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What’s that, you say? Never heard of the sneaky Pete submission hold? Then you must not train at Las Vegas’ famed Xtreme Couture.
Juancamilo Ronderos (3-0) introduced the hold to the UFC Fight Pass audience watching Wednesday’s “WXC 80: Warrior Wednesday 5” event in Michigan, earning a technical submission win over a previously undefeated Matthew Elliott (4-1) with the slick move that clearly damaged his opponent’s arm.
Ronderos also claimed the promotion’s vacant flyweight title with the headlining victory.
“It’s one of those moves that once you know it, it’s hard to catch guys, but if you’ve got a big, strong dude on top of you – like the guy that was fighting Juan – and it’s hard to get up, it’s go for broke, and that move always freaking works,” Ronderos’ coach, Dennis Davis, told MMA Junkie.
So why does the sneaky Pete have such notoriety at Xtreme Couture? Well, it turns out it’s one of Davis’ signature techniques.
While he won’t say he invented the hold, Davis admits it’s a technique he discovered during his training days at Team Quest and needed something to counter the top pressure of wrestling standouts like Randy Couture.
“I was always on bottom because I was going with Randy and guys like that, and I just kind of discovered it and started fine-tweaking it and figuring it out,” Davis said. “Now, I’ve got a little system behind it. Anyone I grapple with at a high level that I’ve caught it on, they’re like, ‘What is that? I’ve never seen it.'”
And since he’s never met someone else who knew the technique or had a name for it, Davis coined one of his own: the sneaky Pete.
The announcers calling the fight weren’t exactly sure what happened when Ronderos implemented the move. Fortunately, referee Vance Swerdan did see the damage incurred to Elliott’s arm and called off the fight.
That’s where the chaos part comes in.
As he was being pulled away, Elliott threw a few hammerfists to Ronderos’ face. Ronderos was no longer defending himself, and the shots landed clean. Once he got off the floor, Ronderos ran forward, throwing punches over the referee and in Elliott’s direction.
The commentators assumed Ronderos had somehow been choked out while applying the sneaky Pete and wasn’t sure what was happening. Ronderos said the real explanation is much simpler: He lost his temper.
“The ref started screaming because I broke his arm,” Ronderos said. “He pulled him off and said the fight’s over. He waved it off. After the ref pushed him off and waved it off, I don’t know why, he threw three or four punches in my face. My hands were down because I’m trying to get up because he’s already pushed him off.
“I thought the fight was over. He hit me three or four times, and that got my blood boiling, and I just started punching and cussing at him. The ref tackled me and said, ‘He hit you first. You’re fine you’re fine. Don’t worry.’ I apologized to him right after.”
Fortunately for all involved, order was restored in quick fashion, and neither fighter sustained any further damage. Ronderos said it was a valuable lesson in his still budding career and he apologized again for his post-fight behavior, offering praise for Elliott’s toughness.
He also thanked Davis for showing him the technique, which earned Ronderos a title belt and a page in MMA history.
“That was my last resort,” Ronderos said. “Coach said, ‘If he gets in a ride and you can’t get up, and he gives you the arm, just grab it and pump it,’ and that’s what happened.
“Thankfully I worked the move in the gym just playing around, but I was able to pull it off in a fight.”
Fight footage courtesy of UFC Fight Pass, the UFC’s official digital subscription service, which is currently offering a seven-day free trial. UFC Fight Pass gives fans access to exclusive live UFC events and fights, exclusive live MMA and combat sports events from around the world, exclusive original and behind the scenes content and unprecedented 24-7 access to the world’s biggest fight library.
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