Every Champ Except Holloway and Whittaker* are accomplished Wrestlers

Definitely not disputed but you’re right. Given the unified rules of MMA wrestlers have the advantage. With the Pride FC ruleset(whatever it’s called) with knees/kicks/stomps to the head of downed opponents, that changes the game a bit more.
 
Whittaker is an Australian National champion wrestler

I mean it is Australia but that's still an accomplished wrestler
 
GOAT ST.PIERRE is not an accomplished wrestler either
 
DC: National Team Wrestler. International Level

Whittaker: Played Rugby as a kid, but since he has became an MMA fighter he won the Australian Nationals. Not a born wrestler.

Tyron Woodley: State wrestler in HS. All American in College

Khabib: European Pankration Champ, Multiple time Sambo champ, Wrestling since he was 8.

Max Holloway: Never wrestled. He has good takedown defense, but not known for his offensive wrestling.

TJ: State Wrestler in HS.

Cejudo. Olympic Gold Medalist. International Level


Wrestling is the single most important aspect of the game.

The rules greatly benefit wrestling. Long periods of control where nothing happens except killing the clock. It's great if you like that, but if you actually like fighting, wrestling is boring
 
While it’s far past the point of debate that wrestling is the most important art, atleast for the unified rules cage fighting version of MMA. TJs success has more to do with his striking.

I don't think you can definitively say that. TJ without grappling would have probably never climbed up the rankings, and he'd lose to Dom every time they fight.
 
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DC: National Team Wrestler. International Level

Whittaker: Played Rugby as a kid, but since he has became an MMA fighter he won the Australian Nationals. Not a born wrestler.

Tyron Woodley: State wrestler in HS. All American in College

Khabib: European Pankration Champ, Multiple time Sambo champ, Wrestling since he was 8.

Max Holloway: Never wrestled. He has good takedown defense, but not known for his offensive wrestling.

TJ: State Wrestler in HS.

Cejudo. Olympic Gold Medalist. International Level


Wrestling is the single most important aspect of the game.

And all of those guys outside of Khabib are arguably better strikers than wrestlers in MMA. The most important aspect of MMA is subjective, but in it's rawest form would most likely be considered BJJ. Today it could be considered boxing.

BJJ > BJJ & Wrestling > BJJ & Wrestling & Muay Thai > BJJ & Wrestling & Muay Thai & Boxing.

In today's game, especially if you're at a high level it's mostly expected that you have good BJJ, solid Muay Thai, and solid wrestling. What is starting to separate the elite from the others though is just how well they move with their feet and their hands. Either to outright win with them, or set up their grappling. Even Khabib used a lot of this although not necessarily executed well, he has the advantage of experience which continually improves fight over fight.

I wouldn't say any of the four big martial arts are necessarily more important than the other, although because of the desperate need for boxing it should be the focus for most fighters. They are all essential in certain situations though.
 
GSP is even less accomplished and he is arguably better than Jones

Jones outwrestled Cormier, who was an Olympic wrestler - better than anyone GSP has wrestled against in MMA.
 
The rules greatly benefit wrestling. Long periods of control where nothing happens except killing the clock. It's great if you like that, but if you actually like fighting, wrestling is boring

The rules do not "greatly benefit wrestling". With no rules there would be no time limits, no stand ups, 12-6 elbows WAY more effective for wrestlers, knees to downed opponents, spine strikes, etc.
That is all just off of the top of my head, though I am sure there are many more.
Some rules do benefit wrestlers (such as enclosed space, scoring for takedowns, top control), but IMO if anything the rules benefit strikers more.

Just because you find wrestling boring does not make it any less "real fighting". If you hate it so much, go watch kickboxing. Oh... and in "real fighting", a pure striker with no TDD training gets taken down and pounded out easily by a pure wrestler with no striking training. I should know, Ive been there many times.
 
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Grappling period is, and will always be the most important skill to have in MMA. It will always be easier to close the distance than to maintain it. Unless the rules change, it will never go away.

UFC 1 until now has proven that.

The only reasons people are striking more in MMA is because they are generally trained in BJJ, and wrestling as well, and can negate some of that advantage, so they need better striking because they're on their feet longer. Plus, the rules give fighters more chances on their feet. Without wrestling or BJJ, you're not likely to last long, where a wrestler or a BJJ guy can survive on closing the distance.

Also, in MMA, it's not so much about the wrestling, since relatively little wrestling techniques are used on the ground, and only a few take-downs are used on the feet, but about an already accomplished set of athletes (wrestlers) being taught the martial arts. There's a larger pool of them for an American based company, they're used to cutting weight, hard training, and they already have a ground base that they can launch from.

Since MMA figthers now have access to high level coaches in striking, BJJ, and wrestling, it's now more about the athlete.
 
Jones outwrestled Cormier, who was an Olympic wrestler - better than anyone GSP has wrestled against in MMA.
It is probably true that GSP has never wrestled anyone in an MMA fight with the wrestling skills of DC, but that doesn't mean that he isn't possibly a better MMA wrestler than Jones. (the guy did say "arguably" better than Jones)
GSP has completely blown away the wrestling of everyone he has faced. Jones got out wrestled by Gus who defended more TD's and took Jones down himself. Just goes to show that styles make fights and it has something to do with your expectation from your opponent. Jones didn't expect it from Gus, which is probably why he got taken down (while he probably expected Bones to try for the TD), but EVERY GSP opponent has expected the takedown, yet he still gets them.
 
Always laugh at Yankees bringing up the rugby/league background.
 
DC: National Team Wrestler. International Level

Whittaker: Played Rugby as a kid, but since he has became an MMA fighter he won the Australian Nationals. Not a born wrestler.

Tyron Woodley: State wrestler in HS. All American in College

Khabib: European Pankration Champ, Multiple time Sambo champ, Wrestling since he was 8.

Max Holloway: Never wrestled. He has good takedown defense, but not known for his offensive wrestling.

TJ: State Wrestler in HS.

Cejudo. Olympic Gold Medalist. International Level


Wrestling is the single most important aspect of the game.

that always been the chase and the haters don't understand it still all about winning.
 
If you are the better wrestler you dictate where the fight takes place.

This is obviously a huge advantage.

Wrestling reigns supreme in MMA.

Unless you run up against an anti wrestler like Aldo.
 
You are ignoring the massive amount of wrestling practitioners compared to other martial arts. It's an absurd comparision.
Another important point is the ruleset: points for positioning tends to favor wrestlers. If we had a finishing only promotion (i know it would be really hard to implement this) wrestling would much less important.
You would have to focus your training time more in finishing moves and less in "controll" moves like clinching on the fence, takedowns and keeping the opponent down. You know, power shots and submissions would be more important than dominating on the the feet with jabs and distance and on the ground with positioning.
And btw, the majority of wrestlers seem to be beating their opponents with striking. My point about quantity might have something to do with this.
 
Wrestlers choose where the fight takes place is not the only reasons wrestlers rule. If you think that then you have never wrestled. Wrestling practices are brutal and you learn how to control your body way better than pure standup guys ever will.
 
I don't think you can definitively say that. TJ without grappling would have probably never climbed up the rankings, and he'd lose to Dom every time they fight.

Which he has

But I agree with your point
 
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