Demian Maia and the 10 Most Pedigreed BJJ Practitioners Competing in MMA
In watching MMA, fans can be exposed to a variety of fighters. Some are wrestlers, some are boxers, but most are, in fact, mixed martial artists. The martial arts seen in MMA range from Muay Thai kickboxing to judo, but the one that seems the most prominent in the sport is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) is a martial art that focuses primarily on grappling and ground fighting. Thus, most fighters who practice it are capable of winning their matches in any way, be it by knockout, submission, or judges' decision. In fact, many of the top fighters in MMA today are in fact practitioners of BJJ, including middleweight Demian Maia (pictured at left).
With UFC 129 on the horizon, let's dive into BJJ some more. Here are the top 10 most pedigreed/skilled BJJ fighters, including Maia, competing in MMA today.
No. 10: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
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Along with his twin brother, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (known in MMA circles as "Big Nog"), Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (known as "Little Nog") is one of the better BJJ fighters in MMA, having earned his black belt. Along with his skills in the martial art, Nogueira is also a skilled boxer. He even competed on the amateur boxing circuit in 2006 and 2007.
Little Nog owns a 19-5 career record in MMA and has scored wins over top fighters like Dan Henderson and Vladimir Matyushenko, yet has lost his last two fights to Ryan Bader and Phil Davis.
Still, his ability to win fights by either decision, submission or knockout is a testament to his skill as a fighter, especially when it comes to his use of BJJ.
No. 9: Lyoto Machida
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This time last year, Lyoto Machida was undefeated in his MMA career. Like Nogueira, his fighting style is extremely diverse. He has a black belt in BJJ, but also one in Shotokan karate.
This time last year, Machida was undefeated in his MMA career and was the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Since then, he lost the belt after being knocked out by Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and then lost his next fight as well, a controversial split decision loss to Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.
Machida's next match is at the end of this month at UFC 129, against UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture. Given how both fighters are great on the ground, Machida's best hope is to out-grapple and out-punch the man they call "The Natural." As I mentioned before, Machida is a diverse enough fighter that he can win fights either by decision or knockout. He even has two submissions to his name.
If he can use his elusiveness and versatility to handily defeat Couture, he will be well on his way to re-establishing himself as one of the top BJJ fighters in all of MMA.
No. 8: Renato Sobral
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Love him or hate him, Renato "Babalu" Sobral is one of the top BJJ practitioners in MMA. Currently signed with Strikeforce, he owns a 36-9 career record, with half of his wins coming by submission.
Ever since he burst onto the scene back in 1997, Sobral has been a pest for all of his opponents. He is just as dangerous standing as he is on the ground, and he was the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion for a brief period of time.
He was knocked out by Dan Henderson in his most recent battle, in the first round no less, but Sobral has the heart of a champion and will come back with a statement. Whoever his next opponent might be, he will use his black belt in BJJ to work his way back into title contention.
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No. 7: Mauricio "Shogun" Rua
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With a 19-5 career record and a black belt in BJJ, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua is definitely one of the more dangerous brawlers in MMA. He took the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship from the then-previously undefeated Lyoto Machida, and his leg kicks are considered by some to be the hardest in the MMA world.
While Shogun does have a black belt in BJJ, he does not seem to use it so effectively. 16 of his 19 wins are knockouts, yet his ground game is good enough that he was able to take his first match with Machida to the judges' scorecards.
He may have been handily defeated by Jon Jones last month, but look for Shogun to make a statement in his next fight as he looks to win that belt back.
No. 6: Jose Aldo
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At age 24, Jose Aldo is one of the top up-and-coming BJJ fighters in MMA. He owns an 18-1 career record, and was the top fighter in WEC before the organization merged with the UFC. Aldo is a well-rounded fighter, with the ability to win fights both standing and on the ground, as he two submissions to his name along with four decision wins.
Don't let the number of knockouts fool you. Jose Aldo is more than just a brawler. He will make his UFC debut at UFC 129, where he will defend his Featherweight Championship belt against Mark Hominick.
Hominick is good on the ground, so it will be interesting to see how well Aldo can use his black belt in BJJ to defeat him.
No. 5: Demian Maia
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Now we're getting into the best of the best. Demian Maia is a fourth-degree black belt in BJJ with a 14-2 record in MMA. His first loss was to Nate Marquardt via knockout and his second to Anderson Silva, in a controversial unanimous decision loss that many feel was unfair as Silva did not really put up much of a fight.
Maia is a great practitioner of BJJ, with eight of his victories coming via submission. He is an amazing grappler and incredible ground fighter. He fights Mark Munoz in June at UFC 131, and I have no doubt that his black belt will trump the purple belt of his opponent.
He has already submitted top contenders, including Chael Sonnen and Nate Quarry, so look for Maia and his BJJ to continue their way up the ranks in the UFC and hopefully getting a title shot soon.
No. 4: B.J. Penn
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Known as "The Prodigy," B.J. Penn is probably one of the best BJJ practitioners in MMA history. He strikes well, has a record of 16-7-2 (draws), and six of his wins have come by submission.
Penn held the UFC Lightweight Championship for nearly two years before losing it to current champion Frankie Edgar, and has since moved back up to welterweight. There, he is looking to get a title shot against champion Georges St. Pierre.
Like some of the others on this list, Penn is a well-rounded fighter who can win fights in multiple ways. He is a surefire future Hall of Famer, so it is only right that he get another shot at a championship that he could win with his black belt in BJJ.
No. 3: Georges St. Pierre
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Currently, Georges St. Pierre is ranked as the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in MMA by Sherdog. He has a black belt in BJJ and owns a 21-2 record, and he has won eight fights in a row while holding the title of UFC Welterweight Champion.
Regarding his fighting style, GSP is simply a chameleon. Of his 21 wins, eight are by knockout, eight are by decision, and five are by submission. Love him or hate him, he is one of the greatest fighters in MMA history.
For his opponents, training for a fight with him might as well be an automatic loss. It seems that fight after fight, GSP mirrors his opponent's style and feeds off of their mistakes. He defends his belt against fellow BJJ practitioner and submission specialist Jake Shields at the end of the month, so it will be interesting to see how he prepares for it.
Either way, Georges St. Pierre makes this list as one of the best BJJ fighters out there.
No. 2: Anderson Silva
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Easily one of the most controversial figures in MMA, Anderson Silva is also one of the greatest BJJ fighters. He earned his black belt under Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and is undefeated in his UFC career. On top of that, he has won 14 fights in a row and owns a career record of 28-4.
Silva's fights are a testament to his skill at BJJ. 16 of his wins have come by knockout, but he has also won seven by decision and five by submission. One of his more notable submissions occurred last summer against wrestler Chael Sonnen at UFC 117.
After taking a beating for nearly five rounds, Silva was able to lock in a triangle choke/armbar on Sonnen, forcing him to tap out at 3:10 in the fifth and final round. Silva has most recently beaten Vitor Belfort and rumors have been swirling about him fighting Georges St. Pierre. If that fight does indeed happen, it would not only be a great match, but also an exhibition of amazing BJJ.
No. 1: Royce Gracie
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Royce Gracie hasn't fought in MMA since 2007. Also, he is the only fighter on this list who does not have a black belt in BJJ. Rather, he holds a 7th degree red and black belt in the sport. That's one of the highest-levels one can achieve in BJJ.
On top of that, Gracie's father Helio and his uncle Carlos originated the martial art itself. Thus, given how he practically grew up around it, it is only natural that Royce Gracie be No. 1 on this list.
He may not be competing in MMA at the moment, but all signs point to him returning to the UFC fairly soon. About a month ago, he was placed back in the active fighter database on ufc.com, this time as a middleweight. His manager then told mmajunkie.com that a return to the octagon was being actively negotiated and that it was just a matter of details being "nailed down."
If Gracie does indeed make his return to MMA, anyone he fights will be in for a hard lesson in BJJ. He is simply a natural at it, and it is why it is essential that he start fighting again.
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