How good was Matt Hughes as a grappler?

[DanDragon Machi]

I've watched some Hughes old fights and I realized he had a bjj well above average UFC elite wreslters. He has around thirteen subs in his career, a pretty expressive number for a wreslter

In which class of the best grapplers in history would you place him?

A+:
Khabib
Chimaev
Islam
Jones

A:
DC
GSP
MM
Cejudo

B+
BJ
Fedor
Shields
Maia
Weidman
Usman
Couture
Velasquez
Werdum
Jacaré
Charles
Merab
Davis
Rashad
Arman
Hughes

B
Barnett
Big Nog
Mir
Colby
Woodley
Sterling
Tito
Saku
Mendes
Cruz
Fitch
Arona

 

[AbominableJoman]

Iconic

 

[LNwolf87]

He was a better grappler than Hoyce Gracie

 

[Westbrick]

Probably A.

Maia, Shields, Jacare, Werdum, those are A+ just like GSP and Jones, are you from Russia?

 

[hoevan]

Matt Hughes was a beast, and your list is shite.

 

[biscuitsbrah]

Top tier

 

[Shaolin Alan]

He was very strong for mysterious reasons...

 

[DanDragon Machi]

Probably A.

Maia, Shields, Jacare, Werdum, those are A+ just like GSP and Jones, are you from Russia?

If Maia, Jacare and Werdum were A+ would be to able take every wrestler down
I've seen Maia's grappling being canceled many times for wreslters

 

[Tweak896]

It's funny because if Hughes was fighting today, people would be shitting on him for not taking down a LW with BJ Penn. I think Hughes was tough but clearly a step below GSP. I'd have him at B+ tier. He was getting subbed in his prime and people could stuff his takedowns later in his career.

 

[Eric Silva 2.0]

He was very strong for mysterious reasons...

farming strength.

 

[DoubleTrouble]

farming strength.

Word is he used to pound his brother behind the barn....

 

[Doctor Grudge]

He was a better grappler than Hoyce Gracie

I think he was, but a lot of reasons went into that ass beating other than grappling ability.

 

[Adamant]

OP ranking is fucked

 

[Streeter]

I've watched some Hughes old fights and I realized he had a bjj well above average UFC elite wreslters. He has around thirteen subs in his career, a pretty expressive number for a wreslter

In which class of the best grapplers in history would you place him?

A+:
Khabib
Chimaev
Islam

A:
Jones
DC
GSP

B+
MM
Cejudo
BJ
Fedor
Shields
Maia
Weidman
Usman
Couture
Velasquez
Werdum
Jacaré
Charles
Merab
Davis
Rashad
Arman

B
Barnett
Big Nog
Mir
Colby
Woodley
Sterling
Tito
Saku
Mendes
Cruz
Fitch

The 3 Russians #1 but Bones n GSP a level below . Appreciate the work here but that makes zero sense.

No Brock at all? Brock got you down you didn't get back up.

 

[SuperAlly]

The 3 Russians #1 but Bones n GSP a level below . Appreciate the work here but that makes zero sense.

No Brock at all? Brock got you down you didn't get back up.

They aren't necessarily better fighters. But Khabib in particular has absolutely dominated people in grappling in a way that no one else has really. It was silly how Khabib uses to strangle elite fighters like a boa constrictor

 

[Dana's Moonface]

Put gsp and Jones in top teir ffs man

 

[Streeter]

They aren't necessarily better fighters. But Khabib in particular has absolutely dominated people in grappling in a way that no one else has really. It was silly how Khabib uses to strangle elite fighters like a boa constrictor

Honestly Khabib wasn't much more dominating thsn Bones but Bones didn't use it as much as he also has a striking game unlike Beeb. Bones is still imo the best ever mma grappler . Had amhabib built a resume may e I agree with you just not enough sample size agsinst ite fighters to really know

 

[Aluminati]

It's funny because if Hughes was fighting today, people would be shitting on him for not taking down a LW with BJ Penn. I think Hughes was tough but clearly a step below GSP. I'd have him at B+ tier. He was getting subbed in his prime and people could stuff his takedowns later in his career.

In the tail end of his prime, he subbed GSP. He was a better grappler than GSP until he hit the age cliff.

 

[Human Bass]

If Maia, Jacare and Werdum were A+ would be to able take every wrestler down
I've seen Maia's grappling being canceled many times for wreslters

Lok takedowns are a part of grappling, but not a huge one. And Maia took plenty of people down even if not everybody

 

[blkmike817]

He tapped Royce Gracie nuff said