevent his opponent from scoring.

Polaris is an event where every scoring action counts for 1 point, so a single takedown can change the momentum of the match. Andrey made it impossible for his opponents to score on him.

Almost all of Livesey’s takedowns were executed near the edges of the mat which certainly helped Andrey remain un-scored upon. Even still, Andrey immediately scoots away and pushed on Livesey’s head to prevent him from climbing up his body. Livesey never retained control and Andrey quickly got to his feet.

Again we see Andrey get wrist control and look for the 2-on-1 early on. Livesey shoots deep on the single, and Andrey immediately looks to get an underhook and keep pressure on the neck of Livesey. The underhook does help Livesey from continuing the shot but Andrey’s impeccable balance helps keep him on his feet as Livesey drives through. His far side overhook threatens his most consistent weapon throughout the event, but Livesey gives up on the shot at the end.

Such a beautiful sequence above. Andrey’s speed and strength for his size allow him to scramble with the best of them. Livesey attempts to take advantage of his size by leaning forward on Andrey’s head with collar ties. In this position however, Livesey’s weight is far forward of his hips. Andrey attempts to take advantage of this with an ankle pick, which should bring him right to his ass. Livesey retains his stance and drives through, but Andrey quickly threatens the uchi-mata. Livesey, a crafty operator on the feet, wraps the leg and trips Andrey to the ground. Even in such a position Andrey immediately gets his feet under him and stands up, preventing Livesey from earning a point.

Andrey simply has that dog in him. Even after the current ADCC -88kg World Champ gets him in a cradle, his 2-on-1 grip saves him from getting scored on. He is able to convert Bodoni’s cradle into a takedown. Bodoni was a step ahead and counters with a tight armbar. Andrey simply refuses, escapes, and stacks Bodoni out of bounds.

Bodoni enters a leg entanglement, specialty of his new team at New Wave Jiu Jitsu (John Danaher and Gordon Ryan). Andrey however, ties up both Bodoni’s ankles in a leg lace. In controlling both ankles of Bodoni, Andrey prevents any offense from his opponent. He then forces Bodoni to the turtle to get his leg out from Bodoni’s control.

Just as Andrey had an answer for Bodoni’s leg game, he was able to anticipate any trick his opponent’s brought to the table. Widens his stance from the dummy sweep and takes Bodoni’s leg.

Andrey’s instincts (something honed by hours in the practice room with a variety of opponents), is aided by textbook defensive technique. Bodoni converts his cradle into a single-leg takedown here. Andrey grabs a tight underhook in order to loosen the grip Bodoni has on his legs. This is classic single-leg defense. Though he might be able to put more pressure on Bodoni’s neck while standing, Andrey instead decides to use his hand an extra base. His leg is now in the air, so the arm replaces it.

Bodoni is eventually able to shuck to the back and bring Andrey down. Andrey prevents his back from being truly taken. Before Bodoni establishes any hooks inside of Andrey’s thighs, Andrey gets his ass to the mat. Andrey is able to secure a psuedo-side control while Bodoni has a hook locked in. Andrey can now turn into Bodoni while elevating his legs. He almost gets his back taken again but quickly throws Bodoni out of bounds.

Even in a match he lost Andrey did not make his opponent’s lives easy. As was the case with all Andrey’s opponents, Duarte uses his size to his advantage by hanging all of his weight on the back of Andrey’s neck. This acts to tire the neck and back and keep the opponent’s posture far ahead of their hips. Duarte acts by ankle picking and succeeding on the second attempt.

Like a cat, Andrey works himself right to the quad-pod (all four limbs on the ground, downward facing dog position) which Duarte counters by taking the back. Even with his size advantage he cannot break Andrey down to his knees. Duarte opts to take the back standing so Andrey simply flips him over. Though Duarte is on his back, he can work from a more athletic position before Duarte establishes his hooks. He immediately begins to turn into Duarte and come up on top.

Shades of Marcelo

Andrey is a grappler with his own style and unique attributes that allow him to trouble larger opponents. However, he does exhibit shades of yesteryears Giant Killer.

Marcelo Garcia understood that the back is one of the greatest advantages for the little man. Andrey does as well. After stuffing a shot from Livesey on the outside, Andrey attempts to jump to the back of the man, but cannot maintain control. His own momentum catapults him into the barriers.

Andrey employs another classic Marcelo trick in exposing the back with the single leg. When your opponent has a loose single leg (posture-up, foot not in between their legs) the most common defensive tactic is to limp-leg out of the attempt. Limp-legging requires turning your back and trying to slip your foot out from their grip. Andrey is able to trip Bodoni off the single, but maintains control. As Bodoni attempts to escape, his back is exposed and Andrey capitalizes. Though he cannot convert this attempt into offense, the idea was salient.

Where Garcia would often commit the whole of his body weight to tripping his opponents from the BBL, Andrey struggles. He attempts to use a hook to off-balance one leg of the opponent, but his size limits him here. Marcelo would often use both his knees or feet against the back of his opponent’s knees to buckle them and bring them down. This weapon or something that utilizes the whole of his body would be a welcome addition to his game.

Another attempted back take by Andrey. He had the right idea; fighting grips, looking for the 2-on-1, and using an overtie (collar tie above an opponent’s own) to block the defensive use of Bodoni’s arm. His attack was somewhat labored nbut he was still able to stay on top and continue passing Bodoni’s open guard, something he does much more naturally.

Taking another page out of Marcelo Garcia’s playbook, Andrey is forced into a butterfly guard after Duarte takes him down with ease. He attempts to elevate, but Duarte had a tight body lock that he was not letting go. Garcia willingly played open guard, fighting grips with the opponent to prevent them from locking the legs and body. Andrey here was forced into it, so it isn’t any wonder that he could only manage little while being flattened out with a body lock.

Andrey understands that he has more weapons in the arsenal against those who outweigh him by 30+ lbs. I am sure that he will look to incorporate more of Marcelo Garcia’s tactics as he grows.

Takedown Prowess

Andrey’s stand-up game is the most impressive portion of his game. He is able to easily out wrestle his over-sized opponents, getting them to the ground with minimal effort.

“Shut up before I ankle pick you”

-Tony Ferguson (UFC 155 lb Interim Champ) to Fabricio Werdum (Former UFC Heavyweight Champion)

Andrey truly embodies what Tony would have done if given the chance. Andrey, while jostling for superior front headlock position, drops to his knees to bring the full extent of his weight on the back of Livesey’s neck. Doing this brings Livesey’s head far forward of his hips, breaking any semblance of his posture. Thus, the perfect time to pick up his ankle and bring him to the mat. Truly a gorgeous technique.

Despite Livesey’s stand-up grappling credentials, Andrey was not afraid to meet him where he was best. With a good grip on Livesey’s wrist to prevent any offense from the front headlock, Andrey is able to slide out to the side and snatch up a single-leg. He spins with Livesey to establish a grip and possibly take the back if need be, but they were too close to the edge for any conclusion to this scramble to be wrought.

Even when Andrey finds his posture being broken down, he finds a way to enact offense. Within the first second you can see that Andrey has a tricep grip on the near arm and an underhook with his far arm. Andrey moves backwards in this position to get Livesey to commit to moving forwards. Once he does, Andrey pulls his near tricep grip down, and shucks his underhook up in a beautiful duck under. This simultaneously breaks Livesey’s posture and opens an avenue to attack the back.

Livesey was able to turn out but Andrey acquired the body lock, secured position in side control, and earned the only point of the match. Beautiful duck under to score points.

Livesey is a little more wise to Andrey’s tricks at this stage of the fight and his ankle pick attempt is stifled.

The duck under still works. Though it didn’t score under the ruleset, Andrey’s duck under here was arguably better. He got behind Livesey enough that his throw only opened up the back for Andrey. Andrey established a single-hook, but looked relatively flaccid in his attempts to submit or score from here. If Andrey put more time into creating meaningful offense from the back, his game could improve exponentially in Openweight/Absolute bouts.

Andrey loves him his ankle picks. Bodoni has him deep in a single with Andrey floundering to break the grip on his lower leg. Bodoni becomes enamored with reinforcing his grip > converting the single-leg, which gives Andrey an opportunity to counter.

Bodoni’s hands are fully committed to Andrey’s leg and thus cannot post to give support as his legs are swept. He is able to get his butterfly guard quite quickly, but Andrey’s counter to the single-leg was unexpected and worked a charm.

“Oh, you’re gonna single-leg me? Me too.”

Duarte had the benefit of watching all of Andrey’s previous matches to see how well his stand-up game had been working against the other Openweight competitors. In quite a funny move, Duarte acts as if he’s going to engage in the clinch with Andrey, and immediately pulls guard. Andrey was so peeved but even the ref had to have a laugh at that one. If you think they’re going to score with a takedown, then pull guard.

Uchi Mata

The true cherry on top. The uchi mata was Andrey’s throw of choice tonight. Early on in the Livesey fight, Andrey was thrown with an uchi mata off a duck under attempt.

As if he thought “Oh, thats a good idea”, he started employing the tactic himself.

Livesey gets a deep underhook and tries to power Andrey to the ground. Andrey capitalizes on Livesey’s forward momentum with a an uchi mata out of bounds. It wasn’t as clean as Livesey’s earlier, but it took Livesey’s weight advantage away and got him to the ground. This was just the start.

Another attempt that did not score, but had a wonderful set-up. As Livesey attempts to pull Andrey into the clinch, Andrey steps back and puts his leg between Livesey’s for the uchi mata right after. His overhook was not strong enough to propel Livesey over his back, but Andrey’s defensive reactions were slick enough to prevent his back from being taken.

Not only was Andrey using this throw offensively, he used it as a defensive counter to Livesey’s throws as well. Livesey attempts a trip with a tight double-under. Instinctively, Andrey gets his base and an overhook, and attempts the uchi mata. It brings them both down while breaking the clinch and separating Andrey from the bigger man. For all intents and purposes, it had value.

This one took some effort. Bodoni tried HARD to take Andrey’s back here while off-balancing the throwing leg. Andrey keeps his hand on the ground to maintain his balance. Once he feels the opening, he lifts the throwing leg high to take out Bodoni’s base while using his posting arm to grab Bodoni’s tricep, facilitating the rotation required to bring Bodoni to his back. Bodoni gets his butterfly hooks in but the throw is complete, and Andrey scores.

Andrey finishes his run of uchi matas with an escape from Duarte’s back control. Duarte is a monster of a human, but Andrey is disciplined with preventing Duarte his hooks. Andrey begins to stand up and immediately shoots his leg between Duartes’. Duarte’s attempted body lock gives Andrey a free underhook and he uchi matas wonderfully once he has his base. Though he couldn’t stay on top, the throw was beautiful all the same. They are called martial arts for a reason, and something beautiful should be valorized.

Fabricio Andrey’s performance at Polaris has cemented himself as this generation’s Giant Killer. I hope he makes it to ADCC to compete in the Openweight division again. His performances at Polaris 25, especially the decisive win over Bodoni, are evidence of his improvement. In a completely different mold from Marcelo Garcia, a competitor all his own, is Fabricio “Hokage” Andrey; Submission Grappling’s newest David.