For those of you still struggling with the fighting, I decided to make a guide to help with it.
For this playthrough I'm playing with an Ian that is a complete fighter with a focus on kickboxing.
Here is how I achieved this:
In your first appearance at the gym, after sparring with Jeremy, he will offer to go again. Select that option. Wen will then offer some grappling tips. Take him up on the offer.
When you first encounter Robert, you want to intervene and tell him not to touch Perry. This will start a fight. to get the best outcome for this fight, select the kick option.
When next you visit the gym, Jeremy will bring up your fight with Robert. Wen will offer you more wrestling training. Take it.
Whenever you are presented with the option to go to the gym, always pick it.
When Yuri comes back from Thailand, he will conduct a session with you.
Based on some decisions you made in the story (Lena sleeps with Robert) you will be given a chance to fight Robert again. To start the fight shove him or insult him. To win the fight, pick these options in the following order. Attack>Punch>Guard up>Evade>Punch>Provoke>Evade>punch. This will result in a flawless victory for you taking no damage and knocking out Robert.
You will eventually be given the choice to either stick with kickboxing or focus in Ju-jitsu. Stick with kickboxing. Yuri will then teach you combinations. Follow his instructions to learn them.
At this point whenever you visit the gym, despite choosing to stick with kickboxing, when Yuri is not around, you will automatically train wrestling with Wen and when he is around you train boxing instead.
You will get the chance to spar with Jeremy Again. Select these options to get the best outcome: Guard up>Attack>Grapple>Provoke>pick whatever. The result will always end with Jeremy knocking you down but commending you on how much you have improved.
It goes without saying that if you want participate in the tournament you have to pick that option.
In the final session at the gym before the tournament, Yuri will tell you that your striking is above average and with some work can compete at the Amateur level. Wen will say that your grappling is sufficient against most opponents in the ring. You will then be given the option to improve striking or grappling or master striking or grappling. However you will not be able to improve striking or grappling since they are already at a very decent level. You can then spend a will point to either master Kickboxing or Ju-jitsu. (Pick whatever. I picked kickboxing).
At the tournament, after Jeremy's fight before your fight starts, wen will ask you if your ready. Pick the option: "Any Advice?" this will unlock the ability to "Test the waters".
First lets start with Grappler Ian ( I did this with an Ian focused on kickboxing so if you picked grappling you may get better results than me)
When the fight starts, pick "Guard up" first. Nothing will happen.
Second pick "Guard up" again and you will be presented with this screen:
Pick the option to kick him.
For your third action you want to still go with "Guard up" but after your first two actions you get random scenarios for your third option based on what your opponent does.
I will tell the the options to pick for the best result now.
When you see this:
Pick Defend which will give you this screen
Combo gives the best result but you want to conserve stamina or the first round so pick strike since it's the second best option.
For this:
Pick Dodge then and you can either pick combo or strike next but as I said, since you want to conserve stamina in this round, pick strike.
For this:
Select Stay still then Strike next.
That about covers all scenarios for your third choice.
For your 4th choice(when the clock is at 1:30), select provoke. This will the give you the choice to either Strike back or Grapple. Select Grapple and Trip him.
(You can also throw him but that costs more stamina but does more damage to him) then select Secure position>Go For a Choke>Squeeze. The clock will run out with Ian almost submitting his opponent ending the first round.
If you have done everything correctly then Ian will tell Wen that he didn't get it with anything significant and he still has gas in the thank. Wen will inform Ian that he is currently destroying his opponent.
When the second round starts, your opponent will bombard you with shots. You will then get this screen:
You wanna pick dodge then Counter:
From this point on just pick "guard up" and you'll get one of the previous scenarios above. This time don't be afraid to let the combinations fly.
Eventually your opponent will get either hurt or tired. Wen will then signal you to finish him:
Select Attack>Grapple>Feint and Shoot. You'll get this screen:
Pin him down first then go for the submission and that will be all she wrote for red shorts.
For Kickboxing Ian It's really simple.
In the first round Select "Attack" first then "Test the waters".
>
Second select "Attack" again then "Strike"
Then from then on just pick guard up and you will get one of the same scenarios in the Wrestling section. Pick the same option and be conservative with the combos.
After you hit him or the third time, your opponent will lash out at you. Do not worry he won't hit you with anything significant.
When only 0:30 minutes is left on the clock, select "provoke">"Strike Back".
At half time Wen will once again inform Ian he is destroying his opponent.
At the start of the second round, your opponent will lash out again.
This time you want to counter straight away. He will get two hits off you but there is a chance he might be hurt after this exchange based on how many times you hit him last round.
If he isn't hurt then Attack and strike him once then he will be hurt.
From here you can select Attack>Grapple>Feint and Shoot>Pin him down>Go for a Submission and end the fight by submission. Or alternatively you can Attack then Strike. He will take you down.
But do not worry just select "Reverse the position" after and you're good.
Sometimes he will escape here. Other times he becomes trapped. If he is trapped, you can select Pin him down>Go for a submission to end the fight by submission.
If he escaped, both of you will stand back up and Wen will give the signal again to finish him off.
Just select Attack>Attack until he can't stop you no more then you'll get this screen:
From then Ian will perform an automatic combo to knock out his opponent.
I didn't intend for this to be so long. Sorry about that lol.
Edit: Due to a comment made by
What's New in the thread, I found out there is a way to win in the first round by Kick Boxing.
The trick is to put your foot on the gas and not worry about stamina management and always try to hit him in the face and Combo as much as possible. At 1:00 or 0:30 mark, he will be hurt enough for you to finish him. To do this just select Attack>Strike . There is an element of rng to it but here's what worked for me: Attack>Strike>Guard up>Punch>Attack>Strike>Guard up> Defend>Combination>Attack>Strike. I am yet to figure how you can do this for Grappling.
