Like any other profession, not all fighters are created equal. There are many athletes who will be delegated to the B leagues for their entire careers. Then there are others who hit the ground running right out of the gate. All it takes is a credentialed background and a couple of impressive fights to catapult someone into the spotlight. Boasting a perfect 5-0 professional record, Austin Clayton is one such individual. With the right ingredients, a prospect does not require twenty-something amateur fights; they just have to check the right boxes. “The Ace” possesses a solid foundation in freestyle wrestling, developed at Arizona State University. Wrestling is always an excellent tool to have, but upon watching film, Clayton is no average grappler. As he says himself, he is far from simply a wrestler. All five professional victories have come by way of finish (both from strikes and submissions), with four out of five transpiring in the opening round. So, he has a complete ground game and the ability to finish fights on the feet. While wrestlers often excel at mixed martial arts, there is always the fear that they will use their arsenal to stall and turn the fight into a spooning session. Austin Clayton is far from such a fighter. He is highly skilled and uses that skill to entertain and, most importantly, win. In his interview with Around The Octagon, he emphasized the importance of winning while remaining dynamic and being a well-rounded martial artist. Thus far, he is accomplishing both in spades.
I would be foolish to omit one crucial detail that enhances his value as a prospect. Clayton is a sought-after training partner for the very best in the sport. Being a primary training partner for former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland, he is a growing star at Xtreme Couture, a gym that needs no introduction. Clayton was also instrumental in preparing Jon Jones for his heavyweight title bout against Ciryl Gane. I mean, come on. One of the GOATs of the sport requested this man as part of his extremely exclusive fight camp. That does not happen for no reason. As cage fighting as a whole grows more popular than ever, it becomes increasingly difficult to rise above the competition. Yet, in a stacked deck, Clayton remains an ace.
Of course, we must cover some of Clayton’s fighting style to observe part of what makes him so excellent at this juncture. There remains much to be discovered, as most of his fights end within mere minutes. Obviously, it is known that he is a wizard as it relates to wrestling. Training with gentlemen like Zahid Valencia will do that to you. Yet he is not simply a wrestler. Watching the tape, it is very apparent that Clayton has been around some of the very best in the business in top-notch fight gyms like Xtreme Couture. Clayton is incredibly well-rounded and as slick on the feet as he is on the ground.
In (American) football, one may sometimes hear the term “complimentary football” thrown around. All this means is that the different moving parts (offense, defense, etc.) blend together and set the other up for success. Clayton is much the same. His style mixes wrestling with jiu-jitsu perfectly. For instance, from the front headlock position, he is adept at switching his grip and setting up D’Arce chokes. He will also frequently attempt D’Arces when an opponent shoots on him, as his latest opponent knows all too well.
Of course, his wrestling has essentially let him control the fight at will once the level is changed. I will be referencing his second-to-last bout against Andrew Huckeby most often during this piece, as it remains his only professional contest to date that went beyond the first round. This fight did not go perfectly for him (as fights rarely do). Clayton found himself wobbly, but fought through the muddy waters to put himself in position to win. Upon initiating takedowns, he was able to do exactly what he wanted. The entire second round had him alternating between side control, half guard, and top position while in Huckeby’s closed guard. While he did hunt the submission, I very much liked how he did not force it, as even many experienced athletes might do. Instead, he lit his opponent up with strikes, raining punches and elbows to various parts of the body. He does not discriminate with his targets or his weaponry, and it is this maturity and execution that sets him apart. If anything, I would argue that his fight IQ rivals even his grappling.
Much as I try to remain unbiased, there are just certain occurrences one expects when watching different styles of fighters. When watching a guy with an NCAA Division I wrestling background, I expected to be mostly impressed with, well, the wrestling. If anything, I was actually more excited when viewing Clayton’s stand-up game. Make no mistake, I knew he was a complete fighter. Still, I was pleasantly surprised when I saw just how fluid he looked in the striking department. I will once again reference the Huckeby bout. Again, Clayton did find himself challenged on the feet, but did plenty to be proud of. Firstly, he made the jab a cornerstone of his game, which pairs well with his lengthy frame. A good jab is surprisingly underutilized in MMA, and it allowed him to dictate the distance and rules of engagement. He pressured Huckeby with his jab and cross, all while avoiding unnecessary risks. I also thought he did a solid job with his defense, posting with his left hand to ward off attacks/advancement, and keeping his right guard in position around his head. Referencing my Jose Aldo article, the post can be a great temporary barrier when used appropriately, and Clayton used it several times with success. Clayton used his jab and stabbing front kick, coupled with his reach, to safely pick Huckeby apart. He was also a joy to watch in the clinch, landing knees and elbows to the dome when incorporating a collar tie. I liked that he emphasized head movement, slipping his head off the centerline when jabbing, and rolling in between combinations. Clayton looked very poised in the cage and continues to do so.
I would say Clayton’s fight IQ, diverse toolkit, and mindset set him apart from the pack. He knows the type of fighter the UFC wants, and what he needs to do in order to get there. This is not a fighter who will play it safe and coast to decisions. He will take calculated risks while remaining entertaining, and most importantly, emerging victorious. Given the caliber of fighters/wrestlers and coaches he has found himself surrounded with, it is a matter of when, not if, we see him in the UFC. Clayton has an innate talent and discipline for the sport, and I cannot wait for the general public to see in Austin Clayton what we at Around The Octagon have seen the moment we chose to cover him. This fighter is the real deal.
