Best Martial Arts For MMA | Expert Review

Mixed Martial Arts (or MMA), the famous combat sport that has surpassed boxing as America’s most popular form of fight entertainment, is a mix of several fighting styles used to defeat an opponent in a one-on-one match. Different fighters prefer different techniques, but which are the greatest martial arts for mixed martial arts? Which specific sorts of combat training are most effective in the ring (or, more commonly, the octagon)? There are many different points of view, and no two fighters use the same techniques, but there are a few approaches that have proven to be the best for MMA competition.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ)

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is by far the most well-known and popular fighting style in the MMA world. It was utilised to spread the sport of MMA over the world, adapted from the Judo style and established by the world-renowned Gracy family. Because it concentrates on three separate types of combat: striking techniques, free form fighting (the anything-goes attitude most generally associated with MMA), and, most significantly, ground grappling with an emphasis on submission, BJJ is one of the greatest martial arts for MMA, if not the best. A BJJ master is likely to flourish in MMA, as some of the sport’s most well-known and popular champions have done: the Gracie family, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and Nate Diaz.

Muay Thai Kickboxing

A popular combat sport in its own right, Muay Thai kickboxing has been used as one of the best martial arts for MMA competition. Formed in Thailand, it focuses on stand-up striking combined with various techniques of clinch fighting. It is a high-impact combat style that results in many amazing knockouts. Famous MMA champions that have used Muay Thai kickboxing include Mirko Filipovic (also known as Cro Cop), Anderson Silva and Ramon Dekker.

Wrestling

Most people, when they think of Wrestling, think of the Greco-Roman style seen in the Olympics and high-school competitions. Although this is used in MMA, there are other forms of Wrestling that are essential for building a good ground game. Other Wrestling styles which are amongst the best martial arts for MMA include folkstyle (which uses strength in order to dominate) and freestyle (which focuses more on scoring points against your opponent). MMA is not just two men slugging it out; much of the sport consists of the competitors trying to get on top or around their opponent when they are both lying on the mat. Wrestling skills are key here and lead to many victories and defeats. Some of the best wrestlers in MMA history are Matt Hughes, Randy Couture, and Matt Henderson.

Boxing

Of course, for as intricate and delicate as MMA can be, sometimes it is just about two men (or women) slugging it out in the middle of the ring (octagon). Here is where old-fashioned boxing skills come in handy. Knocking out one’s opponent with a devastating blow is always a possibility, and it is the kind of highlight that MMA fans embrace the most. Some of the best boxers in MMA are Roy Nelson, Nick Diaz and BJ Penn.

These styles comprise the best martial arts for MMA, but there are many others out there as well. The key to winning an MMA match is to surprise your opponent with an offense they are unable to anticipate, so it is important that no fighter rely on one martial art to the detriment of others. This keeps the sport from becoming stale (as many say boxing has become); you never know what kind of fight you’re going to experience.