If you were an MMA fighter would you rather be a great striker or a great grappler?

[Takes_Two_To_Tango]

Grappler for the simple reason it will help to make my striking great too..

As a Martial artist myself , who has a base in Jiu-jitsu and now has also trained Muay thai ..i feel like because i have a good base in grappling in a mixed combat situation i can throw much more strikes with variety because i feel like if someone does choose to engage with me in grappling to get away from my strikes they would just be going into my actual base or strength as a Martial artist...so its kinda like a trap or two prong attack ..atleast this is my feeling till i actually compete in MMA

That said you could potentially do the same with being a striker first...I mean look at Izzy and Chuck Liddell...they both became quite effective anti grapplers while keeping there striking...

Well said man.

 

[Vanzanto]

To succeed at a high level in this sport, it has become increasingly essential to have some grappling talent. Fighters who do little in grappling will be found out eventually.

 

[aogiri]

Striker. Feinting elite level opponents. Downloading all their data. Using that data to puppeteer them into doing what I want on the feet till they're so confused and desperate they lunge at me desperately with flailing arms and get slumped

 

[Cindynice420]

But everyone makes fun of grapplers
And calls them ball sniffers

 

[Brolypr]

Even though I prefer grappling. Strikers get more hype, are more fogiven with defeat and make more money

 

[ragreynolds]

If your goal is to win, then great grappler is the better choice. Great strikers with subpar grappling lose most of the time to great grapplers with subpar striking.

But if you're after popularity and you want to be a fan favourite, likely making more money, then great striking is far more viewer friendly.

 

[J-Pac]

If you're a great striker and exciting, you probably get more favourable matchups from uncle dana to sell arenas.

That said, great grapplers usually win the actual fighting, even on the feet, because the threat of grappling opens things up a ton. We all thought Woodley was a really good striker until we saw him box without the threat of a takedown and realized he was a robot with a haymaker. The takedown threat instantly makes every great grappler a much better striker, so thats the right answer for mma.

 

[I WILL CUT YOU]

I already grapple, judo and bjj, so I chose grappling.


My boxing dad is rolling over in his pine box.

 

[DatSamboKid]

Grappler.

The question doesn’t say that you automatically suck at the other. With good grappling you dictate where the fight takes place.

 

[JustBleed69]

If you understand MMA and it's history then the clear answer is Grappler.

Both are obviously important though.

 

[AleYeah]

Striker for the satisfaction of roaching a fool.

 

[BigOlJeet]

I feel that great grapplers beat great strikers most of the time
E.g. khabib Conor
Jones Gane even though jones is a striker too

Being a great striker will probably win you more fans and ppv buys etc

Also, being known for great grappling can give you an advantage due to opponents fearing your takedowns

Conor is not a great striker, but Khabib is a great grappler.

 

[Franklin U.]

A great striker with a great chin.
* but never need to show how great my chin is -only when needed.

 

[orca]

i believe grappling is harder.strikers who learn to grapple would know how hard it is to even grapple for 2 minutes without gassing

 

[thorcorm]

Great human and great father.

But also a guy that doesn't tap to strikes. Because I'd rather die.

 

[Greg House]

A Great Striker

Great Strikers get crotch sniffed when they lose

Great wrestlers get brutally KO’d when they lose

Yes, this is how I see things too.

It's great to say I want to be Khabib so I can never get cut and beat everyone, but the reality is that the worst beatings I've ever seen in MMA are usually great grapplers that are unable to get great strikers to the ground. They look helpless to the point that you feel sad. Think about Vinny Maglhares against Emilaino Sordi, the referee just took pity of him there.

And even when they win, it just feels like a win on paper sometimes. Stoliarenko in the TUF taking a beating until she found an armbar against that black girl, Leah Letson outwrestling that swedish girl in the TUF and then looking like an extra from a zombie movie or Big Nog getting his ass whooped by Mirko until finally catching him.

Control is nice, it gives you points. And submissions are nice, they give you wins. But these "winners" usually need to go to the hospital while these "losers" go straight to the hotel...

 

[ferrisjso]

Fighters can go much further in MMA as a wrestling specialist than any other kind of specialist.

 

[Westbrick]

It's easier for an elite grappler to become a good striker than the opposite in MMA.

 

[Lawrence]

(And be above average in the rest of your skill set.)

So would you rather be a great striker like Anderson Silva or a great grappler like Khabib?

Since the fight starts standing, I'd love to be like Anderson Silva. But being like Khabib would be more effective in the long run I believe.

The greatest grappler and the greatest striker met up once upon a time.

All I can say is that I still want my money back.