If wrestling is the best background, why...

[smittyfan 42]

I believe that all forms of wrestling have produced mma giants. So if the MMA world is dominated by wrestlers, and Russia has won about 50 of the last 55 World Championships, why are they not the dominant representatives of the sport in the octagon? Has folkstyle emerged as "the style?"

Is there not an adequate interest in MMA in Eastern Europe? Curious what others with more knowledge than I have think about this.

[merman 0]

First, I just looked up the top 10 pound for pound rankings, and only half of them wrestled collegiately. The rankings before that, 6 of 10 were not wrestlers in college (JDS, Pettis, Silva, D. Johnson, Barao, Aldo). While I do believe wrestlers transition better to MMA than any other sport, I think dominate is a poor choice of words. In the long run, the dominant representatives of MMA will not be wrestlers who transition to MMA, but rather individuals who train MMA from a very young age.

 

To address your question, Russian wrestlers are compensated better than comparable American wrestlers, so they have little reason to transition to MMA. There are probably some other reasons, but I'm guessing thats the biggest one.

[smittyfan 42]

Seriously, half! I'm impressed and very happy that Wrestling is so average in it's world wide representation of a background sport for MMA. Some are promoting folk style as the current best back ground to have to transition into the pro arena. I don't know for certain, but it sure seems to me that the introduction of a serious National Dual Meet Championship coupled with the increased world wide interest of Wrestling...could feed the fire, perhaps even stoke it. You freaks may actually have a sport the rest of the world gets interested in, in the years to come.

[Cletus_Tucker 890]

Look at the UFC Champions

 

Heavyweight Cain Valasquez wrestling

 

Light heavyweight Jon Jones wrestling

 

Middle weight Chris Weidman wrestling

 

Welterweight Johnny Hendricks wrestling

 

light Weight Anthony Pettis stand up fighter

 

Featherweight Jose Aldo Mauy Thai/BJJ

 

Bantemweight TJ Dillashaw wrestling

 

Flyweight Mighty Mouse wrestling

 

wrestling is overwhelmingly dominating the MMA scene at the highest levels. Russia is coming along nicely in terms of producing quality fighters but keep in mind, just because you outscore someone in an wrestling match doesn't mean you can beat them in an mma match. I expect Russian to continue to produce top guys and especially look forward to Magomedov

[WreslingSuperior 123]

Bagautinov is the Russian wrestler contender vs Johnson and started with freestyle. He failed the national wrestling team and he started Pankration (class A) and combat s.

Nurmagomedov has a strong freestyle wrestling background and he is the best prospect in the 155 weight class.

[hooplajuke 0]

Ju Jit Su is the style of wrestling that has "dominated" UFC for years. Free and Folk just transition better .... it's certainly not these styles that domintate UFC/MMA.

[Cletus_Tucker 890]

No, not at all. lol

[WreslingSuperior 123]

Wrestling dominated not only the last years but the first 12 editions of ufc "no rules". Wrestling dominated 6 of the early editions JJ only 3 (and Brazilians had years of experience in vale tudo) . And wrestlers were in the game only after ufc 4.

[tec87 349]

I think the easiest answer as to why you don't see more representatives from wrestling power countries in mma outside the US has to deal with money. In Russia for example, their wrestlers get paid like professional athletes unlike wrestlers in the US. So they can make a pretty good living just by wrestling and don't need to do mma as a means of making a living.

[hoplite 0]

I think cletus-tucker has a point, in that his list of ufc champs includes lots of folkstyle wrestlers. Folkstyle rewards wrestlers for earning NFs as opposed to rolling someone 3 or 4 times in a few seconds and winning. Folkstyle is truer form of wrestling. More of a "grind" than international wrestling.

[catchwrestling 0]

I think cletus-tucker has a point, in that his list of ufc champs includes lots of folkstyle wrestlers. Folkstyle rewards wrestlers for earning NFs as opposed to rolling someone 3 or 4 times in a few seconds and winning. Folkstyle is truer form of wrestling. More of a "grind" than international wrestling.

True

[WreslingSuperior 123]

Freestyle is better in stand up wrestling especially the in the clinch distance and allow high amplitude throws. In MMA you must finish to taking down your opponent and freestyle is the better style in this work. All the current wrestlers UFC champions have years of experience in freestyle/Greco after folk style. On the ground catch wrestling is the best.