why do wrestlers make great mma fighters

[JJSBUR]

an how deep is the global talent pool for wrestling
Every country has some form of wrestling from third world villages to high schools in states

soccer you need a ball with wrestling you just need one more person and seems so natural you see kids wrestle all the time

Many countries try developing very competitive grapplers and wrestlers

Is it the talent pool that allows wrestlers to be great mma fighters an why there seems to be more successful wrestlers in mma then muay thai fighters?

If the grappler can get the right in their area they are going to be very hard to beat. It is not complicated, the non-grappler has to keep it from moving into their wheel house, if they fail it is going to be bad news for them.

 

[JJSBUR]

Speaking from the US, Wrestlers typically begin training at a relatively young age. Aside from learning technique and strengthening your body, you learn discipline and also how to compete.

I was a very very late starter, I think I was 10 years old. Myron Roderick started my education.

 

[flairleguccijoints]

an how deep is the global talent pool for wrestling
Every country has some form of wrestling from third world villages to high schools in states

soccer you need a ball with wrestling you just need one more person and seems so natural you see kids wrestle all the time

Many countries try developing very competitive grapplers and wrestlers

Is it the talent pool that allows wrestlers to be great mma fighters an why there seems to be more successful wrestlers in mma then muay thai fighters?

It's clear that "wrestling" is a broadly used term. How many different forms of muay thai are there? Soccer? Just reread your own post, you'll find whatever you're looking for>

 

[TriangleMonkey]

In one-on-one combat, its a very smothering, controlling style in which you can completely restrain a mofo.

 

[Jack Stevonovich]

Because wrestling is an outgrowth of roughhousing as children.

As soon as you add striking it escalates which means you can go hard at wrestling while it is still playing.

The reality is MMA is an outgrowth of children that grew up roughhousing together just like wrestling but it came from challenge matches between wrestling and a different grappling art Jui jitsu.

Grapplers have always known that in pure style vs style matches grapplers have an advantage and wrestling had long been neutered of its finishing holds so Ju Jitsu won at first.

Wrestlers in MMA adapted by watching Sakuraba create a game plan to defeat Ju Jitsu.

So for a long time this has put wrestlers at an advantage because they can control where the fight takes place.

Then strikers trained more heavily to defend ju jitsu and wrestling and now the deciding factor more often than not is coming down to who wins on the feat IF the wrestling has been neutralized.

 

[WeedLordBonerHitler]

same with gymnastics and sprinting and figure skating and snowboarding unless the person is at the top there isn't very much money. Lot of training for most Olympic sports with very little financial rewards
also over a 100 countries in the world have Olympic wrestling programs

Snowboarding you don't have to win gold medals to be sponsored and get tons of cash. Snowboarding by far more popular than gymnastics and figure skating.

 

[boss429]

I would be interesred to see what percentage of pro MMA fighters come from a Wrestling or Grappling background compared to others. If you are a successful Boxer or Kickboxer you stick with it cause there is still money to be made outside the amature ranks where as with most grappling disiplines there's no where else to go besides MMA.

Wrestling promoting and encouraging cutting as much weight as possible certainly doesn't hurt either since this is not such a big thing in striking disiplines.

 

[loyalyolayal]

Because they don't want to go back to coaching. The only avenue for the .01% of their sport becomes an Olympian...then goes to coaching.