MMA Fighter And Stuntman Alain Moussi: How To Beat A Larger Opponent

MMA Star Alain Moussi On How To Defeat A Bigger… by uSports

Alain Mousi, a mixed martial artists, actor and stunt double, sat down with uSports for an exclusive interview in which he discussed, among other things, his strategy for defeating larger-sized opponents in a fight.

MMA Fighter And Stuntman Alain Moussi: How To Beat A Larger Opponent

“It depends on who you’re fighting, obviously,” said 35-year-old Moussi, as he first explained how to play to your strengths as a fighter when starting a bout while also paying close attention to what type of fighter your opponent is. “Once you start training, you have to find your strengths, your go-to’s. I have specific things that I like to do that work well for my body type. So I start with that.”

“Once I get a feel of the opponent, how he moves. Is he somebody who takes his time, and positions and works on grip? Or is he somebody who’s trying to push the pace, go fast and jump from one position to the next.”

He then explained his strategy for the main step, taking down an opponent, which involves asking oneself a series of crucial questions: “Do I want to go faster/am I faster than he is? Will I be able to push the pace more? Or do I slow him down to force him to relax? Or, if somebody’s really slow, do I try to get ahead of him the whole time to get him to follow me?”

“I take my first 30 seconds or minute to analyze who I’m fighting,” Moussi concluded, re-emphasizing how the approach varies depending on the size and type of the opponent. “What I want to do is expose my opponent’s weaknesses and use my strengths against him.”

Moussi has starred in several MMA movies, the latest of which is Kickboxer: Vengeance (2016). He will next star in the sequel, Kickboxer Retaliation, in 2017.

He has learned jiu-jitsu from Canadian martial arts legend John Therien, and also trained in kickboxing under champion Jean-Yves Theriault, as well as Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Carlos Machado. He eventually earned his black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

SANTA MONICA, CA – NOVEMBER 01: Alain Moussi attends AFM’16 The Exchange’s 5 Year Anniversary Celebration on November 1, 2016 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for The Exchange)