Become Fighter
Pinning and working against the cage: MMA guide
Trap the opponent on the fence, take away their circling and wear them down.
Cage pinning is control with your body weight. You press the opponent into the fence so that they cannot circle, cannot throw big strikes and have to spend energy getting off.
It scores in rounds when you also do something: short knees, elbows, body shots and takedowns. Pinning for its own sake gets a stand-up from the referee.
Key points
- Your underhook goes on the side the opponent is trying to escape.
- Hips against hips, head against shoulder. The opponent is flat on the fence.
- Feet wide and under you. A narrow base lets them push you off.
- Add small, consistent actions: knees to the thigh or body, short punches to the body.
- If they do not give you anything, work toward a takedown or reset.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
- Leaning with your head down. Keep your head beside theirs, chin tucked.
- Pinning without doing anything. Add knees, shots or a takedown every few seconds.
- Narrow base. Keep your feet wide and your hips low.
Combinations that use it
- mma-pin-knee: Cage pin, Knee from the clinch
- mma-uh-pin-knee: Underhook, Cage pin, Knee from the clinch
Related techniques
The rest is in the app
The step-by-step breakdown, the timed drill with the coach calling the shots and the quiz are part of Become Fighter Pro, where this lesson sits in the Cage work module of MMA foundations.
Get it on Google Play. Coming soon to the App Store.
More from Cage work
Combat sports training is hard on the body. Warm up, stay within your limits and check with a doctor first if you have a health condition. Practise in a clear space and stop if you feel pain or dizziness. Learn partner work only under a qualified coach.