UFC 126: Top 10 UFC 'Wrestler vs. Wrestler' Matchups

Many things can happen when a wrestler fights another wrestler.  

Sometimes the more credentialed wrestler dominates and sometimes the more adapted wrestler dominates.  Sometimes the action is slow and tactical and sometimes it is intensely back and forth.

When we witness Ryan Bader vs Jon Jones this weekend, I feel that we will be watching one of the ten best wrestler vs wrestler match-ups in UFC history.

It makes sense because they are two incredible wrestlers who will be battling for superiority in an incredibly stacked division.

It is also very bold claim considering there has simply been a tremendous amount of great wrestler vs wrestler match-ups in the history of the UFC.

In whittling down a list of the best wrestler vs wrestler match-ups I want to represent the calibre of wrestlers in UFC history as well as the emergence and precedence of superior wrestling utilization throughout MMA's evolution.

This weekend will be very telling about the future of these two men and only time will tell if this match-up can remain as one of the best wrestler vs wrestler match-ups of all time.

UFC 126: Ryan Bader Vs Jon Jones

Ryan bader is a two-time high school state wrestling champ from Nevada and an NCAA division I 3-time All-American and 3-time conference champion.  Bader also trains with several other wrestling based fighters in his training camps. 

Jon Jones is also a state hs wrestling champ and is a Junior College national champion.  

Both have very impressive accomplishments with the advantage going to Bader.  He is very powerful with his excellent double-leg take down, but Jones might have a better adapted style for MMA.

Jones excels at the greco-roman style of wrestling and finds ways to use trips and arm throws when he catches his opponents off guard for just a moment.

Barring a quick KO, this fight should hit the mat at some point and the battle to exert one's wrestling prowess over the other will be a crucial factor in the fights outcome.

UFC 96: Matt Hamill Vs Mark Muñoz

Undefeated and highly touted division I wrestler, Mark Muñoz, made his ufc debut against fellow wrestler Matt Hamill.

Hamill is also a highly decorated wrestler as a 3-time national champion in division III, as well as a Greco-roman silver medalist and freestyle gold medalist in the 2001 international deaflympics.

Hamill had just fought another accomplished wrestler in reese andy, but many felt Munoz would be on a whole other level.

Hamill controlled the fight and was able to shrug off munoz’s takedown attempts, something Munoz perhaps did not expect to happen.  Slowly stalking him along the cage, Hamill eventually landed a crushing headkick in what was one of the most brutal knockouts of the year. 

See also....

Mark Muñoz v Aaron Simpson-  An intense back and forth battle between two elite wrestlers.

Matt Hamill v Tito Ortiz- Tactical battle.

And upcoming… Matt Hamill v Phil Davis.

UFC 42: Matt Hughes Vs Sean Sherk

In 2003, Matt Hughes made his 4^th welterweight title defense against fellow wrestler Sean Sherk. 

Sherk was a little undersized for the division, but he was 19-0-1, and an elite athlete and competitor.

Hughes was a two time division I all American.  Sherk did not wrestle in college, but he has competitively wrestled since he was 7 years old and it is his greatest strength and basis for his style.

The champion hughes dominated sherk for the first two rounds with takedowns and ground pound, but sherk turned the tide in the 3^rd by returning the favor to hughes. 

Hughes would fight back in the final two rounds to claim the uninamous decision victory. 

It was a true test of grit and will power for both athletes

See also....

Matt Hughes series of fights versus Frank Trigg and Georges St-Pierre.

UFC 72: Clay Guida Vs Tyson Griffin

Clay Guida has been wrestling since 5 and was a part of a Junior College national championship team.  Tyson Griffin was also wrestled at the junior college level. 

This was an exciting back and forth battle between two well-rounded fighters who relied on their wrestling base.  It was the emergence of what the new wrestling based MMA prototype was looking like.

Giffin would walk away with the victory but both were considered winners.

The scrambles explored new positions and the competitive nature symbolized the shark tank that the UFC lightweight division was becoming.

Also see…

Tyson Griffin v Frank Edgar- This fight was equally as dynamic and significant.

UFC 75: Quinton Jackson Vs Dan Henderson

Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

Dan Henderson is the much more accomplished wrestler on paper, but lost the decision to Jackson who is a larger man and utilized his wrestling to greater overall affect in the fight.  It was a competitive back and forth battle against two of the highest ranked fighters of the time.

Beyond being an all-state wrestler in high school, Jackson did little in terms of official wrestling competition.  Henderson, on the other hand, was a NCAA division I championship competitor and two-time representative for the US Olympic wrestling team. 

Henderson is an outstanding greco-roman wrestler, but even deep credentials can be thrown back in your face if you do not adapt them properly for the fight game.

Also see....

Gray Maynard v Frank Edgar I- Again the bigger stronger wrestler was able to control the majority of the action in a competitive fight.

UFC 74: Georges St-Pierre Vs Josh Koscheck

St pierre is argued by many to be the best functional wrestler in MMA while Josh Koscheck is argued by many to be the best pure wrestler- being a division I national champion and 4-time all American. 

They of course met a second time in a title fight, but their first fight was a better match-up from a wrestling perspective.  St-Pierre said he could out-wrestle Koscheck while Koscheck thought the idea laughable. 

Josh probably got a slight edge in the first round, but St-Pierre did indeed mix his wrestling in better to out point koscheck in the final two rounds.  Georges even reversed koscheck in the third round. 

It made the strongest case for an adapted wrestling style at the time.

Also see....

Kosh Koscheck v Anthony Johnson

GSP v Jon Fitch

GSP v Koscheck II

UFC 104: Chael Sonnen Vs Yushin Okami

Like Georges St-Pierre, Yushin Okami did not come from a wrestling background, but still developed one of the best adapted wrestling games for MMA. 

It looked like no one in the middleweight division could out-grapple or otherwise control him until he was matched up with Chael Sonnen. Sonnen was a division I all American, national champ in Greco-roman, and an alternate for the US Olympic wrestling team. 

It was hard to believe the way Sonnen dominated Okami from bell to bell.  It showed that Okami definitely had some work to do to close the gap between his wrestling and what was capable from an elite product of US wrestling.

Also see....

Yushin Okami v Mark Muñoz- Both men show progress in a very tactical bout.

UFC 116: Brock Lesnar Vs Shane Carwin

An epic battle of titans for the undisputed heavyweight belt billed as the “biggest” fight in UFC history. 

In wrestling, Lesnar was a NCAA division I national champion and Carwin was a division two II champion. 

Both men could dominate non-wrestlers with takedowns, but not this time, not against each other.

The first round was explosive as Carwin neutralized lesnar’s wrestling in the first round and dominated the action with his powerful striking.

Lesnar took advantage of his gassed opponent in the second round.  He took Carwin down and eventually maneuvered for a fight ending arm triangle choke. 

See also...

Brock Lesnar v Cain Velasquez- Cain's devotion to training striking proved a pivotal advantage

Brock Lesnar v Randy Couture- A competitive fight with the much larger man pounding out the victory

UFC 44: Randy Couture V Tito Ortiz

Tito Ortiz was a junior college national champion in wrestling and then wrestled at the division I level.  At the time of this matchup he was the UFC light heavyweight champion and dominating the division with his vicious ground and pound techniques. 

As a high school state champion, 3 time NCAA division I All-American, two time NCAA national runner-up, and multiple time Olympic alternate, Randy couture knew he had a much deeper wrestling pedigree than his opponent. 

As he later recalled, the bout was not much more than “wrestling 101”.   Couture dominated his younger opponent for the entire 5 rounds and the match closed out with couture’s infamous ‘spanking’ of tito Ortiz.

Styles make fights and Tito does not have the tactics to beat someone like Randy Couture.

Also see....

Randy Couture v Kevin Randleman

UFC 12: Mark Coleman Vs Dan Severn

The first true wrestler vs wrestler matchup, in what determined the first true UFC heavyweight champion. 

Coleman was a NCCA division I national champion and competed at the international and Olympic levels.   Severn was a two time division I All-American and active post-collegiate competitor and coach. 

Severn came in with a big size advantage, but Coleman would still put on a dominant performance.  Aggression counts and the amped up Coleman forced the big man to submit to a somewhat primitive neck crank/choke in just under three minutes.

Just because you have size and a similar skill set does not mean you can get complacent.  This is the fight game and if there's one thing more imposing than wrestling...it's the eye of the tiger.