In the brutal and unpredictable world of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), fighters come from all sorts of disciplines—boxing, jiu-jitsu, kickboxing, Muay Thai, karate, and more. But there’s one skill that seems to dominate time and time again.
Wrestling.
Yes, wrestling. The old-school, grind-it-out, mat-slamming art form that high schoolers and Olympians have been practicing for decades is now the ultimate cheat code in the UFC and beyond. It’s the one weapon that gives fighters complete control. And in a sport where one mistake can cost you everything, control is everything.
Let’s break down why wrestling is secretly (or not so secretly) the most overpowered tool in MMA today.
1. Control is King in the Cage
In MMA, whoever controls the pace of the fight usually wins. And no discipline gives you more control than wrestling.
A wrestler can decide where the fight happens. Want to take down your opponent and beat them up on the mat? A wrestler can do that. Want to avoid a dangerous striker and grind out a win with pressure and takedowns? A wrestler can do that too.
They don’t have to wait for the perfect punch or submission. Wrestlers make the fight happen on their terms.
That’s why elite wrestlers like Khabib Nurmagomedov, Daniel Cormier, Georges St-Pierre, and Henry Cejudo dominated. They used wrestling to drain the energy out of their opponents, control them like puppets, and win—even when they weren’t the best strikers or submission artist.
2. Takedowns = Point Machines
Let’s be honest: judges love takedowns.
Even if you land a few punches or kicks, if your opponent takes you down and controls you, they’re usually going to win that round.
Wrestlers can score takedowns again and again. And if they keep you on the ground? That’s a clear round for them.
Wrestling makes it easier to win on the scorecards—even if the fight is boring. And in the UFC, a win is a win. Period.
3. Wrestlers Are Built Different
Wrestlers are known for their insane work ethic. These guys are used to cutting weight, training twice a day, and pushing through pain since they were teenagers. They know how to suffer and smile through it.
That toughness translates perfectly into MMA. When a fight turns into a war, wrestlers often have the mental edge. They’ve already lived through the grind. They don’t break.
You can teach someone to punch or kick. But you can’t teach that gritty wrestler mindset. That’s built over years of hard practices and rough matches
4. Grappling Neutralizes Strikers
One of the biggest reasons wrestling dominates is simple: it shuts down striking.
Think about it—what’s the scariest striker in the UFC going to do if they’re constantly worried about being taken down?
Take Israel Adesanya, for example. He’s one of the most skilled strikers ever, but when he faced someone with strong grappling like Jan Błachowicz, his striking was neutralized. He had to be cautious. He couldn’t go all-out.
That fear of the takedown changes everything. It slows down even the best strikers. And if they do get taken down? Game over.
5. Ground-and-Pound Is Free Damage
Once a wrestler gets you down, they don’t just hold you there. They make you pay.
Ground-and-pound (punching from the top position) is a brutal and effective way to wear someone down. You’re stuck on the bottom, tired, trying to get up—and all the while, they’re punching you in the face and body.
Wrestlers like Khabib and Jon Jones made careers off this. They didn’t just win. They smashed people on the ground.
And it’s a safe way to deal damage. No wild punches. No risky kicks. Just steady, powerful control and punishment
6. Wrestlers Dictate the Fight
Want to keep it standing? A wrestler with good defense can do that too.
That’s right—wrestling isn’t just about takedowns. It’s also about takedown defense.
Some fighters, like Chuck Liddell, used wrestling to keep fights on the feet so they could strike. He stuffed takedowns and knocked people out.
That’s the beauty of wrestling. It gives you the power to decide. Want to wrestle? Go for it. Want to strike? Stay on your feet.
In other words: wrestling = options
7. Wrestlers Transition to MMA Better Than Anyone
When you look at MMA champions over the years, a huge number of them have wrestling backgrounds. From Randy Couture to Cain Velasquez to Kamaru Usman, wrestlers transition incredibly well.
Why?
Because wrestling gives you the base. The discipline. The body awareness. The ability to dominate a position.
Once they learn how to punch and avoid submissions, it’s game over.
They already know how to win.
8. Wrestling Drains Your Opponent’s Soul
There’s nothing worse than being taken down over and over again.
You get up. You get slammed back down. You try to fight back. You’re stuck under someone who’s smothering you. You can’t breathe. You can’t move. You feel helpless.
That’s what wrestling does.
It breaks your opponent. Not just physically—but mentally.
Fighters who can wrestle don’t just beat you. They exhaust you. They frustrate you. And eventually, you stop fighting back.
It’s domination on a whole different level.
9. Wrestlers Are the Real-Life Glitch in MMA
Let’s be real: if MMA were a video game, wrestling would be the overpowered move set.
It lets you:
- Control your opponent
- Score easy points
- Dictate where the fight happens
- Do damage with little risk
- Drain your opponent’s energy
It’s no surprise that in championship fights, wrestling almost always plays a major role.
MMA may be about being a complete fighter—but if you had to choose just one skill to master, wrestling is it.
Famous Wrestlers Who Proved It Works
Let’s look at some wrestlers who turned their skills into UFC greatness:
- Khabib Nurmagomedov: Undefeated, undisputed, and unstoppable. His wrestling and ground control were unmatched.
- Daniel Cormier: Olympic wrestler turned UFC double champ.
- Henry Cejudo: Olympic gold medalist and UFC champ in two weight classes.
- Kamaru Usman: Dominated welterweight with powerful wrestling and pressure.
- Islam Makhachev: Carrying Khabib’s legacy with wrestling-based dominance.
All these guys used wrestling as their secret weapon—and it worked.
The Future Is Still Wrestling
Even today, up-and-coming stars with wrestling backgrounds are taking over.
Whether it’s Bo Nickal, Ilia Topuria (with elite grappling), or Movsar Evloev, the trend continues: wrestlers win.
Strikers are flashy. Submission artists are slick. But wrestlers? They’re reliable, ruthless, and often unbeatable when their game plan works.
Final Thoughts
Wrestling may not be flashy like knockouts or fancy submissions, but it’s the ultimate cheat code in MMA. It gives fighters complete control. It lets them win on their terms. And it breaks opponents both physically and mentally.
If you’re a young fighter dreaming of UFC gold, here’s a simple tip:
Learn to wrestle. Or get ready to be dragged into deep waters by someone who did.
What Do You Think?
Is wrestling the most powerful skill in MMA? Or can elite strikers and jiu-jitsu artists still dominate?
💬 Drop your thoughts in the comments!
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