Currently dominant styles in the UFC

[Robbocop]

I think it's fair to say wrestling has been considered the dominant style in the UFC for many years. There have also been pure strikers more recently who enjoyed great success, such as Ngannou and Izzy, with relative newcomers Alex Pereira and Sergei Pavlovich, to name a few.

There is of course the argument that the well-rounded fighter, or total mma fighter is the ultimate style, but do you see any evolution in the dominant styles in the UFC as of the past few years?

I notice a lot more decision wins, especially on the preliminary card. Not sure if that means anything, but maybe is related to dominant styles. Trying to open a broad conversation on the topic and interested in any opinions.

 

[big franklin]

Dagestani wrestling comes to mind. Only a select few fighters such as Bo Nickal and Volkanovski have an answer to it. Khabib and Islam are the most dominant fighters ever in the LW division.

 

[Conan the K-9]

In terms of most title defences and being effective against other styles and career longevity, the pointfighting style what Izzy and Volks represent is the most dominant.

 

[ferrisjso]

Wrestling isn't dominant(in part because the UFC discriminates against grapplers) but it's the style that will get someone the furthest knowing nothing else. There are one dimensional wrestlers(or were until relatively recent) there is no other one dimensional anythings.

BJJ is the MMA version of insurance it's rarely used but everyone needs to have it just in case.

Muay Thai might have the highest ceiling but it needs to come with some grappling like any other kind of striking.

 

[ferrisjso]

In terms of most title defences and being effective against other styles and career longevity, the pointfighting style what Izzy and Volks represent is the most dominant.

This only works for champs who fight 5 rounds. With 3 rounds that risk averse style is a risk in of itself.

 

[DeathByCaranos]

For the female fighters i'd say twerking.

 

[Van Daz]

I think it's fair to say wrestling has been considered the dominant style in the UFC for many years. There have also been pure strikers more recently who enjoyed great success, such as Ngannou and Izzy, with relative newcomers Alex Pereira and Sergei Pavlovich, to name a few.

There is of course the argument that the well-rounded fighter, or total mma fighter is the ultimate style, but do you see any evolution in the dominant styles in the UFC as of the past few years?

I notice a lot more decision wins, especially on the preliminary card. Not sure if that means anything, but maybe is related to dominant styles. Trying to open a broad conversation on the topic and interested in any opinions.

Turning down fights for a bigger fight is a style now. Sheeesh....

 

[HuskySamoan]

Dagestani wrestling comes to mind. Only a select few fighters such as Bo Nickal and Volkanovski have an answer to it. Khabib and Islam are the most dominant fighters ever in the LW division.

This is wrong. Did you see Tagir Ulanbekov vs Nascimento? Did you see Askar Askarov vs Moreno? Kai Kara? Did you see Carlston Harris vs Saygid Izagakhamaev? Did you see Mansour Barnaoui vs Shamil Zavurov? Did you see Samandar Murodov vs Abdurakhman Alimagomedov? Did you see Saidyokub Kakhramonov vs Umar Nurmagomedov? Did you see Khamzat Chimaev vs Ikram Aliskerov? Jan Blachowicz vs Magomed Ankalaev? Garry Tonon vs Shamil Gasanov?

I can keep going. Plenty of dudes have some serious answers to it. It doesn't change the fact that very few great wrestlers outside of Caucasians even get signed by the UFC anymore and it's definitely lead to fighters not having to face the wrestling test as often so just in general across the board western MMA fighters and UFC fighters aren't preparing like they should be.

 

[Robbocop]

Wrestling isn't dominant(in part because the UFC discriminates against grapplers) but it's the style that will get someone the furthest knowing nothing else. There are one dimensional wrestlers(or were until relatively recent) there is no other one dimensional anythings.

BJJ is the MMA version of insurance it's rarely used but everyone needs to have it just in case.

Muay Thai might have the highest ceiling but it needs to come with some grappling like any other kind of striking.

Some cool thoughts man, well put. Interesting to think of Muay Thai to have the highest ceiling. Also I don't want to overstep my knowledge, but it seems like BJJ is not a viable main style for quite some time, although there are many champions with extremely strong bjj like Charles Oliveira, Glover Teixeira, they have a very rounded MMA game and great striking. I'm thinking back to guys like Frank Mir, or Werdum for past top tier bjj fighters. More recently pure or mostly-bjj fighters do not seem to be possible to become champion.

 

[checktheknuckles]

The rules for the UFC allow crotch sniffers to get an advantage. You can have a dude winning the stand up fight for 3 mins, but get taken down the last 2 mins and held on bottom with hardly no damage and will lose the round. Granted judges are corrupt as fuck in the UFC and that is a lot of the real problems, but the rules add a lot to the mix as well. Damage should trump all but we've seen that to not be the case.

Wish knees to downed opponents were allowed, and if you are on your back which they would let you do kicks to the head. Just some stuff to help offset the wrestlers just laying on you. Also on the knees to the head, the ref needs to be real quick to step in and stop fights if one knee is landed with the potential to land many more. Basically if you are in a bad position and can't get out of it, the ref should stop it instead of letting the opponent get 3 + extra knees to your head.

 

[Tweak896]

Wrestling has been #1 for awhile. The champs who are not wrestlers and are in divisions without really top grapplers. Rules favor striking over grappling, so if TDD is good enough for high level grapplers, striking beats wrestling.

 

[orca]

gsp and jones style
can f?k u anywhere

 

[loisestrad]

the UFC discriminates against grapplers

The rules for the UFC allow crotch sniffers to get an advantage.

Lol.

 

[Psychojoe86]

Best style for many years now is sprawl and brawl. Champs are the fighters with next striking and TDD to keep grapplers at bay

 

[Tary]

In terms of most title defences and being effective against other styles and career longevity, the pointfighting style what Izzy and Volks represent is the most dominant.

Also Jiris.

 

[Lee_]

Common GOAT list:
GSP, Anderson, Penn, Aldo, Fedor, Jones. GSP and Jones utilized wrestling but it was not GSP's base, he learned it as an adult. The others were not wrestlers and it wasn't primarily what they used. GSP/Jones would not be GOAT candidates if they didn't have great skills in other areas.

Then we have the best with the newer gen- Adesanya, Hill, Jiri, Leon, Moreno, Max, Islam, Volk, Olives, Pavlovich, Aspinall, Sterling, Pantoja, Jan, Alex.

WMMA- Cyborg, Amanda, Weilli, Rose, Erin, Ronda, Alexa, Holly, Joanna, Valentina

Not seeing the so claimed wrestler dominance in these lists.

Wrestler dominance is something many just want to believe but reality does not support this. If you watched early MMA, you know that the style that won in pure matchup was BJJ and other submission arts, not wrestling. Strikers found a way to beat wrestlers with Mo Smith against Coleman, and have done so a lot since. There are more wrestlers, therefore you can find more of them in the ranking as MMA is the only way they can make money, but they are not superior in any way overall.

The best will always be the individual who puts their skills together the best. Superiority of certain styles is only for those who WANT to claim they are superior.

 

[fortheo]

Wrestling has been #1 for awhile. The champs who are not wrestlers and are in divisions without really top grapplers. Rules favor striking over grappling, so if TDD is good enough for high level grapplers, striking beats wrestling.

Leon Edwards does not agree

 

[dildos]

Volkanovski’s style beats everything.

 

[RockyLockridge]

Dagestani point fighting

 

[Clark Rogers]

Lol @ this thread

Rules favor wrestlers, no they favor strikers, no they favor wrestlers.