Underhook
A clinch grip where one arm is under the opponent's armpit, with the hand on their upper back. Used to control posture, attack the back, or set up takedowns.
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In Short
The underhook is the most dominant single-arm clinch position, achieved by running an arm under the opponent's armpit with the hand on their upper back. It provides leverage to control posture, prevent strikes, and set up takedowns or back-takes. Double underhooks are considered one of the strongest clinch positions in MMA.
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The dominant clinch grip
The underhook is the most dominant single-arm clinch position. The attacker's arm runs under the opponent's armpit, with the hand on the upper back. The position creates leverage to control the opponent's posture, prevent them from striking with that arm, and set up takedowns and back-takes.
A single underhook gives the attacker positional advantage; double underhooks (both arms under) is one of the strongest clinch positions in MMA.
Mechanics
From an over-under clinch position (where each fighter has one underhook):
- Arm position: arm goes under the opponent's arm (between their bicep and chest), with the hand on the upper back at shoulder-blade level.
- Elbow position: elbow high and tight, pinching the opponent's arm against their body.
- Head position: head into the opponent's chest or shoulder, never aligned with the centerline.
- Hip position: hips engaged with the opponent's hips, weight forward.
What the underhook is for
- Posture control: a high underhook lifts the opponent's arm and prevents them from striking with it.
- Setup for back-take: a deep underhook combined with a step behind the opponent leads directly to back control.
- Setup for takedowns: dropping levels through an underhook produces high-percentage single-leg and double-leg entries.
- Defensive grip: the underhook prevents the opponent from establishing dominant clinch positions like double underhooks or the Thai plum.
- Wall pressure: against the cage, the underhook gives the attacker leverage to walk the opponent along the wall.
Common errors
- Hand low on the back: gripping at rib-cage level rather than at shoulder-blade level reduces leverage.
- Elbow low: a low elbow lets the opponent pummel inside.
- Loss of head position: the head needs to stay into the opponent's chest or shoulder.
- Static underhook: holding the position without attacking gives the referee reason to break.
Defense
- Counter-underhook: pummeling for the underhook on the opposite side.
- Whizzer: overhooking the attacker's arm with the same-side arm.
- Frame and circle: posting hands on the attacker's biceps and circling out.
- Cross-face: driving a forearm across the attacker's face.
Variations
- Single underhook: one arm only.
- Double underhooks: both arms under. The most dominant standing clinch position.
- Deep underhook: the underhook arm extends past the opponent's shoulder, gripping the back of the opposite shoulder.
- Whizzer-and-underhook scramble: when both fighters have one underhook and one overhook (the over-under position).
Exemplified by
- Cain Velasquez: underhook-and-fence-pressure heavyweight wrestling.
- Khabib Nurmagomedov: underhook-into-takedown entries that defined his chain wrestling.
- Daniel Cormier: double underhooks pressure-and-takedown game.
- Kamaru Usman: underhook-and-back-take welterweight title-defense work.
Drills
- Pummel drill: constant pummeling work where both partners alternate getting and losing the underhook.
- Underhook to takedown chain: from the underhook, drill the single-leg, double-leg, and body-lock takedown options.
- Underhook to back-take: drill the chain from underhook → step-behind → back control.
- Live clinch sparring: 3 × 3 min rounds where both partners fight for the underhook.
More clinch techniques
Collar Tie
A clinch grip where one hand is on the back of the opponent's neck. Used to cont
Dirty Boxing
Close-range punching from a single-collar-tie or under-overhook clinch. Randy Co
Knee Strike
A knee thrown from clinch range — to the body, thigh, or (when the opponent isn'
Over-Under
A neutral clinch position where each fighter has one underhook and one overhook.
Thai Plum (Double Collar Tie)
A dominant clinch position where both hands lock behind the opponent's head, con
Frequently Asked
- What is the correct mechanics for an underhook?
- The arm should go under the opponent's arm with the hand on the upper back at shoulder-blade level. The elbow must be high and tight to pin the opponent's arm, while the head stays into the opponent's chest or shoulder, never aligned with the centerline.
- What are common errors to avoid when using an underhook?
- Common mistakes include gripping low on the rib-cage instead of the shoulder-blade, keeping the elbow low which allows the opponent to pummel inside, losing head position, and holding the position statically without attacking.
- How can you defend against an underhook?
- Defensive options include countering by pummeling for the underhook on the opposite side, using a whizzer to overhook the attacker's arm, posting hands on the biceps and circling out, or driving a cross-face with a forearm across the attacker's face.
- Which MMA fighters are known for using the underhook?
- Notable examples include Cain Velasquez for underhook-and-fence-pressure wrestling, Khabib Nurmagomedov for underhook-into-takedown entries, Daniel Cormier for double underhooks pressure, and Kamaru Usman for underhook-and-back-take work.