Did UFC 1 really prove that bjj or grappling was really superior?

[GolovKing]

You had Royce Gracie representing bjj who is a legit top tier guy at the time in that sport. Ken with his catchwrestling background. But no real high level wrestlers. If karelin had competed in that tournament, or Mark Schultz would Royce have still walked though those guys? Or if Mike Tyson or Roy Jones had been in the tournament instead of art jimmerson do you really think it would have been the same result? I don't know what top names were around in the sports of kickboxing or Muay thai, but surely there must have been some guys who were better than Gerard gordeau no?

 

[Ladder Master]

It was a show case to make the Gracie’s/BJJ look good?

 

[PrideNverDies]

No boxer would have won boxing is the most limited art

 

[JustforBROCK]

At the time, yes. Shamrock was the only guy i that tourney that was close to what an actual MMA fighter is. Royce Gi choked him, and without that GI he loses that fight alot because hindsight 20/20 Royce was actually pretty weak.

 

[Mohawk Banditó]

The way I've always put it is, if you want to avoid striking, you don't have to learn striking, but if you want to avoid grappling, you better learn some grappling.

To your question of, would high level wrestlers have run through Royce? Tough to say. Hard to qualify what level of submission avoidance someone could have had decades ago

 

[Luthien]

@HI SCOTT NEWMAN tell us!!

 

[don't ask]

Or if Mike Tyson or Roy Jones had been in the tournament instead of art jimmerson do you really think it would have been the same result?

 

[Gamer007]

I think it's pretty clear the best martial artists in the world weren't actually competing, so it's totally possible results could've been different.


That doesn't take anything away from Royce though....half the battle was being crazy enough to enter that cage.

 

[Carrotman23]

The way I've always put it is, if you want to avoid striking, you don't have to learn striking, but if you want to avoid grappling, you better learn some grappling.

Damn that's a really interesting point .

I would add the caveat though that even the most wrestler/grappling heavy guys have to learn some striking once they start reaching the elite. And part of that is defensive (have to have some striking out put to defend on the feet), and even the best takedown artist has to set up his takedowns with strikes against certain opponents.
Khabib vs Gaethji is a big example, if Khabib didn't know how to pressure him with knees an strikes he probably would've been screwed by leg kicks.

 

[TeenageMutantLesnarTurtle]

It worked when guys had limited or no knowledge of BJJ. Once the wrestlers (who were typically much better athletes than the Gracies too) started figuring it out to a decent enough level the jig was up and they started taking over. Nowadays everyones defensive grappling is good enough that fights are almost entirely stand up.

So in short, yes it was superior at the time.

As for Tyson or RJJ being there instead of Jimmerson. Obviously they would have been a lot more dangerous than Art Jimmerson. I actually do think Mike could have potentially made Royce walk through fire big time. I wouldnt favour any boxer to win the whole tournament though.

 

[Katsushyro]

Was Royce rally a top bjj guy at the time? The only pure bjj match I ever heard of him he was choked unconscious by Walid

 

[Mohawk Banditó]

I think it's pretty clear the best martial artists in the world weren't actually competing, so it's totally possible results could've been different.

They didn't even have Frank Dux

 

[Mohawk Banditó]

Was Royce rally a top bjj guy at the time? The only pure bjj match I ever heard of him he was choked unconscious by Walid

From what I remember, he was picked out of the Gracies not because he was better, but because he was smaller and/or looked ubintimidating and unassuming. Better to sell the "You can do this too" idea to the viewing public, and I guess get opponents to underestimate you

 

[Mohawk Banditó]

Damn that's a really interesting point .

I would add the caveat though that even the most wrestler/grappling heavy guys have to learn some striking once they start reaching the elite. And part of that is defensive (have to have some striking out put to defend on the feet), and even the best takedown artist has to set up his takedowns with strikes against certain opponents.
Khabib vs Gaethji is a big example, if Khabib didn't know how to pressure him with knees an strikes he probably would've been screwed by leg kicks.

Oh it's for sure helpful, and at some level necessary. But a guy like Merab? So well conditioned that he can just dive for 25 minutes? Usually he'd just need to protect himself coming in, but now that he's fighting Suga, he's gonna have to deal with that kind of striking at a range he'd need to start his shot from. Otherwise, he could have been fighting for the title without any

 

[TheBulge]

The real reason they made UFC 1 was to prove that TS touches himself at night.

 

[blaseblase]

A top sambo guy probably would have won the tournament but yes, BJJ > pure wrestling. There's a reason every wrestler in MMA learned it.

 

[kingofthecans]

1, 2, 3 and 4 did.

 

[CorninginChristianburg]

It showed that jiu jitsu is highly effective against people who don't know any jiu jitsu.

Every UFC since then has showed that if you're going to specialize in any discipline to become an elite fighter, it shouldn't be jiu jitsu.

 

[Sakuraba'sEar]

BJJ met it's limits later on, but at the time if you couldn't counter submissions, you were as good as gone

 

[Only Here for Attachments]

Hulk Hogan claims he was invited to compete at UFC 1, but he was too busy to make it. Wonder how he would've done against Royce and the others