I personally cant think of anything that would deal with that better is all its reasonably basic.

If you can snap a kick up under someones jaw from below their arms while their mind is on attacking you with their arms they wont see you setting it up.

Ok, you got no left kick?

So he comes in elbows apart swing ,jabbing whatever; you pull your left foot back behind your right foot into switch stance (gives you room to move and gives you the timing to catch him) time it even with a shuffle step fist whatever it takes, then launch your right foot straight up between his arms, come down on him punching or grapple and take him to the ground whatever.

Beat distance with distancing and reach; this is MMA the closest thing to free fighting, you got alot of tools and a lot of distances to work with, much more than boxing.

Same in the streets, if some fools got his fists clenched Im outreaching him with my feet first if possible then at the next distance outreaching him with my fingertips directed at the correct targets. Its basics in getting the upper hand over people who prefer to fight in one preferred distance. Use your feet to set it all up.

Same works the other way too, called 'passing under the hilt', you move in further past their extended fist distance and go into elbows and knee range attack before you take them to ground closer into their balance.

Practice your timing with a sparring partner or a mate.