I Want To Be A Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Fighter – Do I Need To Learn Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ)?

What Is Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)?

Mixed Martial Arts is just that. A combination of various martial arts disciplines. This typically includes grappling, striking, and ground fighting. In theory, you should be proficient in more than one discipline to be a well rounded fighter. Striking allows you to be a threat when exchanging punches, kicks, and knees while standing. Grappling and wrestling allows you to get the fight on the ground and gives you the skills to attempt and defend submissions. Ground fighting gives you the ability to control the fight while on the ground using striking skills, better known as the good old ground and pound. A fight can take multiple turns and you will find yourself in all three of these situations. So yes, you should definitely learn BJJ if you want to pursue a career in MMA. 

Many fighters come from a wrestling background since wrestling is offered in schools up through college. Wrestling is a great foundation and transition to BJJ. Although, most wrestlers will tell you the hardest thing at first is to get comfortable being on your back! Curtis “Razor” Blaydes came from a purely wrestling background and jumped right into MMA. Once he moved from Chicago to Denver and added grappling with Professor Cody Donovan from High Altitude Martial Arts and Striking with Coach Vinnie Lopez from Vital Strength and Fitness, he quickly climbed the UFC rankings and has been in the top ten UFC heavyweights since 2018, and in the top five since 2020. He is known for his insane amount of takedowns per fight but don’t sleep on his striking skills, which he used to knock out UFC legend, Junior Dos Santos, with. When Curtis’ wrestling takes you down and his BJJ holds you there, and he unleashes the ground and pound, it’s pretty much game over. 

Other fighters come to the sport with no experience in any discipline. They are raw. They are a blank slate ready to absorb all they can. Cory “The Sandman” Sandhagen is a prime example of this. He walked into High Altitude Martial Arts at just 17 years old and under the watchful eye of Professor Christian Allen, he is now in the top five of the UFC’s Bantamweight division. Read his incredible story here. Cory is known for his stand up game but being a brown belt in BJJ has helped him survive submission attempts. 

Why Do I Need To Know BJJ?

BJJ is especially important if the fight goes to the ground. You want to know how to defend submissions. How to improve positions. How to get up. How to finish your opponent. If you don’t have any experience in ground fighting and your opponent grapples you to the ground, you will struggle to defend yourself and regain control of the fight. BJJ is not the only grappling style but more widely known and taught. 

What Level Of BJJ Is Needed in MMA?

In most BJJ academies, you need at least two stripes on your white belt to start rolling live. Depending on consistency and skill, this should take you about 4-6 months. Fighters today range from white belts to black belts. If you are a white belt taking on a black belt, your coach’s game plan will be to not get taken down because your chances of survival are slim. There is no belt requirement but you want to be proficient and comfortable in this area. We recommend blue belt level knowledge and problem solving skills which takes about one year to achieve. 

Do I Have To Learn BJJ?

It is strongly recommended to know at least some form of grappling but world famous fighters such as Khabib Nurmagomedov trained in Judo and Sambo but not specifically BJJ. He defended his UFC belt many times, retired undefeated, and is regarded as one of the greatest fighters of all time. To pursue competition level mixed martial arts with us, you will need to study BJJ. 

Ready to start your journey in MMA? Contact us today to get started! And stay tuned for our next blog in this series where we focus on Striking.