Last Grappling Purist to hold the Belt

[NHB7]

In today's sport, everyone is mixed martial arts now obviously. There is no fighter that is Just a boxer, or just a wrestler, or just a grappler etc. But there are some fighters that while they have a mixed arsenal, they stick primarily to their strongest discipline (eg. Ben Askren is a wrestler through and through, Shinya Aoki is a grappler etc.).

So when you think about those fighters whom are mostly purists to their strongest discipline, it got me wondering, who was the last purist grappler to hold a UFC belt....actually....have any?

 

[10000 Days]

Brock

 

[Barteh]

(Obviously excluding WMMA), no that's not possible anymore.

 

[joeyjoejoe]

Big Ronda

 

[NHB7]

(Obviously excluding WMMA), no that's not possible anymore.

I don't know...for a little while Demian Maia looked like a hopeful.

 

[graycoyote]

RR Weidman Cormier

 

[NHB7]

RR Weidman Cormier

I kind of seperate wrestlers and grapplers into different categories. Grapplers (guys primarily looking for the submission) wrestlers (guys primarily looking to ground and pound).

 

[Talon81]

Weidman

No comprende?

Weidman is FAR from a purist

 

[NHB7]

examples of (in my opinion) mostly purist grapplers:

Shinya Aoki
Rousimar Palhares
Demian Maia
Paulo Filho
Marcin Held

 

[KaySlay]

Werdum

 

[SpiderNxno]

Jacare 2016

 

[Taric]

Junior dos Santos as the opposite.

 

[NHB7]

I'd say Fabricio, but I feel like for the past 2 - 3 years he has relied far more heavily on striking than grappling. Same with Jacare.

 

[TSK]

I don't know...for a little while Demian Maia looked like a hopeful.

Eh, he's like 2-6 against top ten fighters going back to 2009. The only reason he had as much buzz as he did is because this board goes batshit for great jitz guys.

 

[NHB7]

Who was the last person (other than Ronda) to win or a defend a title by submission?

 

[Taric]

Eh, he's like 2-6 against top ten fighters going back to 2009. The only reason he had as much buzz as he did is because this board goes batshit for great jitz guys.

Demian is 6-2 at WW with losses only to the elite of the division.

 

[godexile]

jacare 2016

 

[Taric]

Who was the last person (other than Ronda) to win or a defend a title by submission?

Mighty Mouse.

 

[Melas Chasma]

Who was the last person (other than Ronda) to win or a defend a title by submission?

Mighty Mouse.

Werdum.

 

[BrainCandy]

Mighty Mouse.

Werdum actually. He choke out Cain.

Before that it would be Cormier. He subbed Rumble.


edit: damn, Melas snuck in there while I was typing.