UFC Undisputed 3 Guide Gameplay How to Play

Grappling - The Ground Game

Taking your opponent to the ground is a sound strategy that gives you significant advantages in a fight. Even if the opponent is largely able to nullify your ground offense, simply maintaining the dominant top position looks good in the judges’ eyes.

Unless you’re strictly a striker, look for opportunities to score points by bringing your opponent to the mat with a takedown. Then unleash some devastating ground-and-pound from the top or work at locking in a fight-ending submission!

Shooting and Driving

While standing, hold the Height Modifier trigger and tilt the Clinch/Grapple stick toward the opponent to shoot in for a takedown that can quickly bring the fight to the ground. But beware—shooting in for a takedown exposes you to being countered by powerful strikes!

Set up your takedowns with strikes and time your shots very carefully to finish them with greater success. Don’t shoot too often or you’ll become predictable and easy to counter.

Many times, completing a takedown requires you to dig deep and drive for the finish. After shooting in, rotate the Clinch/Grapple stick as fast as you can to drive your opponent onto his back and secure the top position on the ground.

Short Takedowns

If you shoot for a takedown just as the opponent is unleashing a strong strike, you’ll score a special short takedown that can’t be stuffed or blocked. This is particularly useful against aggressive strikers because it instantly places them on their back, where they can do the least damage.

If you’re getting battered by combos on the feet, turn the tide of the fight with a short takedown!

Advancing Position

The better your top position on the ground, the more powerful your strikes and submission offense will be, and the fewer survival options the opponent will have—that’s why it’s important to improve your position by performing transitions.

Manipulate the Clinch/Grapple stick to perform either quick minor transitions or slower major transitions, which are more beneficial but also easier to block and counter.

Technique Transitions

Hold the Technique Modifier trigger while attempting a ground transition to perform a technique transition, assuming your fighter is able. Technique transitions are more powerful than normal transitions, meaning they have a better chance of succeeding and significantly improving your position on the ground.

Some technique transitions allow you to “sweep” the opponent, moving from the bottom to the top position in one swift, game-changing move.

Technique transitions cost significant Stamina to attempt, however, so use these powerful transitions wisely!

Ground Transition Flow

This list covers the most common ground positions, from most advantageous to least. These positions (and many more) are covered in greater detail in the “Positions and Moves” chapter of this guide.

1. Mount, Top or Back Mount, Top
2. Mount Clinch, Top
3. Back Side Control, Top
4. North/South, Top
5. Side Control, Top
6. Half Guard, Top
7. Half Guard Clinch, Top
8. Open Guard, Top
9. Open Guard Clinch, Top
10. Open Guard Clinch, Bottom
11. Open Guard, Bottom
12. Half Guard Clinch, Bottom
13. Half Guard, Bottom
14. Side Control, Bottom
15. North/South, Bottom
16. Back Side Control, Bottom
17. Mount Clinch, Bottom
18. Mount, Bottom or Back Mount, Bottom

Ground Transition Interupts

As with certain clinch positions, you can interrupt the bottom opponent’s transition attempts by landing a strong strike when the opponent attempts to transition to a better position. Strong strikes are only available to the top fighter when he has transitioned to a dominant top position.

Bottom fighters can’t perform strong strikes, and therefore cannot interrupt the top fighter’s transitions in this fashion.

Sub Positions

Most non-clinch ground positions allow the top fighter to transition into a dangerous sub position. As the top fighter, simply tilt the Movement stick (not the Clinch/Grapple stick) toward the opponent to “posture up” into sub position.

Now your strikes are much stronger than normal, and your submissions will be even easier to apply!

These ground positions allow the top fighter to transition into a threatening sub position—be sure to do so when you’re on top:

Open Guard, Top

Half Guard, TopSide Control, Top

Mount, Top

North/South, Top

Sprawl, Top

Back Side Control, Top

Back Mount, Top

Back Mount Face Up, Top

Back Mount Face Up Body Triangle, Top

ULTIMATE STRATEGY: GROUND OFFENSE

The ground is a great place to be—assuming you’re on top. Remember these tips and you’ll dominate your grounded foes:

Diving for takedowns on the feet is risky against counter-fighters. Use quick strikes, feints, and footwork to get such fighters to open up with some offense, then shoot in when the time is right.

Shoot against aggressive power-punchers when they begin to uncork slower strong strikes. If you time it right, you’ll score a short takedown that can’t be stuffed!

Once you’ve pinned your opponent to the mat, look to improve your position with minor, major, and technique transitions.

When you’re not being held in a ground clinch, posture up into sub position and finish the fight with strong strikes and powerful submissions from the top!

If the opponent has good ground defense, simply try to maintain the top position without working too hard. Block transitions as you land quick strikes, and work for minor transitions. Staying on top can win you close decisions, even when relatively little offense is being dished out.