In your opinion, who's the best wrestler to ever compete while fighting in the UFC? POLL

[Drake]

Wow this many pages and just one mention of the funky one. Good one sir.

 

[MuyThaiElbows]

Where is Nurmagomedov?

Khabib is a grappler. He has okay wrestling from what I've seen

 

[MikeMcMann]

Gsp was so impressive because he started so late at it, imagine if he grew up doing it, he'd probably have a couple gold medals.

I'd say for me after gsp would be Chael, that power double is picture perfect. Obviously Cain Jones and Hughes are big time as well.

I'll just quote myself.

Chael has no business being in this list.

Sorry but so many of you are blinded by what he did to Anderson.

For MMA wrestling to be elite a key component is the evolution of elite Sub defense. Without that you are limited like the old school wrestling greats were where you can beat guys who do not have an answer to high level wrestling but you lose to those who have high level subs and you simply have no threat to offer them in a fight.

Chael's wrestling is elite, thus why he can beat a lot of guys susceptible to wrestling but his MMA wrestling (what we are talking about) is not elite.

 

[MMA]

As in the best fighter you've seen use wrestling while fighting in the UFC.

Every fighter "uses wrestling"

 

[CoachBombay]

I'll just quote myself.

I'll just quote myself as well, I clearly stated I thought GSP had the best wrestling in MMA and then went on to say for me I like Chael after that because of his beautiful as close to perfection power double, we get it you don't like Chael. His submission defense wasn't the greatest but I'll add his submission defense got immensely better after he stayed training bjj more, note the grappling match against Andre Galvao even if you don't like him that match really showed to me that he was getting better at bjj. Oh and btw half of his submission losses came at the hands of Jeremy Horn, Sobral, Anderson, and Maia. Next your gonna tell me those guys are bjj scrubs.

 

[ThunderStruck]

GSP

 

[I WILL CUT YOU]

GSP and Jones. They've fought and beat far better opposition than Severn, Schultz, Kerr, etc..

 

[Sid Arthur]

Tito Ortiz, at his early best, for the time, was incredible.

That slam KO is still one of the best things in MMA history.

Randy Couture is the one, though. The Tito Spanker.

 

[gevoudane]

Barnett and Shamrock are some of the best catch wrestlers in MMA. Then Paulson and Sherk.

 

[MikeMcMann]

I'll just quote myself as well, I clearly stated I thought GSP had the best wrestling in MMA and then went on to say for me I like Chael after that because of his beautiful as close to perfection power double, we get it you don't like Chael. His submission defense wasn't the greatest but I'll add his submission defense got immensely better after he stayed training bjj more, note the grappling match against Andre Galvao even if you don't like him that match really showed to me that he was getting better at bjj. Oh and btw half of his submission losses came at the hands of Jeremy Horn, Sobral, Anderson, and Maia. Next your gonna tell me those guys are bjj scrubs.

It has nothing to do with like.

Yes Chael has amazing pure wrestling. Yes that means he can and does have an amazing double. There are all sorts of guys in pure wrestling who have great doubles. that does not mean because you have a fantastic double or pure wrestling it is great in MMA.

In EVERY SINGLE division the guys with great MMA wrestling also have great sub defense because without that you simply cannot go far with just pure great wrestling. The MW division in Chael's division (save Maia) was arguably the only division a guy like Chael could thrive in without hitting a top BJJ guy who would own him, Watch Chael, Maia again and see how completely neutralized he was. He had zero to offer in that fight and was basically on the run. Again the top wrestling based fighters in other divisions (Chad Mendez, GSP, Hughes, Rashad, etc) were never like fish out of water against a more skilled bjj guy. They could counter, keep the fight standing or fight in other ways. Chael simply had nothing, ZERO, beyond his wrestling, which was great, but if you do not adapt it for MMA then you better hope the match makers are kind and do not give you a lot of sub artists.

At any point in Chael's run would anyone have bet on him V Palharas if they were forced to fight at MW? Doubtful. and if you think so again watch how very afraid of Maia and paralyzed he was.

 

[JagWar]

Ummm

The gold medalist: Cejudo
The silver medalist: Romero
The fourth ribbonist: DC

 

[Bald1]

GSP or Rulon Gardner depending on how you interpret the question.

Shit, never mind. My mind went to MMA automatically instead of ufc.

 

[campbecc]

the best MMA wrestlers are GSP and Jones. They aren't nearly the best wrestlers in MMA history.

 

[tdluxon]

Kevin Jackson was a Olympic gold medalist