Wrestling Takedowns For MMA & Single Leg vs Double Leg

# The Complete Guide To Wrestling Takedowns In MMA & How To Choose Your Shot

Most MMA knockouts start on the feet, but most championship rounds are decided on the ground. The bridge between those two worlds is a good wrestling shot, and if you can’t control where the fight happens, you’re fighting on your opponent’s terms.

What a level change is and why it makes or breaks your shot

Before you shoot a takedown, you need to change levels. That means dropping your hips and lowering your centre of gravity so you can drive forward underneath your opponent’s base. Beginners try to reach down for the legs while standing upright, which telegraphs the attempt and leaves the head exposed to knees and uppercuts.

A proper level change starts with a small step forward and a sharp drop of the hips, like you’re sitting into a low chair. Your back stays straight, your head stays up, and your hands shoot forward at the same moment your feet move. The whole motion should happen in one explosive burst, not a slow crouch followed by a lunge.

When you drill level changes at wrestling sessions, you’re not just practising the mechanics. You’re training your nervous system to drop and explode without thinking, so when you see an opening in sparring, your body moves before your opponent can react.

The level change also sets up your penetration step, which is the deep forward step that gets your lead knee between your opponent’s legs. Without that penetration, you’re shooting from too far away and giving your opponent time to sprawl or circle out.

The single-leg takedown and when to use it

The single-leg is the safer option when you’re facing a striker with good sprawl defence or dangerous knees. You grab one leg, keep your head to the outside (away from their free knee), and drive forward or lift to break their balance. Because you’re only controlling one leg, they can still hop and defend, but your head position keeps you relatively safe from counters.

The standard finish for a single-leg is the “run the pipe” technique, where you lift the captured leg high, drive your shoulder into their hip, and circle toward the leg you’re holding. This twists them off balance and dumps them to the mat. Another option is to drop your level even further, grab behind their ankle, and simply lift them off the ground while driving forward.

Single-legs work well against taller opponents because you don’t need to get as deep on your penetration step. You can also shoot a single-leg from further away, which matters when you’re trying to close distance on someone with a reach advantage. The tradeoff is that single-legs give your opponent more time to defend, and the finish options are more technical.

A lot of MMA fighters default to the double-leg because it looks more explosive, but the single-leg is actually the smarter choice against strikers who know how to knee. You keep your head outside, you stay mobile, and you can bail out if the shot isn't there.

The double-leg takedown and why grapplers rely on it

The double-leg is the highest-percentage takedown in MMA when you can get deep on your entry. You grab both legs, drive through their hips, and either lift them straight up or trip them backward. Because you control both legs, they have no base to defend with, and the finish is faster and more forceful than a single-leg.

The classic double-leg finish is the lift and dump, where you clasp your hands behind their knees, stand up explosively, and drop them flat on their back. Against heavier opponents or when you’re tired, the trip finish works better: you drive forward while sweeping one of their legs out from under them, or you simply keep driving until they topple over backward.

Double-legs are particularly effective against grapplers who are comfortable defending single-legs. Because you’re attacking both legs at once, they can’t hop or circle as easily, and once you’ve got the double locked in, the scramble is usually over. The problem is that your head is on the centreline during the shot, which makes you vulnerable to uppercuts, knees, and guillotine chokes if your timing is off.

You also need to commit harder to a double-leg. Your penetration step has to be deep enough to get your head past their hips, and if you come up short, you’re stuck in no-man’s-land where they can stuff your head down and take your back. That’s why drilling your level change and explosion is so important. The technique only works if you’re fast and decisive.

Single leg vs double leg — choosing the right tool for the opponent

The best wrestlers don’t just drill one takedown until it’s perfect. They read the opponent in front of them and choose the shot that exploits that specific person’s weaknesses. A long, rangy striker with good footwork is a different puzzle than a compact grappler with a low stance.

If your opponent has a wide stance and keeps their weight back, the single-leg is easier to set up because their lead leg is already exposed. If they’re square and compact, the double-leg gives you a better chance of overwhelming their base. And if they’re throwing heavy hands, the single-leg lets you stay safer on the outside while you work for position.

The sprawl and what to do when your shot gets stuffed

No one hits every takedown. When your opponent sprawls (throws their hips back and drives their weight down on your shoulders), you need a plan or you’ll end up flattened out with them riding your back. The first rule is to keep your elbows in tight and don’t let them flatten your chest to the mat.

If they sprawl hard, your best option is usually to circle out toward their legs. Step your outside foot up, turn your body toward the leg you’re attacking, and keep driving forward. This is called re-shooting or chain wrestling, and it’s the difference between a failed takedown and a scramble you can still win.

Another option is to switch from a double-leg to a single-leg mid-shot. If they sprawl and you can’t get both legs, let one go and focus on securing the other. Keep your head up, stay on your toes, and finish the single-leg using the techniques covered earlier. The goal is to never accept a static position where they’re in control.

Chain wrestling and how to turn one shot into three

Chain wrestling is the concept of linking multiple takedown attempts together so that even if the first shot fails, you’re already setting up the second and third. Elite wrestlers don’t shoot once and give up. They shoot, adjust, and shoot again, forcing the opponent to defend until they make a mistake.

A simple chain is the double-leg to single-leg to ankle pick. You shoot the double, they sprawl, you switch to a single on one leg, they pull that leg back, and you grab the ankle of the other leg and drive forward. Each step flows into the next, and your opponent is always one step behind.

Another common chain is the single-leg to outside trip. You shoot the single, they defend by hopping backward, and you use their backward momentum to hook their far leg with your foot and trip them over. The key is to stay connected and keep moving. The moment you pause and reset, you give them a chance to escape or counter.

Chain wrestling is what separates drill takedowns from live takedowns. In drilling, your partner stands still and lets you finish. In sparring, they fight back, and you need to be comfortable flowing from one technique to the next without stopping to think. That only comes from live rounds where you’re forced to problem-solve under pressure.

If you want to add high-level wrestling to your MMA game, come down to Chadstone and train with coaches who’ve worked with fighters at every level. We teach you the techniques, then we put you in live situations where you have to make them work. Your first session is free, and you’ll walk out knowing exactly where your wrestling needs work. Book your free trial and start building the takedown game that changes where the fight happens.