5 not often seen martial arts within the UFC
As the best peak within the MMA world, the UFC is understood for internet hosting the best blended martial artists throughout the globe. MMA started as an try at figuring out the most effective martial arts model on this planet. Nevertheless, the early UFC tournaments revealed a special actuality altogether. There isn’t any such factor as the most effective martial arts model.
As a substitute of a singular superior martial arts model, the most effective method to unarmed fight entailed a system of martial arts that lined each aspect of combating from grappling and putting to ground-fighting and mixing the whole lot collectively in a coherent type. The system should have a synergy.
Whereas the likes of freestyle wrestling and kickboxing are frequent sights within the UFC, there are different martial arts which can be not often employed by Dana White’s greatest fighters. This record appears at 5 martial arts that aren’t typically seen within the UFC.
#5. Karate
Whereas there have been standout karatekas within the UFC, what number of—outdoors of Conor McGregor, Stephen Thompson, Lyoto Machida and Henry Cejudo—can spectators identify all through the promotion’s complete historical past? Even the likes of Robert Whittaker and Georges St-Pierre largely deserted their karate roots.
Welterweight title challenger Stephen Thompson showing his karate skills to the New York City crowd 💪 #UFC205 https://t.co/fPfblx5T7D
The dearth of prevalence of karate was such that earlier than the rise of Lyoto Machida, it was a generally held opinion in MMA circles that karate could not be utilized in a sensible setting like blended martial arts. Thus, fighters strayed away from it, least of all because of the model’s perceived weak point to low kicks, amongst different issues.
‘GSP’ traded his putting roots for wrestling, whereas Conor McGregor solely ever used parts of karate earlier than totally committing to a extra boxing-heavy method, as did Robert Whittaker. Solely Lyoto Machida, Uriah Corridor, Stephen Thompson and Henry Cejudo remained true to the Japanese martial arts model.
#4. Taekwondo isn’t seen within the UFC
Like karate and all of its subsets, taekwondo is a martial arts model that is acquired a major quantity of scorn in MMA and kickboxing circles. The effectiveness of the Korean martial artwork has been questioned and even dismissed, and it is obvious that the idea is prevalent within the UFC because of its lack of appearances.
Former light-weight champion Anthony Pettis is presumably probably the most high-profile taekwondo practitioner within the promotion, having used it to nice impact to seize world championship gold. Different fighters like heavyweight Chris Barnett and featherweight motion fighter Yair Rodriguez are additionally well-known TKD black belts.
Whereas different fighters like Rose Namajunas and Benson Henderson maintain black belts in taekwondo, they not often implement their abilities. ‘Thug Rose’ has turn out to be a kickboxer with a larger deal with boxing, whereas Benson Henderson fought predominantly as a wrestler with the odd low kick throughout his UFC tenure.
Equally, Edson Barboza favors his Muay Thai skill-set over his TKD background, which earned him a repute as some of the vicious low-kickers in MMA.
#3. Judo
A number of fighters, previous and current, dabbled in judo. The likes of Khabib Nurmagomedov and Hector Lombard maintain black belts within the Japanese grappling artwork. Different fighters exhibit parts of judo because of the must be competent in clinch-based grappling in MMA bouts.
Nevertheless, seeing judo getting used to its full extent as a main model is a uncommon prevalence within the UFC. Whereas ‘The Eagle’ and his compatriot Islam Makhachev have used the odd hip toss, sweep and journey, they’re primarily chain-wrestlers. Hector Lombard is without doubt one of the few fighters who used judo extensively within the promotion.
No fighter is extra well-known for utilizing judo as their basis than former ladies’s bantamweight titleholder Ronda Rousey. ‘Rowdy’s complete profession was outlined by her hip tosses and arm-drags en path to securing an armbar for the end.
Whereas ladies’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko additionally owns a judo black belt, she is primarily a kickboxer who depends on her Muay Thai-based counter-striking throughout her bouts.
#2. Capoeira
Capoeira is without doubt one of the most dynamic martial arts so far as putting is worried. Its Brazilian roots have led to its solely constant practitioners within the UFC being Brazilian. The momentum required to execute the vast, sweeping kicks that outline the Brazilian martial arts model renders it extraordinarily dangerous.
Whereas the payoff might be vital, the drawbacks are quickly reducing cardio and huge openings for an opponent’s counter-strikes. Thus, even most capoeira practitioners within the UFC stray from their background. Brazilian welterweight Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos favors a Muay-Thai-based method and barely, if ever, makes use of his capoeira experience.
Equally, Cezar Ferreira fought primarily as a grappler throughout his UFC run after his use of capoeira earned him three knockout losses. Solely Michel Pereira makes intensive use of his capoeira background.
#1. Sumo
There have solely ever been two sumo fighters within the promotion’s historical past. Neither man had flattering MMA data. The primary was Taylor Wily, previously generally known as Teila Tuli. A longtime sumo wrestler, the hulking Hawaiian took half within the first-ever UFC match.
It was his first and final MMA bout. After stumbling following an ill-executed try at a sumo cost, the mountainous Hawaiian was intercepted with a brutal kick and punch from Gerard Gordeau. The battle lasted 26 seconds, ending by way of TKO with Taylor Wily lacking a number of of his tooth.
24 years ago today,616 lbs Emmanuel Yarbrough became the heaviest fighter in history to compete inside the UFC. He was finished by Keith Hackney within two minutes. https://t.co/sgCy2UR6ag
The one different sumo wrestler within the promotion’s historical past was newbie champion Emmanuel Yarbrough. At six ft eight inches tall and 600 lbs, he was one of many largest-ever fighters within the promotion. He was a part of UFC 3, the place too suffered a first-round TKO earlier than combating twice extra in different promotions en path to a document of 1 win and two losses.
Because of the introduction of weight lessons and the 265lbs restrict for heavyweights, sumo wrestlers wrestle to discover a place in at the moment’s heavyweight division.
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