MMA: A New Breed of Fighter is Leading the Revolution in Combat Sports

A unique kind of warrior is making his mark in the world of MMA: the hybrid striker/jiu-jitsu fighter who can finish a fight both on the feet and on the ground, is very exciting in the process, and can compete effectively against all other styles.

Striking arts, jiu-jitsu, and wrestling make up the three core components of MMA. Individually, they have all been successful in their own right.

Traditionally, these three combat forms have been matched in numerous ways, with jiu-jitsu fighters employing wrestling to take the fight to the ground and strikers adopting the sprawl to keep the fight on the feet.

But in MMA, the threat of being taken down alters the stand-up game, and many strikers are hesitant to be aggressive against wrestlers for fear of being put on their back.

Conversely, wrestlers with decent submission defense have been able to take down jiu-jitsu fighters and ride out a decision victory.

The problem is that wrestling by itself cannot end a fight, whilst striking arts (Muay Thai, kickboxing, boxing, etc.) and jiu-jitsu do finish fights, via knockout and submission.

By emphasizing the striking and jiu-jitsu aspects of the sport, certain fighters have found success that enables them to win fights in a dominating fashion whilst remaining exciting for the fans.

These warriors are leading the MMA revolution that is changing the way the sport is being fought and practiced. 

Such combatants are versatile and dangerous standing up and on the ground, with proficiency in one or more striking arts, and possess jiu-jitsu capable of finishing fights. They have variable wrestling ability, but their main style is one of the two mentioned above.

Fighters who exemplify this type of fighting include: Anderson Silva, BJ Penn, Lyoto Machida, Miguel Torres, the Diaz brothers, Gegard Mousasi, Thiago Silva, the Rua brothers, Jeff Joslin, Kenny Florian, Manny Tapia, Carlos Condit, Jorge Santiago, Joey Villasenor, Hayato Sakurai, Gesias Cavalcante, and Jose "Pele" Landi-Jons, among others. The camp that "Pele" came from, Chute Boxe, can be said to have originated such a hybrid, with many of its fighters fitting such a combat mould. 

All these fighters can win a fight from any position, are difficult to finish off themselves, and combine powerful striking skills with potent submissions that can overcome any opponent. Some have better striking or jiu-jitsu than others, but these guys represent the type of fighting style that I'm referring to. And you don't need to have a black belt in order to have solid ground skills.

This new “revolution” that I’m talking about is much more than just being well-rounded, for many fighters at this time can be described as being well-rounded. And the above-mentioned athletes all have wrestling ability to a degree, some more than others. And many of those fighters listed above have been around for a while.

What I am saying is that their method of combat is the most effective given the rules and restrictions of MMA. If they face a superior striker, they can win by submission, after scoring a takedown or pulling guard.

If they fight someone who is better on the ground, they can out strike them on the feet. And if such a fighter faces a superior wrestler, then they can beat him both on the feet and on the ground.

Why? That’s because with such a “style,” the combatant is not afraid of fighting on the ground due to his solid jiu-jitsu.

This in turn makes his striking more aggressive and consequently more dangerous, increasing his chances of winning by knockout, and wrestlers will be wary of trying to take him down.

The success of fighters such as Anderson Silva and BJ Penn may prompt up-and-coming competitors to spend more time developing their striking and jiu-jitsu skills, in order to become truly lethal and efficient inside the cage.

I believe that such a style is an effective counter to the currently wrestling-dominated sport of MMA, because this type of fighter can win wherever the fight goes, whether it's on the feet or the ground.

Of course, wrestling will always have its place in MMA, especially in America where college wrestlers can make a successful transition to the sport.

And this new “style” is not foolproof, for there always will be wrestlers who can take someone down and not get submitted (Koscheck vs. Joslin, Sherk vs. Florian).

It is nearly impossible to become world-class in all three components of MMA, but I believe that the role of wrestling may be diminishing, and that the era of the hybrid striker/ jiu-jitsu specialist is upon us.

You need to be able to finish fights in order to win and keep a belt, and that is why I believe that a striking/jiu-jitsu hybrid art has the most potential, because it is dangerous in all positions and can nullify other styles.

MMA has always been adapting as one art overtakes the next. First, it was Royce Gracie and jiu-jitsu that was dominant. Then, wrestlers learned submission defense and beat such fighters (Shamrock vs. Gracie II).

Mark Coleman came along and introduced ground and pound. However, a counter was found to this style as well, and strikers developed a sprawl to fend off the wrestler and knock him out (Cro Cop vs. Coleman, Liddell vs. a grappler).

One possible way to beat counter-punchers such as Cro Cop and Liddell (besides taking the fight to the ground) is through effective counter-punching of one’s own, and this is a tactic that has gained prominence amongst all sorts of strikers (Anderson Silva, Penn, Torres, among others).

The type of fighting embodied by the previously mentioned fighters (hybrid striking/jiu-jitsu, some wrestling) combines the most important aspects of any MMA style (ability to end a fight, be exciting, effective against other styles, etc.) into a package that will dominate the future of the sport.

Don’t believe me? Just watch and see.