Last updated: June 11, 2026
Quick Definition
A sweep single leg is a single leg takedown in which the attacker shoots on a curved, outside path around the opponent’s lead leg instead of driving straight through it, ending up at an angle that is hard to defend.
What is a sweep single leg?
The sweep single leg (often shortened to sweep single, and also known as an outside single or swing single) is one of the main variations of the single leg takedown, the family of attacks where a grappler captures one of the opponent’s legs to bring them to the mat. What sets the sweep single apart is the path of the shot. A standard single leg drives forward in a straight line, while the sweep single travels in an arc. The attacker drops their level, steps to the outside of the opponent’s lead foot, and whips their body around the leg in a crescent shape, surfacing at the opponent’s side or even behind them.
That angle is the entire reason the technique exists. Most takedown defense, including the sprawl, works best against pressure coming straight in. By curving around the leg instead of crashing into it, the attacker arrives somewhere the defense isn’t pointed. The term comes up constantly in wrestling commentary, and it has become a regular part of MMA broadcasts too, usually when a fighter circles onto an opponent’s lead leg rather than shooting head-on.
How a sweep single works
Picture the shot from a referee’s view. Both athletes stand in their stances. The attacker dips, takes a short step to the outside of the opponent’s lead foot, then swings the trailing leg around in a wide arc while wrapping the lead leg at the knee. Fight Encyclopedia describes the entry as an “arcing, crescent-shaped attack path” that approaches from the outside. Knee height matters here because gripping up at mid-thigh or down at the ankle gives away the angle the arc just created.
Two qualities define the technique in motion. It is quick, since the curved entry doesn’t demand the deep penetration step a standard single requires. It is also connected, with the attacker finishing the shot chest-to-leg at the opponent’s hip instead of stretched out in front of them. From there, the position is simply a single leg, and the usual finishes apply, like running the pipe or tripping out the standing foot.
Sweep single vs. other single leg attacks
Wrestlers sort single legs by where on the leg the attack lands and how the attacker gets there. The table below shows where the sweep single sits within that family.
| Variation | Target height | Entry path | What it looks like |
| Sweep single | Knee | Curved arc to the outside | Attacker whips around the lead leg and surfaces at the hip or behind the opponent |
| Standard single leg | Knee to thigh | Straight penetration step | Attacker drives forward with the head tight against the opponent’s ribs |
| High crotch | Upper thigh, near the hip | Deep straight penetration | Attacker’s shoulder ends up under the opponent’s center, loaded for a lift |
| Low single | Ankle or shin | Long-range dive | Attacker drops nearly to the mat and snatches the foot |
The low single gets confused with the sweep single more than any other variation, so it deserves a closer look. John Smith, who won Olympic gold in 1988 and 1992, built much of his career on the low single, an attack on the ankle from long distance. The sweep single trades that range for connection. It attacks higher, at the knee, and keeps the attacker glued to the opponent instead of extended along the mat. The double leg sits outside this family altogether, capturing both legs and driving straight through, the head-on cousin of every attack in the table.
The sweep single in wrestling and MMA
In American folkstyle wrestling, a finished sweep single now scores three points. The NCAA approved that change for the 2023-24 season after decades of two-point takedowns, reasoning that a bigger reward for offense would create more action. In freestyle, United World Wrestling rules award takedowns two or four points depending on amplitude, while Greco-Roman bans all attacks below the waist, which rules out the sweep single entirely. Judo removed it as well: the International Judo Federation has prohibited grabbing the legs since 2010.
MMA has no such restriction. The technique is legal under the Unified Rules, and the single leg family it belongs to is the second most attempted takedown in UFC competition, according to Fight Encyclopedia. The arc matters even more inside a cage, where shooting straight onto an opponent’s hips invites a guillotine choke. Several decorated wrestlers have built instructional material around the attack, including two-time NCAA champion Matt McDonough and Henry Cejudo, who won Olympic gold in freestyle before becoming a two-division UFC champion.
Common misconceptions
The name causes most of the confusion. A sweep single is not a foot sweep. Nothing kicks the opponent’s foot out from under them the way judo’s ashi barai or a Muay Thai sweep does. The “sweep” in the name describes the curved path of the attacker’s own shot. On the entry itself, the opponent’s base never gets swept at all.
The word order trips people up in the other direction too. In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, a “sweep” means reversing position from the bottom, usually from guard, and a “single leg sweep” in a BJJ context typically refers to a guard reversal built around one leg. That has nothing to do with the takedown covered here. The sweep single happens on the feet, before anyone has pulled guard.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a sweep single the same as an outside single?
Yes. Outside single and swing single are alternate names for the same attack, a single leg hit on a curved path to the outside of the opponent’s lead leg.
Why is it called a sweep single?
The attacker’s trailing leg and torso sweep around the opponent’s leg in an arc during the shot. The name refers to that motion, not to sweeping out the opponent’s foot.
Is the sweep single legal in MMA?
Yes. Single leg takedowns of every kind are legal under the Unified Rules of MMA. The technique is only barred in sports that prohibit leg grabs, such as judo and Greco-Roman wrestling.
Is the sweep single a beginner technique?
Generally, yes. Fight Encyclopedia rates it beginner difficulty, and many wrestling programs introduce it soon after the basic single leg because the entry is quicker and less punishing than a deep straight shot.
Sources
- Fight Encyclopedia. “Sweep Single Leg.” Accessed June 2026.
https://fightencyclopedia.com/techniques/takedown/leg-attack-takedown/single-leg-takedown/sweep-single-leg - Fight Encyclopedia. “Single Leg Takedown.” Accessed June 2026.
https://fightencyclopedia.com/techniques/takedown/leg-attack-takedown/single-leg-takedown - NCAA. “3-point takedown approved in wrestling.” June 8, 2023.
https://www.ncaa.org/news/2023/6/8/media-center-3-point-takedown-approved-in-wrestling.aspx - United World Wrestling. “International Wrestling Rules.” January 2026 edition.
https://fightencyclopedia.com/sources/UWW-Wrestling-Rules-January-2026.pdf - International Judo Federation. “Sport and Organisation Rules.” 2025 edition.
https://fightencyclopedia.com/sources/IJF-SOR-2025.pdf - Attack Style Wrestling. “The Single Most Important Takedown Skill Required: The Leg Sweep.” Accessed June 2026.
https://www.attackstylewrestling.com/single-leg-sweep/ - Sportmentary. “How to Shoot a Sweep Single from Wrist Control.” Accessed June 2026.
https://sportmentary.com/wrestling/how-wrestle/sweep-single-wrist-control/ - Fanatic Wrestling. “Hip Toss from Outside Sweep Single Leg with Henry Cejudo.” Accessed June 2026.
https://fanaticwrestling.com/blogs/news/hip-toss-from-outside-sweep-single-leg-with-henry-cejudo
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