That Damn Left Hook
A small collection of left hooks through combat sports and history
May 15, 2021. I was enlightened to the beauty of the left hook. In a sleazy pool bar, I was enjoying a Fat Tire and Fireball shots with my two friends and lovely girlfriend. I was glued to the tiny phone screen watching every fight of UFC 262 ecstatic for the main event; Michael Chandler vs. Charles Oliveira. This was for the vacant lightweight title, following Khabib Nurmagomedov’s retirement from the sport. The first round was insane, largely controlled by Michael Chandler’s powerful blitzes, clattering Oliveira during the latter half. As a younger fan of the sport, I had seen Charles Oliveira’s last two spectacular performances against Kevin Lee and Tony Ferguson but knew of his reputation as a fighter who would quit in the face of adversity. After being hurt in the first round, Oliveira comes out in the second immediately engaging in a mid-range exchange. That’s when the magic happened; that damn left hook.
The left hand of Chucky Olives went from his chin directly to Chandler’s; dropping him like a sack of potatoes. I yelled out in the bar, which no one was thrilled about. I couldn’t believe what I just saw but I knew I had to see it again. The slow-motion video only seemed to confirm that that was one of the most beautiful strikes I have seen thrown in MMA. What made this moment so special?
While an emerging technique in MMA, the use of the left hook throughout boxing and kickboxing is much more storied with titans upon who’s reputations were built. You will be hard-pressed to find a more devastating left-hook than that of Smokin’ Joe Frazier. The Philly native built a career upon it, where opponents knew of its destructive accuracy and could do nothing to avoid it. In his second bout with Jerry Quarry it was a left to the body that brought him the finish, but the one shown here has a unique devastation to it, freezing Quarry for a moment.
“By some grace of God he was able to survive it.”
In their 1971 “Fight of the Century”, Frazier and Ali went to work to produce a fight of epic proportions. It was in the 15th round that Frazier produced a moment as beautiful for fight fans of that era as Oliveira’s was for me (likely more so). Frazier received specific instruction from his corner to watch Ali’s right hand. In response to Frazier’s “bob and weave” style of movement, the uppercut became Ali’s tool to dissuade it. Frazier responded with his trademark.
Not even a minute in, Ali raises his right as if to uppercut, and get caught by Frazier’s hook, dropping Ali to the ground. Ali astoundingly got up but he couldn’t forget the strike that shook up his world. The left hook was always a trademark and Frazier’s won him a fight against one of the greatest heavyweights of all time and etched his name in combat sports history.
If Frazier is the historical heavyweight standard for the left hook, Alex Pereira is its deadliest user in modern day kickboxing. With few MMA fights under his belt and already the UFC Middleweight champion, Pereira is a force of nature. He has the distinction of 8 knockouts by left hook on his record and he uses it in different ways with terrifying power and accuracy. In his fights with Maycon Silva, Bayrack, Abena, and the former UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya, he comes out victorious in an exchange of left hooks. No matter who seems to be his opponent his left hook always wins by being a bit shorter, faster, and more deliberate. More impressively is the fact that it is set up within the exchange in different ways each time. In his bout with Bayrack, he throws a right straight to the body to draw out the left hook, leans back, and returns with his own.
The difference between the commitment of each fighter to the strike is obvious. The finish at the bell combined with Bayracks body falling against the ropes provided for a stellar finish.
His kickboxing rematch with Israel Adesanya took place in completely different geography than Bayrack. Rather than retreating with his opponent along the ropes, Pereira is advancing upon Izzy in the center of the ring. He draws out the left hook from Izzy by advancing with his right and returns with his own, leaving Izzy staring at the ring lights.
Historical titans of the left hook characterize themselves by using it in an educated manner that works with their game. Charles Oliveira is one of many who are utilizing it effectively in MMA today. His knockout of Chandler as his most devastating use of the strike, but he has been incorporating it in his striking for years. Glimmers of it were shown early on against Efrain Escudero, throwing it tight after an entry to prevent Escudero from coming in.
Oliveira also used the hook to great effect in his title defense against Dustin Poirer. Where Poirer will traditionally utilize the “Poirer Shift”, as coined by Jack Slack, to punish retreating opponents, a quick left hook thrown by Charles immediately stifles Dustin on the shift before he is able to follow through on the overhand right.
Just like the Chandler fight, this became a case of two fighters’ favorite techniques matching up, and Olives coming out on top with the left hook yet again. Ultimately, it was Oliveira’s opportunistic submission game that led to his win over Dustin but his left hook throughout the first round was essential in both stifling the Poirer Shift and creating collar ties for Charles to work the body.
Charles Oliveira’s career has been one worthy of being etched into history. After entering the UFC as a boy with incredible potential, losses against divisional gatekeepers led many to believe he couldn’t handle the pressure when met with resistance. Ever since he was pounded out by Paul Felder, Charles has proved every single one of his doubters wrong, and his title winning fight against Michael Chandler was proof of this. Despite almost getting finished in the first round, Charles stayed composed and entered the second round unburdened. He immediately took advantage of Chandler’s right straight to the body and throws the left hook for the ages to spell the beginning of the end for the mini fridge of a man. That one strike was the culmination of his entire career with every single loss, win, finish, feeling: it was all encapsulated in that one strike. In one of the most difficult divisions in the sport, Charles Oliveira was able to overcome a loose technical and mental base for the sport and become the absolute best lightweight today. While emerging as a pertinent strategy, there is no doubt that such a high-profile performance has put the fighting world on notice as to the efficacy of the left hook. From Oliveira to Pereira to Vicente Luque, many fighters are having a devastating effect on the sport by adding the left hook to their tool kit.
Looking back it felt as though the beer was flying and the whole bar was cheering for Charles. Nobody really cared about what was happening though. My friends wanted to get drunk and the bar couldn’t see the small phone screen supported by an empty beer glass. Though small, that moment had an enormous impact upon me and I constantly re-watch that fight to see the moment of beautiful destruction that Charles executes. Charles’ story is the height of combat sports and encapsulates what it can do for people at its best.
P.S. Thought not able to post videos, you should be able to find all of them on YouTube. Check them ALL out, just beautiful fighting