Could BJJ Make a Comeback in MMA?

[Magic Swag]

What would it take for BJJ to become a substantially more dominant force in MMA? It seems unlikely that it would ever become the most important base again, but how big a factor could it again become in the future and what would it take for that to happen?

For instance, if BJJ culture started to place greater emphasis on acquiring and maintaining top position and adopted a grinder wrester-like mentality, would we see more BJJ champs tearing up the UFC?

 

[Marko Atanasovik]

When some other techniques are put in the foreground and the system of work on the floor is different from competitive BJJ (gi/nogi unimportant) itself, maybe it will be the main thing in MMA again.

 

[xnhojx]

MMA would have to change some rules around, for example: no rounds, no standups, no gloves. The rule changes really limited BJJ for modern MMA.

 

[shunyata]

I don't think it needs to come back, it's always been there and still is in the present. Except for a few anomalies like Gane and Poatan, most guys in the top 10 in every division do and have trained a ton of jiu jitsu.

It's part of the mix now. There won't be a time where it's enough all by itself though. You need the striking, clinch fighting, and a takedown game, and the ability to tie it all together.

 

[Magic Swag]

I don't think it needs to come back, it's always been there and still is in the present. Except for a few anomalies like Gane and Poatan, most guys in the top 10 in every division do and have trained a ton of jiu jitsu.

It's part of the mix now. There won't be a time where it's enough all by itself though. You need the striking, clinch fighting, and a takedown game, and the ability to tie it all together.

yes but it’s pretty clearly the least important of the skill sets needed in high level mma today. My question is whether that could ever change and if so how

 

[shunyata]

yes but it’s pretty clearly the least important of the skill sets needed in high level mma today. My question is whether that could ever change and if so how

You lost me there. Not clearly, that's a shitty take. Multiple current titleholders and champs from the last two years have been bjj black belts. Wrestle heavy fighters like Islam and Khamzat are benefitting immensely from cross training jiu jitsu.

Jones just came out of retirement and won the hw belt with jiu jitsu.

Oliveira won the lw belt with jiu jitsu, then Islam took it with his jiu jitsu.

 

[NoSmilez]

MMA grappling is behind no-gi grappling. I believe when more MMA fighters adopt some leg locks then we will see less wrestling engagements. Eventually wrestlers will hire some nogi guys to teach them then the meta changes again.

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

What would it take for BJJ to become a substantially more dominant force in MMA? It seems unlikely that it would ever become the most important base again, but how big a factor could it again become in the future and what would it take for that to happen?

For instance, if BJJ culture started to place greater emphasis on acquiring and maintaining top position and adopted a grinder wrester-like mentality, would we see more BJJ champs tearing up the UFC?

Controversial opinion: BJJ was never dominant in MMA. It's a myth.
Royce did dominate the events he featured using BJJ that is true. But the UFC started to get dominated by wrestlers before UFC5. By UFC 20ish it s pretty much all wrestlers.

Pride was much more grappling heavy that s true but it was mostly these japanese grapplers who I assume were catch based.

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

You lost me there. Not clearly, that's a shitty take. Multiple current titleholders and champs from the last two years have been bjj black belts. Wrestle heavy fighters like Islam and Khamzat are benefitting immensely from cross training jiu jitsu.

Jones just came out of retirement and won the hw belt with jiu jitsu.

Oliveira won the lw belt with jiu jitsu, then Islam took it with his jiu jitsu.

Why do you assume that Islam s subs are bjj?

 

[JacJeanFinger]

Bjj was effective when Craig Kukuk was the only American black belt and the way Sperry and Bustamante stare at the camera was intriguing.

By the time Kerr beat gurgel, cross trained elite wrestlers had gained enough confidence to succeed in MMA. But bjj was still considered the most effective art in nhb.

In 1999, Carlson Gracie Sr declared the end of bjj invasion in the fight business and started exposing his relatives.

The last hope of bjj. Demian Maia and Roger Gomez failed to prove that St pierresque fighting/training wasn't better than traditional bjj.

Can Kron and Roberto Souza bring back the old days for bjj? They can in Japan. North American MMA became a different sport when zuffa went back to the past in time machine, rewrote history and replaced the original champion Royce with Patrick Smith.

 

[shunyata]

Why do you assume that Islam s subs are bjj?

We can semantics this all you or OP want. Islam and Khabib trained with a ton of bjj guys over the years at AKA.

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

We can semantics this all you or OP want. Islam and Khabib trained with a ton of bjj guys over the years at AKA.

They also trained judo and sambo since they could walk, and submission grappling in Russia in their early MMA career. But you know, if you want to count that as "a BJJ win" and if it makes you happy, then I am also happy for you.

 

[Grappler111]

NO

 

[noc]

Doesn't need to be the most dominant or the most important base, is a respected style. But BJJ should be practice with MMA and Valetudo rules in mind

I like to see Jujitsu world champions in MMA, women and men

 

[EndlessCritic]

Buchecha laughs at this thread.

 

[Einheri]

Unified Rules MMA actively works against grappling, and that is a feature not a bug. The average MMA fan just wants to see people knocked unconcious, not technical grappling exchanges, so the rules have been changed to appeal to this lowest common denominator demographic. Rounds, gloves and wraps, referee stand ups, and the scoring are all there to favour striking and disincentivise grappling. Why should we change Jiu-Jitsu to cater to a ruleset that actively works against us? I'd like to see a resurgence of Vale Tudo rules, that would be a worthier proving ground for jiujiteiros.

 

[ChickenBrother]

Style vs. style debates are fake and gay. It's almost as if being the best in a particular sport ruleset doesn't necessarily make you the best under a different sport ruleset. MMA isn't the benchmark for other combat sport rulesets.

 

[TheMaster]

Controversial opinion: BJJ was never dominant in MMA. It's a myth.
Royce did dominate the events he featured using BJJ that is true. But the UFC started to get dominated by wrestlers before UFC5. By UFC 20ish it s pretty much all wrestlers.

Pride was much more grappling heavy that s true but it was mostly these japanese grapplers who I assume were catch based.

Good take and very true.
Add the fact that Royce was one of the worlds leading BJJ fighters of the time with a certain amount of cross training preparedness for standup, against mainly hobbyist part timers from the local dojo who didn't know what they were getting into (with the exception of Ken) and the BJJ self delusion fantasy was born.

MMA grappling is behind no-gi grappling. I believe when more MMA fighters adopt some leg locks then we will see less wrestling engagements. Eventually wrestlers will hire some nogi guys to teach them then the meta changes again.

<Lmaoo><45>
LMAO no.
Sorry to break the news to you but you don't see these 'leg lock meta' in MMA because they are often wildly unrealistic and because MMA grappling is not sport grappling.
Or in other words, they will get their faces smashed in most of the time they try that shit, barring a few anomalies.

Even Gordon Ryan is scared to try an actual fight, even just an exhibition with full MMA rules.
Rickson and the old guard were right that overall, sport grappling has taken away from the styles combat effectiveness as it has 'evolved'.

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

Good take and very true.
Add the fact that Royce was one of the worlds leading BJJ fighters of the time with a certain amount of cross training preparedness for standup, against mainly hobbyist part timers from the local dojo who didn't know what they were getting into (with the exception of Ken) and the BJJ self delusion fantasy was born.


<Lmaoo><45>
LMAO no.
Sorry to break the news to you but you don't see these 'leg lock meta' in MMA because they are often wildly unrealistic and because MMA grappling is not sport grappling.
Or in other words, they will get their faces smashed in most of the time they try that shit, barring a few anomalies.

Even Gordon Ryan is scared to try an actual fight, even just an exhibition with full MMA rules.
Rickson and the old guard were right that overall, sport grappling has taken away from the styles combat effectiveness as it has 'evolved'.

Well don t get me wrong. BJJ is a formidable form of submission grappling and probably the most advanced.

But a founding myth was created around it, and this myth convinced a whole generation of MMA fans and grapplers of something which isn't what happened.

 

[Marko Atanasovik]

Buchecha laughs at this thread.

That's how they talked about Ridder, so Malokhin came and took his soul. Buchecha will end up even worse.