What Are The Top 5 Countries For Producing MMA Talent In Your Opinion?

[bogeyj]

imo

1) USA

2) Brazil

3) Russia

4) Oceania (Australia/NZ) it's more fair to count them as one country since the population is so small in comparison to the other 3.

5) Nigeria (would probably be #1 or #2 if they had proper infastructure for MMA & sports in general. insane how much talent they've produced in sports considering all the challenges they have to go through just to have the privilege to try sports for a living)

Europe underachieves like a motherfucker...though that's about to change in France at least. it's crazy to think MMA only recently got legalized in France. in 10 years time France might usurp Russia & Brazil as a breeding ground for top talent (like they do in soccer already). it's still early days for MMA in France and they are already producing monsters like Gane.

as far as Asia? massively underachieving considering 2/3rds of the world's population comes from Asia. Japan had a spark when it started but now the MMA scene there is just garbage.

Australia & NZ overachieve for sure. for such small populations they have produced a lot of talent

 

[jeff7b9]

Above all, it has always been about the fighters, great camps help, but a great fighter can come from anywhere.

That said, respect to NZ for what they are doing at City Kickboxing.

 

[Randy Fandy Fo Fanders]

This is a dynamic process. As MMA expands, there will continue to be new hotbeds of MMA talent. It used to be strictly USA, Brazil, and Japan. As you mentioned, Europe is falling behind with talent development and i think that might be due to the fact that combat sports just aren't big there whereas in the US, you have kids beginning to wrestle at a young age and in Brazil kids are fighting on the streets and transitioning to BJJ at a young age. Europeans are content playing futbol.

I think areas that are hurting economically and socially will continue to develop MMA talent at a greater pace since it gives younger people a chance to focus their time on something productive and positive. With that being said, i'm surpised that Mexico hasn't shown a stronger presence in MMA talent.

Also, why would anyone WANT to be an MMA fighter unless it's your only option? Getting punched in the face and making shit money is not a desirable prospect for most people when you can just play other sports and have a better chance to make money.

1: USA
2: Brazil
3: Dagestan
4: Japan
5: England (former republic of Doggerland)

 

[Hellowhosthat]

Nigeria haven't produced anyone, all their talents learned combat sports in other countries.

Anyway I would say

=1. USA, Brazil and Russia
4. Japan (still lots of great lighter weight fighters)
5. Probably Mexico right now.

 

[Daelh]

I don't agree on USA in first.

The American guys get more exposure than everyone else since they're in the UFC or Bellator and on national TV. But we can all agree that like 50% of the Americans on the UFC roster is a bunch of cans and the only reason their in the UFC is their "just bleed" attitude rather than actual skill.

I bet everything I own most guys in ACA would demolish these contender series just bleed guys by knowing actual MMA skills.

The reason there's no more Russians on the roster is nor because they're not skilled enough but that the UFC has a Russian cap. They're not even signing the best Russian talent either but mostly Russian stand up guys nowadays.

My list would be:

Russia
Brazil
USA
Poland
Japan

NZ/Australia is a close 6th.

 

[bogeyj]

Nigeria haven't produced anyone, all their talents learned combat sports in other countries.

Anyway I would say

=1. USA, Brazil and Russia
4. Japan (still lots of great lighter weight fighters)
5. Probably Mexico right now.

I don't agree on USA in first.

The American guys get more exposure than everyone else since they're in the UFC or Bellator and on national TV. But we can all agree that like 50% of the Americans on the UFC roster is a bunch of cans and the only reason their in the UFC is their "just bleed" attitude rather than actual skill.

I bet everything I own most guys in ACA would demolish these contender series just bleed guys by knowing actual MMA skills.

The reason there's no more Russians on the roster is nor because they're not skilled enough but that the UFC has a Russian cap. They're not even signing the best Russian talent either but mostly Russian stand up guys nowadays.

My list would be:

Russia
Brazil
USA
Poland
Japan

NZ/Australia is a close 6th.

how does Japan even justify a top 5 position in 2022? when's the last time they had a top fighter?

 

[pankrat]

It used to be strictly USA, Brazil, and Japan.

Russia is undeniably up there since forever.
Actually Taktarov was champion in early UFC, Volk Han and Kopylov were stars in the 90s Japanese scene, and Fedor is recognized as the greatest fighter from the '00s.

 

[pankrat]

how does Japan even justify a top 5 position in 2022? when's the last time they had a top fighter?

You ask about the sport of MMA not UFC in particular. If you dont acknowledge Horiguchi as a top fighter you are clueless.

I think Japan is hardly top5 worldwide across all weight classes nowadays. They aren't that far though, and certainly #1 out of the Big3 in lighest weightclasses for both male and female.

 

[G10]

Someone already touched on this, but it's really hard to say since many fighters emigrate to other countries to develop their careers. Glover Texeira is born and raised in Brazil, but he's lived close to half his life in America, for example. To use another example, Evolve MMA is a fantastic fight camp out of Singapore, but almost all of their fighters are from other countries.

That said, if I were to make a broad strokes list of the current best, I'll got with

1.) Russia
2.) USA
3.) Brazil
4.) Japan
5.) Great Britain

 

[pankrat]

I don't agree on USA in first.

The American guys get more exposure than everyone else since they're in the UFC or Bellator and on national TV. But we can all agree that like 50% of the Americans on the UFC roster is a bunch of cans and the only reason their in the UFC is their "just bleed" attitude rather than actual skill.
.

There are plenty of USA fighters not just on the rosters but at the top of the rankings which is what matters here.

I bet everything I own most guys in ACA would demolish these contender series just bleed guys by knowing actual MMA skills.

The reason there's no more Russians on the roster is nor because they're not skilled enough but that the UFC has a Russian cap. They're not even signing the best Russian talent either but mostly Russian stand up guys nowadays.
.

There is some truth on this but you obviously take it way out of proportion.

Most Russian champions who crossed over to the US in the last decade failed to even get into the rankings.
UFC/Bellator have been certainly signing top talent.

Guys as Emeev or Kunchenko signed for UFC as established champions in Russia and ranked #1 in their country. If they had signed by ACA, they would have been instant title contenders there. They failed to even get into the rankings in UFC.
Do you even know the guys who fought Tumenov (another UFC reject) for his ACA WW belt? They weren ranking material in UFC (Tumenov could be though)

Shlemenko or Tokov were also #1 in Russia in their weightclas. While they didnt completely fail in USA (in Bellator in this case) its not like they showed to be UFC champion material.

Said that, it seems the trend is positive for Russian MMA lately.

 

[johnyboy]

Did Canada get lumped into USA?

 

[MixMartialFarts]

5) Togo
4) Senengal
3) Europe
2) Barbados
1) Senengal

 

[Jorge Luis Borges]

Did Canada get lumped into USA?

 

[LoveMyMMA]

There are plenty of USA fighters not just on the rosters but at the top of the rankings which is what matters here.

Only two remaining in the top 15 P4P (Poirier and Stipe). Both on the backend of their careers.

USA is no longer #1. There is much better talent coming out of Russia (specifically Dagestan) now.

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

It's very misleading since in order to participate you need to be signed, and in order to be signed you need to be attractive from a marketing perspective.

I think the general Caucasus region is absolutely on top of the food chain. Dagestan first, followed by Georgia, then Chechnya, Ossetia and Ingushetia. Not only in per capita high-level pro MMA fighters, but in absolute numbers as well, and the same goes for olympic wrestling and judo.

Anyone who doesn't see that the Caucasus > rest of the world in combat sport is lyingg to himself.

 

[Leonard Haid]

imo

1) USA

2) Brazil

3) Russia

4) Oceania (Australia/NZ) it's more fair to count them as one country since the population is so small in comparison to the other 3.

5) Nigeria (would probably be #1 or #2 if they had proper infastructure for MMA & sports in general. insane how much talent they've produced in sports considering all the challenges they have to go through just to have the privilege to try sports for a living)

Europe underachieves like a motherfucker...though that's about to change in France at least. it's crazy to think MMA only recently got legalized in France. in 10 years time France might usurp Russia & Brazil as a breeding ground for top talent (like they do in soccer already). it's still early days for MMA in France and they are already producing monsters like Gane.

as far as Asia? massively underachieving considering 2/3rds of the world's population comes from Asia. Japan had a spark when it started but now the MMA scene there is just garbage.

Australia & NZ overachieve for sure. for such small populations they have produced a lot of talent

"Europe underachieves like a motherfucker"....fucking one's mother is certainly depraved, but I never thought of it as an underachievement. Intriguing proposition...

 

[pankrat]

Only two remaining in the top 15 P4P (Poirier and Stipe). Both on the backend of their careers.

USA is no longer #1. There is much better talent coming out of Russia (specifically Dagestan) now.

Usman is #1 p4p according to some sources. He came out from USA.
So did Jones, who is still in p4p rankings too. So 4/15. Not bad. There is just one Russian in Yan in those same rankings you referenced.

Russia has a better case today than years ago, but USA is still up there for sure.

 

[M.U.S.C.L.E.]

How is USA even on the list?

There isn't even a single champion from the USA.

Sherdoggers are either retarded, stupid, or have CTE like their heroes.

 

[bogeyj]

It's very misleading since in order to participate you need to be signed, and in order to be signed you need to be attractive from a marketing perspective.

I think the general Caucasus region is absolutely on top of the food chain. Dagestan first, followed by Georgia, then Chechnya, Ossetia and Ingushetia. Not only in per capita high-level pro MMA fighters, but in absolute numbers as well, and the same goes for olympic wrestling and judo.

Anyone who doesn't see that the Caucasus > rest of the world in combat sport is lyingg to himself.

so where are all the Dagestani champions? there's Khabib and......????

Chechnya literally has 1 guy who atm is just hype and hasn't proven anything yet.

I haven't even heard of any top fighters from those other regions

 

[Hellowhosthat]

how does Japan even justify a top 5 position in 2022? when's the last time they had a top fighter?

Horiguchi is a top fighter now. Ougikubo, Asakura, Izawa, Hamasaki are all upper echelon fighters in their respective divisions.