Jun 17, 2015
Not only is Jason High one of MMA's last road warriors, having fought for Strikeforce, Dream, K-1, and Affliction in addition to his two stints with the UFC, the "Kansas City Bandit" is much-loved by hardcore fans throughout the MMA community. In addition to a well-rounded, finish-oriented style of fighting, High is easily one of the best fighters to follow on social media--if you don't follow him already, just ask for Marcelino Evil.
High joined myself and Patrick Wyman on this week's Heavy Hands to discuss a number of subjects, including the recent end of a year-long suspension for... pushing a referee?
High is well known for his well-rounded grappling game, highlighted by the same arm-in guillotine which Fabricio Werdum used to finish Cain Velasquez at last weekend's UFC 188. Aside from his submission skills, however, High possesses excellent, methodical ground & pound. We asked him about his scientific approach to wrestling and ground striking. "It's just efficient. That's really the name of the game. The higher you climb on that ladder, it's about who's more efficient. People aren't making mistakes, so you can't be that first guy to make a mistake. That all starts in the gym--a lot of people don't understand that. It all comes from saying focused and drilling."
High, like the ATT team with which he is affiliated, operates on the cutting edge of the current MMA metagame. Concerning grappling in mixed martial arts, he said, "A lot of guys, when they're in the guard, they focus on passing guard. In MMA you can do damage. You don't really need to pass guard . . . It's hard to submit a savvy opponent inside the guard . . . The best option to me [from bottom] in today's MMA is just to get back up."
We also asked High his thoughts on hard sparring, which has become a hot topic in light of the recent criticisms leveled at teams like AKA and Roufussport, both of which are known for frequent hard sparring--and frequent injuries. "I'm on the fence about that," High said. "Me, personally, I need to spar. I need to feel that hard blow . . . I feel like if you have a group that you trust, that you can spar hard with, you're training on the edge, you know? In any sport, it's about pushing to the edge, but not pushing over it. Hard sparring definitely has a place in the game."
Jason wasn't sure where he'd be going next, but now that his suspension is finally over he assured us we would know very soon. Whether it's the UFC or Bellator, where High's business partner L.C. Davis currently resides, we wish him the best, and look forward to his next fight.