BJJ guys: Always Contender and Never Champion?

[reddhelium]

but I can’t remember any submission guy getting to the top top.

cant put my finger on it, but i have this feeling the biggest mma organization in the world started with an undersized bjj expert who ran through his opponents...

 

[tasticles]

Most of these wrestlers are also BJJ guys, but favor earning points until there's an opening which is the smart thing to do. I've said it for years. The rules favor wrestlers and have for ages now but BJJ is far from obsolete.

 

[PlayboyMixx]

For the record, Arona's 2nd fight with Wanderlei was for the belt and it was a controversial loss. Arona arguably should have been the champ.

 

[strebitel86]

Demian Maia, Ricardo Arona, Jacare, Oliveira

looks like all high level BJJ guys just never make it to that championship level.

top 10 or top 5 yes, and even title fights.

but I can’t remember any submission guy getting to the top top.

Royce Gracie
BJ Penn
Fabricio Werdum

 

[GBJohn]

BJJ is far from obsolete. It's more of a matter of it being so essential that literally everyone has to be at least competent in it, thus making subs harder to come by.

 

[josephsjoseph]

a lot of the best submission guys spent most of their early career never training standup.
a lot of them also fall into the trap of trying to be more exciting and not utilizing their strength or they get over confident in their stand up progression.

specialist can get far in mma but most will fall short to more complete fighters.

the best bjj guys are usually the ones with good stand up and a really solid ability to get the fight to the floor.
you have to be complete to compete with the best.
I do like seeing specialist come into the ufc because they always have a shot at pulling off huge wins and upsets. i rememver mark hunt beating silva and crocop was a shocker to me.

 

[Karelinator]

Maia is about the only high level BJJ guy who had approached MMA seriously.... Concentrating on enforcing the ground game.

Werdum, Jacare, Moraes, Dariush and so many other just started to strike and strike and strike.... Often with very good results, but still it's seriously puzzling.

 

[lostdog000]

mma evolved so most guys know how to keep from getting caught in standard subs

ufc 244 and 245 = no subs

 

[JKS]

Demian Maia, Ricardo Arona, Jacare, Oliveira

looks like all high level BJJ guys just never make it to that championship level.

top 10 or top 5 yes, and even title fights.

but I can’t remember any submission guy getting to the top top.

If you wanna consider UFC champions who are know for using BJJ as a big part of their game you have these guys. The list below has UFC champions who are BJJ black belts but don't use it as their primary attack or use it so much. Some use it more than others.

Werdum, Mir, Big Nog, Penn, Bustamante, Newton

Anderson, GSP, Belfort, JDS, Machida, Shogun, Aldo, Barao.

So you have about 15 champions.

 

[superpunch]

Most of these wrestlers are also BJJ guys, but favor earning points until there's an opening which is the smart thing to do. I've said it for years. The rules favor wrestlers and have for ages now but BJJ is far from obsolete.

Lol at the rules favoring wrestlers . <45><45> They literally had to pad the ring just to stop wrestlers from killing or paralyzing strikers and BJJ guys every single fight <45><45><45><45>

 

[spookdier]

Demian Maia fought for the UFC title twice and lost because the greatest striker in the 185 division ever (A Silva) ran for five rounds.
He lost in 170 because Woodley ran for five rounds.

 

[Fraz]

This is the first non-sarcastic post I've seen from you lol

Is it?

 

[Coconutwater]

Offensive Jiu-Jitsu is very hard to pull off against wrestlers who have great instincts, balance and usually top control.

Elite guard work is hard to use against seasoned but mediocre MMA fighters.

 

[Kiss My D’arce]

I still think Brian Ortega is championship material

 

[Normot]

Around 2009 all champs had BJJ blackbelts even if they whern't BJJ guys. Anderson
Slva, BJ Penn, Jose Aldo, GSP, Werdum. Now gyms are great at taking prospects and getting them into MMA training. They don't learn the same level of BJJ but they get better at MMA specifics. Volkanowski may not be a BJJ blackbelt like Jose Also was, but he isn't getting swept or taken down and held down either.