· From Wrestling To MMA: Style, Technique And Success

There are many things that go into making a successful pro fighter, all kinds of abilities and intangibles. World class MMA fighters come from a variety of combat sport backgrounds and it is not certain that there is one “best” discipline. However, if you took an anonymous poll of folks involved in the sport of MMA, wrestling would most likely get more votes as the preferred base discipline than any other combat sport. As we’re all aware, there are lots of variables involved in making an athlete into a successful MMA fighter. Wrestlers are no different than practitioners of any other combat sport discipline in that they need to develop an all around game, transition their skills successfully into a fighting style, and hope that they have the right amount of heart and ability to withstand punishment to get noticed.

For those followers of the sport that try to look ahead and see which prospects have the most to offer, it is easy to fall into the trap of judging a fighter’s credentials on paper as the sole way to gauge how successful they will likely be. Determining the prospects of wrestlers transitioning to MMA can be difficult. Whether it is Matt Lindland or Cain Velasquez, Muhammed Lawal or Jon Jones, Kamal Shalorus or Jim Miller, it’s not easy to know what strengths to look for in projecting a wrestler’s MMA success. One thing that might benefit us, though, is taking a closer look at the different styles of wrestling that exist and what the scoring systems in those styles reward.

First, a quick look at the different scoring models used in amateur wrestling:

Collegiate folkstyle wrestling:

Match time: three periods (three minutes, two minutes, two minutes)

Takedown/legal throw: two points (some types of throws are not legal)

Escape: one point

Reversal: two points

Near fall: two, three or four points

Riding time: one point (this is awarded at the end of three periods to a wrestler if he has more than a one-minute advantage throughout the match in controlling his opponent on the mat)

Freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling (in Greco-Roman you are not allowed to attack an opponent’s legs):

Match time: three periods (a third period is only necessary if one of the wrestlers has not won both of the first two periods—two minutes, two minutes, two minutes)

Takedown: one point

Throws: three points (low amplitude throw) or five points (high amplitude throw)

Reversal: one point

Exposure (near fall): two or three points

A few things stand out in the above sets of rules:

First, freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling do not reward escapes from the bottom (something that fighters are often benefited by attempting in MMA).

Second, freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling put much more emphasis on how you get your opponent to the mat. Proportionally, a grandiose throw (even one that ends up with you not controlling your opponent on the mat) is rewarded much more than a routine takedown. This scoring system was likely developed with the spectator in mind, creating an environment that offers a more “fan-friendly” type of action.

Third, in freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling (unlike collegiate folkstyle) there is no credit given for controlling your opponent on the mat. Positional control in MMA can be a huge, key aspect to a wrestler winning a fight but it is not rewarded in freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling unless that control leads to a near fall.

Let’s take a look at how these scoring differences could play out in a real scenario: Wrestler A scores in the opening seconds of the first period with a nice, legal throw. Wrestler B isn’t in any danger of being pinned and immediately escapes to his feet and scores a double-leg takedown of his own. Wrestler B then spends the entire remainder of the first period very clearly controlling Wrestler A on the mat.

Now, in the above scenario, the following scoring possibilities exist:

Under collegiate folkstyle rules Wrestler B could win that period by a score of 3-2 (one-point for an escape and a two-point takedown compared to Wrestler A’s two-point takedown via throw). In addition, Wrestler B has also laid the groundwork to possibly be awarded a bonus point at the end of the match due to his considerable time controlling his opponent on the mat (if he can maintain a one minute advantage throughout the remainder of the match).

Under freestyle or Greco-Roman rules Wrestler A could handily win the period by a score of 3-1. Wrestler A would be credited for a throw (at least 3 points). Wrestler B would be given no credit for his escape and would be awarded only one point for his takedown (proportionally far less than his opponent) and there would be no reward for having controlled his opponent much longer on the mat.

It is interesting that two wrestling scoring systems respond so differently to the action described above. None of this is news to anyone that has spent a great deal of time around the sport of wrestling. However, many MMA fans don’t have an extensive knowledge of the differences in wrestling styles. Some have the idea that international wrestling competition and collegiate wrestling are the same thing, only that one is a lower level of competition and the other is a higher level. There is a degree of truth to this but the picture changes somewhat when you understand that the styles themselves are noticeably different.

One recent “real world” example of these style differences can be found by examining the wrestling careers of MMA welterweight fighters Ben Askren and Jake Herbert. Both were two-time NCAA D-1 national champions. Askren has defeated Herbert on more than one occasion. He defeated him once for the national championship in 2006 and, more recently, in another folkstyle match in December of 2010 at the prestigious Midlands Wrestling Tournament. Despite this fact, Herbert has found more success in freestyle wrestling, having finished ranked as high as second in the world at the 2009 FILA World Championships (freestyle). Both were elite competitors in collegiate folkstyle but Jake has definitely had the edge in freestyle wrestling achievement.

Casual observers likely suspected that Jake would have the clear edge in their recent match (especially since Askren has been away from wrestling while concentrating on his MMA training), due to his significant international success. None of that mattered in a match contested under collegiate folkstyle rules, though. So, is Ben the better wrestler? Is Jake? The truth is that both are outstanding. It depends on what style we have in mind when we say better.

To make a hypothetical analogy involving another sport, let’s imagine that international basketball rules awarded six points (or maybe even 10) for what our U.S. rules deemed to be a three point shot. Under this scenario, our set of rules would have some incentive for U.S. teams to have players on the roster with long distance shooting skill, but there would be a much bigger emphasis on balance. However, when we fielded a team to compete internationally this would change immensely. All of a sudden the type of player that could best put us into position to win would be different. We would likely use more roster spots on players like Stephen Curry, Ray Allen and J.J. Redick, and take less players whose games thrived more on post or mid-range play. Now, would that mean that Curry, Allen and Redick were “better” basketball players than their post or mid-range counterparts? On the contrary, it would mean that they specialize in a skill-set that is better rewarded under a particular scoring system.

Ultimately, it is useful to hear opinions from some athletes with connections to MMA and multiple styles of wrestling. A couple of accomplished wrestlers that have transitioned to MMA offered their opinions on the subject.

Joe Warren is a former all-American Division I wrestler at Michigan and was the number one ranked Greco-Roman wrestler in the world in his weight class as recently as a few years ago. The most amazing thing is that he never really devoted himself to learning the Greco-Roman style until he was a senior in college (as is the case with many U.S. folkstyle wrestlers that transition to Greco). Despite this fact, he beat a field of international competitors in the World Championships that had been training exclusively in Greco-Roman wrestling since childhood. As if all this wasn’t impressive enough, he has also made a successful transition to MMA, compiling a record of 7-1 and winning the Bellator featherweight championship.

When asked for his thoughts, he stated: “Greco-Roman wrestling is the most applicable to MMA due to its upright style, the pushing and the clinch work. A freestyle wrestler is always going to tend to drop levels and shoot for the legs when he’s in trouble, often making himself vulnerable to a knee or to a submission. A Greco-Roman wrestler tries to close the distance and grab the body.”

The former world champion also had this to say about the difficulty of his preferred style of wrestling. “The real men are in Greco-Roman wrestling. It’s extremely challenging and I honestly haven’t found anything that can hold a candle to it. I definitely think that it’s easier for a Greco-Roman wrestler to transition to freestyle than it is for a freestyle wrestler to transition to Greco. I would probably say that as far as wrestling styles go, Greco allows for the best transition to MMA, then possibly folkstyle after that.”

Joe has recently been busy training for his bout with Marcos Galvao but he did catch Bellator welterweight champion Ben Askren’s performance last weekend against Nick Thompson. Askren put on a wrestling clinic, tying his opponent up and using smothering ground control to work his offense and secure a shutout decision win. What did Warren think of Askren’s use of wrestling in that fight? “I thought he did an outstanding job. I know some of the fans and MMA media might have been somewhat critical but Ben was fighting a guy with way more experience, which is something I’m also used to, and I thought he did great. That top control was smothering. There’s nothing you, as a fighter, can do when you’re being controlled like that. There were a few times where it looked like Ben might have been able to attempt a submission but I think he was tentative. He’s only going to become more comfortable going for opportunities like that as he gets more experience, though.”

As for which was more important, takedown ability or ground control, Warren had this to say: “I think that both are really crucial for a wrestler to reach the highest levels of MMA. If you can control your opponent, that gives you a huge advantage and sets you up to try and finish the fight, which is what the fans want to see.”

Lance Palmer may not be a name that MMA fans are familiar with yet. But that could change in the coming years. The Lakewood, Ohio native was a four-time all-American wrestler at Ohio State and was consistently one of the top 149 pounders in the nation. He has been training to transition to MMA and will be fighting out of Sacramento with Team Alpha Male.

So, what was his take on the differences in wrestling styles and scoring systems? “I’ve competed in freestyle wrestling tournaments while in both high school and college,” said Palmer. “Without question I prefer wrestling under collegiate rules. For one thing, I like the scoring structure better. In freestyle, a wrestler can completely dominate the first period, scoring a lot more points than his opponent. But if the other wrestler barely outscores him just 1-0 in the next period, the match is then a tie. I feel like the collegiate scoring system rewards hard work more. I just felt like there were elements of freestyle wrestling that went against what I had trained for since I was a kid.”

There are several schools of thought within the wrestling community as to which style is best for transitioning to MMA, but Palmer sees folkstyle as offering a real advantage. “Personally, I definitely think the emphasis on controlling opponents pays off when you start training MMA.”

An encyclopedia definition sums up the amateur wrestling scoring system differences this way:

“In freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling, points are awarded mostly on the basis of explosive action and risk. In collegiate wrestling, points are awarded mostly on the basis of control.”

This is a perfect way to describe the differences in scoring emphasis.

So, do international freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestlers lack the ability to control? No. Do collegiate folkstyle wrestlers lack the ability to act explosively? No. But, it can be argued that the heavier emphasis on controlling one’s opponent helps folkstyle wrestlers tremendously in transitioning to the fight game. Most observers would agree that it is to the advantage of fighters from a wrestling background to take and keep the fight on the mat, controlling their opponent. The wrestling rule-set that most rewards this approach is collegiate folkstyle. In fighting, the slimmest of margins can mean the difference in winning and losing. The ability to take an opponent down and maintain positional dominance gives a fighter the ability to attempt leveraged strikes and submissions while minimizing their own risk.

Freestyle and Greco-Roman scoring criteria exponentially rewards explosive moves and risks. In the cage, attempting risky maneuvers is often not the way to go. Sure, fans love to see a vicious slam. If fighters are able to secure such a move it makes sense for them to execute it. However, it is often more practical to simply secure a takedown and follow a more conservative approach. This is the kind of approach that we see emphasized more in collegiate folkstyle wrestling. Perhaps the analysis is off base. Maybe elite freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestlers really are better prepared for the rigors of MMA. But, it seems that there is ample evidence that fans and observers might want to rethink what types of wrestlers are best equipped for success in fighting.