15 Taekwondo Blackbelts In MMA

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And Thompson technically fight like a TKD fighter even though he doesn't hold any rank in it.

He actually fights extremely similar to an Olympic stylist. Both rely alot on the front leg, especially in today's TKD.

 

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I think TKD is the only discipline you could argue is better to be an expert at than wrestling. As long as u can become proficient in all the other disciplines.

Boxing, BJJ, Judo, Muay Thai, and even Kickboxing can be countered effectively enough if you have a big advantage somewhere else. But what can you do against prime Machida if you don't have a huge size advantage like Jones.

In a fight with all weapons, that starts standing, TKD is only second to wrestling imo. And you could argue it's better to be an expert at TKD, because it is prizefighting in the end, and your fights will be much more entertaining than the wrestler's. On average.

Machida and Conor prove all this imo. We just rarely see someone with a TKD background get all the other skills up to a world class level.

Kicking is a long term investment and I wish people would look into it more. Because it's not a common skill set, guys who are good at it have the element of surprise. People criticize kicks and spinning attacks because you see shitty attempts like Weidman, but ignore the devastating effects it has. You cannot blame the technique just because the practitioner is incompetent. Those other styles you mentioned are a dime a dozen, so if you want to stand out you have to be truly elite.