By Harold Hughes
With so many fighters like, Shinya Aoki and Dan Hardy chiming in on the huge amount of wrestling in the UFC and the vast array of wrestlers dominating MMA, I’ve decided to add my two cents as well.
It is very evident by the reign of GSP, Brock Lesnar, Frankie Edgar, and even Gilbert Melendez in Strikeforce that few have an answer to wrestling other than wrestlers themselves! Being a wrestler at heart, I do not mind this at all. I love the technicality and skill it takes to be an efficient roller, but I know just like in the birth years of UFC with jiu-jitsu… there will be an answer one day soon.
As I mentioned, Aoki and Hardy both gripe about the wrestling in MMA and I see this as only one thing; Poor sportsmanship! These are two fighters who had no issues or complaints about the style until being completely dominated by a wrestler themselves. GSP schooled Dan Hardy and Melendez handled Aoki. All this SHOULD mean to these fighters is that their game hasn’t been perfected yet.
Take a look back into UFC 1 and just listen to the commentators try to explain Jiu-Jitsu. Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock ran the place! No one knew how to defend a heel hook, or a gogoplata. They simply relied on their individual skills as a wrestler or a striker to get the job done only to realize neither of those will prevent someone from breaking your arm. These fighters took a step back, studied their opponents more efficiently and NHB fighting as a whole transitioned into MMA.
If these fighters want a more explosive fight they need to go to K-1 or Pancrase where they are less challenged by such an individual. The sport has been called MIXED Martial Arts for quite some time now, so for someone to expect to have little to no talent in any facet of the sport and not be taken advantage of is simply ignorant. I’m not saying “get over it, wrestling is here to take over” I’m saying, this sport is ever changing and if you aren’t part of the solution, you are part of the problem!
Wrestling is just another part of combat sports, and although it seems to be the dominating force as of late, times will change. Whether it be striking, grappling or capoeira, something soon will take the throne, instead of hating on Matt Hughes, Josh Koscheck, Dan Henderson and all the other wrestling greats of the sport, be patient and be loyal to the game and maybe listen to some Bob Dylan because “times are a-changin!”
Every day something new is discovered, something is perfected, or just improved. Every dog has its day, it just so happens right now that dog will wrap you up in a double leg takedown, and cross-face you into reconstructive surgery!
