The Ultimate Fighting Championships, or UFC, sees a number of mixed martial arts combined into creating a perfect fighter. The sport of MMA sees various different combat sports come together. These include boxing, kickboxing, muay Thai, wrestling, jiu-jitsu, taekwondo, judo, and karate. Many MMA fighters start off their combat sports career doing one of these mentioned sports. However, it is usually later in their career that they move into the sport of MMA. This is why you see many fighters with their own unique style as they combine the martial arts they are most skilled at.
MMA has become one of the most popular sports in the world. It is the most popular in the USA, as it has grown massively in recent years. It seems as if it is only a matter of time before it catches up with popular sports such as football and baseball. It is said that wrestling is the best foundation for a mixed martial artist. After all, if they are struggling in a striking exchange, a talented wrestler can just take the fight to the mat, where they will likely have an advantage. This has proved itself repeatedly, with many of the UFC’s top fighters having a strong wrestling background. But who are the best wrestlers in the organization?
Jon Jones
Jon Jones may go down as the greatest mixed martial artist of all time. He is the youngest person ever to capture the UFC belt, being just 23 years old at the time. He was rampant in his early fights, which saw him earn a title shot. Jones has a legendary resume when it comes to his victories. Some of those names include Daniel Cormier, Vitor Belfort, Lyoto Machida, and Rashad Evans. Jones’ wrestling was a huge part of his success and has been the difference in some of his more recent fights against Dominick Reyes and Alexander Gustaffson. Jones is now preparing for a move to the heavyweight division. In a weight class that is mostly filled with strikers, it’s likely you’ll see Jones implement his ground game when he makes the move.
Kamaru Usman
Arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC right now, Kamaru Usman has been nothing but dominant in the welterweight division. He really showed how good of a wrestler he is when he first challenged for the belt against UFC great Tyrone Woodley. Despite the champion having a 94% takedown defense, Usman dominated him in the wrestling department, taking him down several times.
Colby Covington
Another UFC welterweight with extremely impressive wrestling is Colby Covington. The American with a pro record of 16-2 has been dominant in nearly every fight he has fought under the UFC banner. His performances were so good he earned himself a title bout against champion Kamaru Usman. Despite fans expecting a wrestling match for the entire bout, neither man attempted a takedown throughout the fight. It almost appeared as if both men respected each other’s ground game to the extent they didn’t want to test it. With the two men having bad blood, they are set to run back the bout after Usman won the fight in the fifth round. Will fans get the wrestling match they expected this time around?
