Wrestling dominates other martial arts in MMA
Mixed Martial Arts started by asking a simple question – which martial art is the best and most effective. We…
Mixed Martial Arts started by asking a simple question – which martial art is the best and most effective. We now realize that to be truly great, you need a combination of skills. But it does seem like many of the top fighters in today’s top promotions come from a wrestling background. Is that true?
I decided to take a look at the top 10 fighters in each of the seven major weight classes to see what discipline was producing the most elite fighters. I expected the results to show that fighters came from a variety of martial arts, with no one discipline standing out. I was wrong. Wrestling produced as many elite fighters as the next two disciplines combined.
Wrestling: 43%
BJJ: 26%
Mixed: 17%
Kickboxing: 10%
Judo: 4%
It seems the days of Royce Gracie are firmly planted in the past. More fighters are coming into the sport from wrestling than from any other art.
A breakdown of fighters by discipline after the jump.