Media Which Combat Sport Base or Style is Best for MMA? (I counted)

[JustBleed69]

Had some free time today and I wanted to create an updated list on which combat sport background and/or base style produces the most champions.
There is an old list out there, but it is extremely outdated.
I made this list based on a combination of the champions prior combat sport history before starting MMA, as well as their primary fight style.
There is a ton of overlap, for instance, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson has an extensive wrestling background, but you would never know it because his style is primarily boxing based. And instances like this I would give 1 point to boxing and 1 point to wrestling.
Another example is GSP, I give him a point for wrestling, jiu-jitsu, and karate. He does not have a wrestling background whatsoever, but his fight style was heavily wrestling based.
The list might still be flawed as I was using a mixture of my own personal knowledge as well as Wikipedia bios, but I think it's 90% accurate at the very least.

Let me know what you think!

 

[Dorkman]

Not shocked to see wrestling being the most represented

 

[Davidjacksonjones]

Mixed martial arts

 

[gosuasus]

Given that cage favors grappling based arts, what is Pride FC statistics?

 

[JustBleed69]

Given that cage favors grappling based arts, what is Pride FC statistics?

I would be very interested in finding that out as well! I would assume more strikers for sure.

 

[NicholasJBasile]

View attachment 1037812

Had some free time today and I wanted to create an updated list on which combat sport background and/or base style produces the most champions.
There is an old list out there, but it is extremely outdated.
I made this list based on a combination of the champions prior combat sport history before starting MMA, as well as their primary fight style.
There is a ton of overlap, for instance, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson has an extensive wrestling background, but you would never know it because his style is primarily boxing based. And instances like this I would give 1 point to boxing and 1 point to wrestling.
Another example is GSP, I give him a point for wrestling, jiu-jitsu, and karate. He does not have a wrestling background whatsoever, but his fight style was heavily wrestling based.
The list might still be flawed as I was using a mixture of my own personal knowledge as well as Wikipedia bios, but I think it's 90% accurate at the very least.

Let me know what you think!

Very nice list, thanks for posting

 

[laleggenda27]

Historical numbers like these will tend to be skewed because, for a long time, the UFC was overrepresented by wrestlers (i.e., there was a direct pipeline for American wrestlers to transition to the UFC).

Out of the 11 current UFC champions, only 2 are wrestlers. If you want to include Topuria as a wrestler (I wouldn't), that makes 3. Rogan has tricked people into thinking that wrestling is "by far the best base."

Personally, I would say there isn't a "best base" for MMA. It comes down to the individual athlete. We've seen non-wrestlers become the best wrestlers in the sport (e.g., GSP) . We've seen grapplers turn into devastating strikers (e.g., Aldo). And everything in between.

 

[Dr. Rose]

Given that cage favors grappling based arts, what is Pride FC statistics?

If we are looking at champions, Wandy was the only one that was not a grappler. PRIDE FC only had 5 champions, unless you count the tourney winners and then that would be 10, and thus adding Cro Cop and Shogun.

 

[HHJ]

There isnt one. Its all about your ability to force whatever it is that you can do on the other guy.

 

[Qays Stetkevich]

View attachment 1037812

Had some free time today and I wanted to create an updated list on which combat sport background and/or base style produces the most champions.
There is an old list out there, but it is extremely outdated.
I made this list based on a combination of the champions prior combat sport history before starting MMA, as well as their primary fight style.
There is a ton of overlap, for instance, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson has an extensive wrestling background, but you would never know it because his style is primarily boxing based. And instances like this I would give 1 point to boxing and 1 point to wrestling.
Another example is GSP, I give him a point for wrestling, jiu-jitsu, and karate. He does not have a wrestling background whatsoever, but his fight style was heavily wrestling based.
The list might still be flawed as I was using a mixture of my own personal knowledge as well as Wikipedia bios, but I think it's 90% accurate at the very least.

Let me know what you think!

Cool idea and interesting.
I'm not surprised by anything, although I thought that either bjj and/or boxing would be a bit higher, and wrestling a bit lower.

But as you point out, a TON of primarily boxing/striking guys' background is actually something else, and I also feel that wrestling has seeeveral champs on there from the early UFC days when, in a US based promoting especially, wrestling was the de facto background of a ton of cage fighters.

 

[Qays Stetkevich]

Historical numbers like these will tend to be skewed because, for a long time, the UFC was overrepresented by wrestlers (i.e., there was a direct pipeline for American wrestlers to transition to the UFC).

Out of the 11 current UFC champions, only 2 are wrestlers. If you want to include Topuria as a wrestler (I wouldn't), that makes 3. Rogan has tricked people into thinking that wrestling is "by far the best base."

Personally, I would say there isn't a "best base" for MMA. It comes down to the individual athlete. We've seen non-wrestlers become the best wrestlers in the sport (e.g., GSP) . We've seen grapplers turn into devastating strikers (e.g., Aldo). And everything in between.

All good points. I would say that there is/can be a "best base" statistically, but that realistically and to anyone who knows anything about mma, body type and strengths/attributes are far more important in determining what "base" is best (for you).
Also, somewhat becoming a moot point as more and more and more professional MMA guys are, uh . . . "MMA" guys. So, an MMA base.

 

[blaseblase]

Combat sambo is the closest thing to mma on that list

 

[PaddyO'malley]

C'mon y u cappin fam wrestlin str8 overrepresented walahi my guy My yute Big Mac back inna day when mans was throwin' handz ain't one of dem boys in the Penn could take my guy down NOT ONE deadazz mans just push em off too slick hiddem widda check hook after ting was lit

Ain't surprise at dem kickboxin mandem up der tho Big Mac scrap against some yute from the kickboxin school Up Top str8 chewed up Mac's legs had me hollerin from da back yo check them kickz fam but right as I say dat Mac caught em widda overhand bro was snorin'

 

[666]

Rex Kwon Do obviously.

 

[blaseblase]

Cool idea and interesting.
I'm not surprised by anything, although I thought that either bjj and/or boxing would be a bit higher, and wrestling a bit lower.

But as you point out, a TON of primarily boxing/striking guys' background is actually something else, and I also feel that wrestling has seeeveral champs on there from the early UFC days when, in a US based promoting especially, wrestling was the de facto background of a ton of cage fighters.

The reason wrestling is so well represented in mma is because it's a highly competitive grappling sport you take by just going through the American school system for very cheaply. If you live in the U.S. and want your kid to do something else you have to pay a lot of money for it and it isn't very competitive. There are far more people doing wrestling than anything else.

 

[Neck&Neck]

Giant Catfish Noodling

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

There isnt one. Its all about your ability to force whatever it is that you can do on the other guy.

I disagree with this. Wrestling s domination of MMA was completely established by like UFC8 or so.

 

[HHJ]

I disagree with this. Wrestling s domination of MMA was completely established by like UFC8 or so.

Wrestling is also the strongest.

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

C'mon y u cappin fam wrestlin str8 overrepresented walahi my guy My yute Big Mac back inna day when mans was throwin' handz ain't one of dem boys in the Penn could take my guy down NOT ONE deadazz mans just push em off too slick hiddem widda check hook after ting was lit

Ain't surprise at dem kickboxin mandem up der tho Big Mac scrap against some yute from the kickboxin school Up Top str8 chewed up Mac's legs had me hollerin from da back yo check them kickz fam but right as I say dat Mac caught em widda overhand bro was snorin'

Didn t read

 

[PaddyO'malley]

Didn t read

Thanks fam