Tag: Combat

In the nearly 4 decades of MMA, there have been some phenomenal grapplers that have competed in the sport. Everyone from Royce Gracie in UFC 1 to the world champions of today.

To pay these grapplers respect, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best BJJ fighters of all time. Listing some of the best BJJ fighters from the past and then the Best BJJ fighter from the present.

Best BJJ Fighters from the past

Some of the best BJJ fighters from the past paved the way for MMA to become the sport it is today. Here are some of the most legendary BJJ fighters from the past.

Royce Gracie 

You cannot make a best BJJ fighters list without starting it off with a legend and pioneer of MMA in Royce Gracie. Without a doubt one of the best fighters to ever step in a cage or ring.

Royce Gracie won three UFC tournaments and 11 of his 15 MMA wins were by submission. Thanks to Royce’s performance in those early UFC events the sport of MMA and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu were able to grow.

If you love MMA or BJJ, you can thank Royce Gracie for helping them become globally popular.

BJ Penn 

“The Prodigy” BJ Penn was one of the most dominant fighters ever in his prime. From becoming the first American to win a BJJ world title at black belt to winning multiple UFC titles. 

During his prime, nobody could compete with Penn. His Jiu Jitsu game was years ahead of everyone else and later developed a great striking game.

Any best BJJ fighters list must include BJ Penn.

Murilo Bustamante 

One of the best BJJ fighters ever that doesn’t get enough recognition is former UFC champion Murilo Bustamante. Murilo was one of the top middleweights in the world during his time and was the second ever UFC middleweight champion.

He was a proud representative of Jiu Jitsu and showed the power of the martial art. Today, he is a 7th degree coral belt and runs his own school and affiliation.

Renzo Gracie 

One of the favorites of the Gracie family and all time great BJJ and MMA competitor is Renzo Gracie. Renzo won two ADCC titles and out of his 14 wins in MMA, 9 were by submission.

On top of being a great fighter, Renzo has been an incredible coach. Producing some of the best fighters and coaches out of his academy in New York City.

Roger Gracie 

Roger Gracie is arguably the greatest heavyweight BJJ competitor of all time. A winner of 10 BJJ world titles and 2 ADCC titles makes it hard to argue that he is a GOAT in BJJ.

While many feel his MMA career didn’t live up to the hype, Roger still went 8-2 with 6 submission wins. A good record to hang his hat on as he was one of the best BJJ fighters ever.

Antonio “Minotauro” Nogueira 

The Pride legend Minotauro Nogueira at one time was the best heavyweight fighter on the planet. He is tied with Sakura for the most submissions in Pride history with eleven.

Those 11 subs led Nogueira to win the Pride Heavyweight Championship and Pride Interim Heavyweight Championship. Also winning the Interim UFC Heavyweight Championship with an incredibly sick guillotine win over Tim Sylva.

Nogueira is a legend and is deserving of his place in the UFC Hall of Fame.

Ronda Rousey 

Ronda Rousey was technically a Judo fighter, but had high level grappling equal to the best BJJ fighters. Of her 12 MMA wins, Rousey won 9 fights with her patented armbar.

Thanks to Ronda, women’s MMA exploded in popularity and gave opportunities to future women fighters. She was a pioneer and is a deserving hall of famer.

Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza

Recently retired Ronaldo “Jacaré” Souza was both a force in BJJ, as well as MMA. After having a hall of fame BJJ career winning multiple world titles, he transitioned successfully to MMA.

Of his 26 MMA wins, Jacaré won 14 by submission and won the Strikeforce middleweight title. Souza was a fantastic fighter that both MMA and BJJ fans enjoyed watching.

Best BJJ Fighters(present)

Now that we have given homage to the best BJJ fighters from the past, let’s move to the present. Here are some of the best BJJ fighters from the present. Below we have organized the current best BJJ fighters in the world by their weight classes.

Best BJJ Fighters(Men’s Flyweight division) 

Demetrious Johnson 

Demetrious Johnson is the greatest flyweight fighter of all time and one of the best BJJ fighters ever. Mighty Mouse dominated the UFC flyweight division for years and put on incredible grappling displays.

Most notably simultaneously suplexing and locking in an armbar on Ray Borg at UFC 216. No one will argue against Demetrious Johnson being on any best of fighter list.

Brandon Moreno

The former UFC Flyweight Champion, Brandon Moreno has proven to be the current best flyweight grappler in the UFC. Of Moreno’s 19 wins, 11 have been by submission with his last submission win being to win the flyweight title.

Brandon has evolved his Jiu Jitsu to a near elite level and at only 28, he is just reaching his prime.

Best BJJ Fighters(Men’s Bantamweight division) 

Bibiano Fernandes

Bibiano Fernandes has been one of the best representatives for Jiu Jitsu in MMA for the last few decades. A winner of 3 BJJ world championships and the current One Championship Bantamweight Champion.

Fernandes currently holds the One Championship record with 7 title defenses. At 41, he is proving that age is just a number and proving he’s one of the world’s best bantamweights.

Aljamain Sterling 

Many feel that Aljamain Sterling has the best Jiu Jitsu skills in the UFC bantamweight division. He has 8 career wins by submission, including putting Cory Sandhagen to sleep with a triangle.

Sterling is coming off of a neck injury after his DQ win against Yan. Aljamain will look to prove that he can beat Yan using his top level Jiu Jitsu ability.

Patchy Mix

Patchy Mix has shown to be an incredibly talented Jiu Jitsu fighter and currently the #2 ranked bantamweight in Bellator. Of his 15 career wins, 11 of them have been by submission.

In his last fight, Mix submitted Irish fighter James Gallagher in front of Gallagher’s fans in Dublin, Ireland. If Mix continues to evolve, he could easily become the next Bellator bantamweight champion.

Best BJJ Fighters(Men’s Featherweight division) 

Brian Ortega

The protege of Rener Gracie and currently one of the best featherweights in the world is Brian Ortega. He has been a Gracie Jiu Jitsu student since he was 13 and has represented them proudly.

Ortega has shown incredible Jiu Jitsu ability in his fights and nearly put champion Alexander Volkanovski to sleep with a guillotine. He is still on a quest to earn his first UFC title and his Jiu Jitsu skills could get him there one day.

Bryce Mitchell

Bryce Mitchell has been working his way up the UFC featherweight ranks for the last few years. Showing that he has some of the best Jiu Jitsu abilities of any fighter currently in the UFC.

In 2019, Thug Nasty pulled off just the second twister in UFC history against Matt Sayles. Mitchell is currently undefeated with 9 of his 15 wins being by submission.

Jung Chan-Sung(The Korean Zombie) 

While the Korean Zombie is more known for his many wars over the years, he is very skilled at Jiu Jitsu. We had to give him recognition for his grappling abilities being the first UFC fighter to pull off a twister. For that alone, Jung Chan-Sung gets a spot on the best BJJ fighters list.

Garry Tonon

The lion killer, Garry Tonon has been making quite a splash since transitioning to MMA. Tonon was one of the best Jiu Jitsu athletes in the world and now is proving to be a top level MMA fighter.

Garry is currently undefeated as a pro fighter with 3 of his 6 wins being by submission. His next fight is scheduled to fight for the One Featherweight Championship this year.

A.J. McKee

The current Bellator Featherweight Champion, A.J. McKee is proving that he is one of the world’s best featherweights. McKee is undefeated and during his run to the Bellator championship has shown incredible Jiu Jitsu skills.

Especially in his last bout putting the former champion Patricio Pitbull to sleep with a guillotine choke. McKee is out to prove he is the best featherweight fighter in the world and just may prove it.

Best BJJ Fighters(Lightweight division) 

Charles Oliveira 

A best BJJ fighters list cannot be complete without the reigning UFC Lightweight Champion Charles Oliveira. Do Bronx is the current record holder for most submission wins in UFC history with 15 and counting.

His Jiu Jitsu abilities helped him fight his way to a UFC title after a decade with the promotion. Oliveira proved that his title win wasn’t a fluke as he submitted Dustin Poirier with a standing guillotine choke.

Tony Ferguson

Tony Ferguson’s best days may be behind him, but for the last decade he was a force in the lightweight division. Showing off his unorthodox striking and elite grappling ability with 8 of his 25 wins being by submission.

Most notably submitting Kevin Lee with a triangle choke to become the UFC Interim Lightweight Champion at UFC 216.

Benson Henderson 

Benson Henderson is also in the twilight of his career, but was one of the best BJJ fighters of his era. Winning the UFC lightweight title using his impressive Jiu Jitsu skills that he is known for.

Henderson has also been actively competing in Jiu Jitsu for the last decade and has made appearances at the ADCC. He is currently fighting in Bellator, where he is a top 5 ranked lightweight.

Shinya Aoki

Shinya Aoki is no doubt one of the best BJJ fighters that have ever competed in a ring or cage. In his career that spans 3 decades, Aoki has had some incredible submission wins.

Everything from a mounted gogoplata and highlight reels full of other impressive submission wins. Shinya currently has 30 career submission wins and will look to add to that as he continues to fight.

Best BJJ Fighters(Welterweight division) 

In the nearly 4 decades of MMA, there have been some phenomenal grapplers that have competed in the sport. Everyone from Royce Gracie in UFC 1 to the world champions of today.

To pay these grapplers respect, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best BJJ fighters of all time. Listing some of the best BJJ fighters from the past and then the Best BJJ fighter from the present.

Best BJJ Fighters from the past

Some of the best BJJ fighters from the past paved the way for MMA to become the sport it is today. Here are some of the most legendary BJJ fighters from the past.

Royce Gracie 

You cannot make a best BJJ fighters list without starting it off with a legend and pioneer of MMA in Royce Gracie. Without a doubt one of the best fighters to ever step in a cage or ring.

Royce Gracie won three UFC tournaments and 11 of his 15 MMA wins were by submission. Thanks to Royce’s performance in those early UFC events the sport of MMA and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu were able to grow.

If you love MMA or BJJ, you can thank Royce Gracie for helping them become globally popular.

BJ Penn 

“The Prodigy” BJ Penn was one of the most dominant fighters ever in his prime. From becoming the first American to win a BJJ world title at black belt to winning multiple UFC titles. 

During his prime, nobody could compete with Penn. His Jiu Jitsu game was years ahead of everyone else and later developed a great striking game.

Any best BJJ fighters list must include BJ Penn.

Murilo Bustamante 

One of the best BJJ fighters ever that doesn’t get enough recognition is former UFC champion Murilo Bustamante. Murilo was one of the top middleweights in the world during his time and was the second ever UFC middleweight champion.

He was a proud representative of Jiu Jitsu and showed the power of the martial art. Today, he is a 7th degree coral belt and runs his own school and affiliation.

Renzo Gracie 

One of the favorites of the Gracie family and all time great BJJ and MMA competitor is Renzo Gracie. Renzo won two ADCC titles and out of his 14 wins in MMA, 9 were by submission.

On top of being a great fighter, Renzo has been an incredible coach. Producing some of the best fighters and coaches out of his academy in New York City.

Roger Gracie 

Roger Gracie is arguably the greatest heavyweight BJJ competitor of all time. A winner of 10 BJJ world titles and 2 ADCC titles makes it hard to argue that he is a GOAT in BJJ.

While many feel his MMA career didn’t live up to the hype, Roger still went 8-2 with 6 submission wins. A good record to hang his hat on as he was one of the best BJJ fighters ever.

Antonio “Minotauro” Nogueira 

The Pride legend Minotauro Nogueira at one time was the best heavyweight fighter on the planet. He is tied with Sakura for the most submissions in Pride history with eleven.

Those 11 subs led Nogueira to win the Pride Heavyweight Championship and Pride Interim Heavyweight Championship. Also winning the Interim UFC Heavyweight Championship with an incredibly sick guillotine win over Tim Sylva.

Nogueira is a legend and is deserving of his place in the UFC Hall of Fame.

Ronda Rousey 

Ronda Rousey was technically a Judo fighter, but had high level grappling equal to the best BJJ fighters. Of her 12 MMA wins, Rousey won 9 fights with her patented armbar.

Thanks to Ronda, women’s MMA exploded in popularity and gave opportunities to future women fighters. She was a pioneer and is a deserving hall of famer.

Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza

Recently retired Ronaldo “Jacaré” Souza was both a force in BJJ, as well as MMA. After having a hall of fame BJJ career winning multiple world titles, he transitioned successfully to MMA.

Of his 26 MMA wins, Jacaré won 14 by submission and won the Strikeforce middleweight title. Souza was a fantastic fighter that both MMA and BJJ fans enjoyed watching.

Best BJJ Fighters(present)

Now that we have given homage to the best BJJ fighters from the past, let’s move to the present. Here are some of the best BJJ fighters from the present. Below we have organized the current best BJJ fighters in the world by their weight classes.

Best BJJ Fighters(Men’s Flyweight division) 

Demetrious Johnson 

Demetrious Johnson is the greatest flyweight fighter of all time and one of the best BJJ fighters ever. Mighty Mouse dominated the UFC flyweight division for years and put on incredible grappling displays.

Most notably simultaneously suplexing and locking in an armbar on Ray Borg at UFC 216. No one will argue against Demetrious Johnson being on any best of fighter list.

Brandon Moreno

The former UFC Flyweight Champion, Brandon Moreno has proven to be the current best flyweight grappler in the UFC. Of Moreno’s 19 wins, 11 have been by submission with his last submission win being to win the flyweight title.

Brandon has evolved his Jiu Jitsu to a near elite level and at only 28, he is just reaching his prime.

Best BJJ Fighters(Men’s Bantamweight division) 

Bibiano Fernandes

Bibiano Fernandes has been one of the best representatives for Jiu Jitsu in MMA for the last few decades. A winner of 3 BJJ world championships and the current One Championship Bantamweight Champion.

Fernandes currently holds the One Championship record with 7 title defenses. At 41, he is proving that age is just a number and proving he’s one of the world’s best bantamweights.

Aljamain Sterling 

Many feel that Aljamain Sterling has the best Jiu Jitsu skills in the UFC bantamweight division. He has 8 career wins by submission, including putting Cory Sandhagen to sleep with a triangle.

Sterling is coming off of a neck injury after his DQ win against Yan. Aljamain will look to prove that he can beat Yan using his top level Jiu Jitsu ability.

Patchy Mix

Patchy Mix has shown to be an incredibly talented Jiu Jitsu fighter and currently the #2 ranked bantamweight in Bellator. Of his 15 career wins, 11 of them have been by submission.

In his last fight, Mix submitted Irish fighter James Gallagher in front of Gallagher’s fans in Dublin, Ireland. If Mix continues to evolve, he could easily become the next Bellator bantamweight champion.

Best BJJ Fighters(Men’s Featherweight division) 

Brian Ortega

The protege of Rener Gracie and currently one of the best featherweights in the world is Brian Ortega. He has been a Gracie Jiu Jitsu student since he was 13 and has represented them proudly.

Ortega has shown incredible Jiu Jitsu ability in his fights and nearly put champion Alexander Volkanovski to sleep with a guillotine. He is still on a quest to earn his first UFC title and his Jiu Jitsu skills could get him there one day.

 Bryce Mitchell

Bryce Mitchell has been working his way up the UFC featherweight ranks for the last few years. Showing that he has some of the best Jiu Jitsu ability of any fighter currently in the UFC.

In 2019, Thug Nasty pulled off just the second twister in UFC history against Matt Sayles. Mitchell is currently undefeated with 9 of his 15 wins being by submission.

Jung Chan-Sung(The Korean Zombie) 

While the Korean Zombie is more known for his many wars over the years, he is very skilled at Jiu Jitsu. We had to give him recognition for his grappling abilities being the first UFC fighter to pull off a twister. For that alone, Jung Chan-Sung gets a spot on the best BJJ fighters list.

Garry Tonon

The lion killer, Garry Tonon has been making quite a splash since transitioning to MMA. Tonon was one of the best Jiu Jitsu athletes in the world and now is proving to be a top level MMA fighter.

Garry is currently undefeated as a pro fighter with 3 of his 6 wins being by submission. His next fight is scheduled to fight for the One Featherweight Championship this year.

A.J. McKee

The current Bellator Featherweight Champion, A.J. McKee is proving that he is one of the world’s best featherweights. McKee is undefeated and during his run to the Bellator championship has shown incredible Jiu Jitsu skills.

Especially in his last bout putting the former champion Patricio Pitbull to sleep with a guillotine choke. McKee is out to prove he is the best featherweight fighter in the world and just may prove it.

Best BJJ Fighters(Lightweight division) 

Charles Oliveira 

A best BJJ fighters list cannot be complete without the reigning UFC Lightweight Champion Charles Oliveira. Do Bronx is the current record holder for most submission wins in UFC history with 15 and counting.

His Jiu Jitsu abilities helped him fight his way to a UFC title after a decade with the promotion. Oliveira proved that his title win wasn’t a fluke as he submitted Dustin Poirier with a standing guillotine choke.

Tony Ferguson

Tony Ferguson’s best days may be behind him, but for the last decade he was a force in the lightweight division. Showing off his unorthodox striking and elite grappling ability with 8 of his 25 wins being by submission.

Most notably submitting Kevin Lee with a triangle choke to become the UFC Interim Lightweight Champion at UFC 216.

Benson Henderson 

Benson Henderson is also in the twilight of his career, but was one of the best BJJ fighters of his era. Winning the UFC lightweight title using his impressive Jiu Jitsu skills that he is known for.

Henderson has also been actively competing in Jiu Jitsu for the last decade and has made appearances at the ADCC. He is currently fighting in Bellator, where he is a top 5 ranked lightweight.

Shinya Aoki

Shinya Aoki is no doubt one of the best BJJ fighters that have ever competed in a ring or cage. In his career that spans 3 decades, Aoki has had some incredible submission wins.

Everything from a mounted gogoplata and highlight reels full of other impressive submission wins. Shinya currently has 30 career submission wins and will look to add to that as he continues to fight.

Best BJJ Fighters(Welterweight division) 

Demian Maia  

Demian Maia has long been considered to have the best Jiu Jitsu game in MMA since his UFC debut. Maybe even one of the best all time best BJJ fighters.

His Jiu Jitsu is so good that Anderson Silva refused to go on the ground against him in their title fight. Maia has announced that he is retiring soon and we will always regard him as a highly respected fighter.

Gilbert Burns

Gilbert Burns has proven to be one of the best welterweight fighters on the planet. Burns has won 3 world championships in Jiu Jitsu to go along with being one of the world’s best fighters.

He still actively competed in Jiu Jitsu in between MMA fights to stay active. Gilbert is currently on a quest to win the welterweight championship and prove he’s the best fighter in the world.

Best BJJ Fighters(Middleweight division) 

Gerard Mousasi 

Gegard Mousasi is the current Bellator Middleweight Champion and has proven to be the best middleweight grappler in the world. Using his elite grappling ability to set up his vicious ground and pound.

Mousasi has a very precise ground game and is always in the right place at the right time.

John Salter

John Salter may be more known for his funny Instagram videos, but he is a top middleweight in Bellator. Of his 18 career MMA wins, 10 have been by submission.

His Jiu Jitsu game led him to fight Gegard Mousasi for the Bellator Middleweight Championship just last year. At 36, Salter will try to make one more run at Bellator gold.

Best BJJ Fighters(Light Heavyweight division) 

Glover Teixeira 

Glover Teixeira has proved that age is just a number and that he is the best light heavyweight fighter in the world. While Glover has been more known as a striker during this year, he has recently been displaying his ground game.

During his current 6 fight win streak, 4 of the wins have been by submission. Including submitting Jan Blachowicz to become the oldest UFC Light Heavyweight Champion at 42.

Teixeira is proving age is just a number and is looking better than he ever has

Paul Craig

One of the up and comers in the UFC light heavyweight division is Scottish fighter Paul Craig. The Bear Jew may have the best Jiu Jitsu within the division with 12 of his 15 wins being by submission.

Craig is also a top level No-Gi Jiu Jitsu competitor. He makes frequent appearances for the Europe based Jiu Jitsu promotion Polaris.

Best BJJ Fighters(Heavyweight division) 

Fabrício Werdum 

Fabricio Werdum has long been considered to have the best Jiu Jitsu game in the heavyweight division. Having beaten the world’s best heavyweights, which includes beating Fedor Emilianenko with a triangle choke. 

Werdum is in his forties, but is still out there showing he is one of the best BJJ fighters in the world.

Ciryl Gane

Ciryl Gane is more known for his high level striking abilities, but has developed quite an impressive Jiu Jitsu game. In just a few years of MMA training, Gane has become quite skilled on the ground.

The first two wins in his current UFC run were submission wins. He also nearly submitted Francis Ngannou with a heel hook.

Best BJJ Fighters(Women’s Strawweight division) 

Michelle Nicolini

Michelle Nicolini is arguably the greatest female Jiu Jitsu athlete that has ever lived. A winner of over 10 BJJ world championships and 2 ADCC titles.

She transitioned to MMA a few years ago and currently has a 6-3 record with 5 submission wins. Her MMA career pales in comparison to her Jiu Jitsu career, but that is a bar that is hard to live up to.

Rose Namajunas

The current UFC Strawweight Champion Rose Namajunas is more known for her striking ability, but does have a solid ground game. If you’ve seen highlights of Rose, you have seen her pull of high level submissions like a flying armbar.

Also being the only 2x UFC Strawweight champion with 5 submission wins, she has to go on the list.

Best BJJ Fighters(Women’s Flyweight division) 

Valentina Schevchenko

Arguably the best female MMA fighter in the world Valentina Schevchenko is more known for her deadly striking. But she has an underrated ground game and has been working with Draculino Magalhaes at Gracie Barra Texas for years.

Valentina made statement wins in her last two matches out grappling two fighters that were known ground fighters. Including Jessica Andrade, who is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Taking her down and finishing her with vicious strikes.

Best BJJ Fighters(Women’s Bantamweight Division) 

Julianna Pene

Julianna Pene recently just shocked the world by beating the GOAT of female MMA in Amanda Nunes. The Venezuelan Vixen was able to out grapple the champion and submit Nunes in the second round.

Of Pene’s 11 wins, she has won 5 by submission and will look to add to that and defend her title. 

Demian Maia has long been considered to have the best Jiu Jitsu game in MMA since his UFC debut. Maybe even one of the best all time best BJJ fighters.

His Jiu Jitsu is so good that Anderson Silva refused to go on the ground against him in their title fight. Maia has announced that he is retiring soon and we will always regard him as a highly respected fighter.

Gilbert Burns

Gilbert Burns has proven to be one of the best welterweight fighters on the planet. Burns has won 3 world championships in Jiu Jitsu to go along with being one of the world’s best fighters.

He still actively competed in Jiu Jitsu in between MMA fights to stay active. Gilbert is currently on a quest to win the welterweight championship and prove he’s the best fighter in the world.

Best BJJ Fighters(Middleweight division) 

Gerard Mousasi 

Gegard Mousasi is the current Bellator Middleweight Champion and has proven to be the best middleweight grappler in the world. Using his elite grappling ability to set up his vicious ground and pound.

Mousasi has a very precise ground game and is always in the right place at the right time.

John Salter

John Salter may be more known for his funny Instagram videos, but he is a top middleweight in Bellator. Of his 18 career MMA wins, 10 have been by submission.

His Jiu Jitsu game led him to fight Gegard Mousasi for the Bellator Middleweight Championship just last year. At 36, Salter will try to make one more run at Bellator gold.

Best BJJ Fighters(Light Heavyweight division) 

Glover Teixeira 

Glover Teixeira has proved that age is just a number and that he is the best light heavyweight fighter in the world. While Glover has been more known as a striker during this year, he has recently been displaying his ground game.

During his current 6 fight win streak, 4 of the wins have been by submission. Including submitting Jan Blachowicz to become the oldest UFC Light Heavyweight Champion at 42.

Teixeira is proving age is just a number and is looking better than he ever has

Paul Craig

One of the up and comers in the UFC light heavyweight division is Scottish fighter Paul Craig. The Bear Jew may have the best Jiu Jitsu within the division with 12 of his 15 wins being by submission.

Craig is also a top level No-Gi Jiu Jitsu competitor. He makes frequent appearances for the Europe based Jiu Jitsu promotion Polaris.

Best BJJ Fighters(Heavyweight division) 

Fabrício Werdum 

Fabricio Werdum has long been considered to have the best Jiu Jitsu game in the heavyweight division. Having beaten the world’s best heavyweights, which includes beating Fedor Emilianenko with a triangle choke. 

Werdum is in his forties, but is still out there showing he is one of the best BJJ fighters in the world.

Ciryl Gane

Ciryl Gane is more known for his high level striking abilities, but has developed quite an impressive Jiu Jitsu game. In just a few years of MMA training, Gane has become quite skilled on the ground.

The first two wins in his current UFC run were submission wins. He also nearly submitted Francis Ngannou with a heel hook.

Best BJJ Fighters(Women’s Strawweight division) 

Michelle Nicolini

Michelle Nicolini is arguably the greatest female Jiu Jitsu athlete that has ever lived. A winner of over 10 BJJ world championships and 2 ADCC titles.

She transitioned to MMA a few years ago and currently has a 6-3 record with 5 submission wins. Her MMA career pales in comparison to her Jiu Jitsu career, but that is a bar that is hard to live up to.

Rose Namajunas

The current UFC Strawweight Champion Rose Namajunas is more known for her striking ability, but does have a solid ground game. If you’ve seen highlights of Rose, you have seen her pull of high level submissions like a flying armbar.

Also being the only 2x UFC Strawweight champion with 5 submission wins, she has to go on the list.

Best BJJ Fighters(Women’s Flyweight division) 

Valentina Schevchenko

Arguably the best female MMA fighter in the world Valentina Schevchenko is more known for her deadly striking. But she has an underrated ground game and has been working with Draculino Magalhaes at Gracie Barra Texas for years.

Valentina made statement wins in her last two matches out grappling two fighters that were known ground fighters. Including Jessica Andrade, who is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Taking her down and finishing her with vicious strikes.

Best BJJ Fighters(Women’s Bantamweight Division) 

Julianna Pene

Julianna Pene recently just shocked the world by beating the GOAT of female MMA in Amanda Nunes. The Venezuelan Vixen was able to out grapple the champion and submit Nunes in the second round.

Of Pene’s 11 wins, she has won 5 by submission and will look to add to that and defend her title. 

Bo Nickall is one of the most decorated wrestlers of his generation accomplishing nearly everything possible within the sport. Now he has his eyes set on dominating in BJJ and MMA.

Here is a rundown of Bo Nickal and his journey from wrestling champion to competing in the cage. We’ll detail Bo Nickal’s run winning multiple collegiate wrestling titles to his transition to BJJ and MMA.

Bo Nickal’s start in wrestling

Bo Nickal was born in Rifle, Colorado, but moved to Wyoming when he was very young. He first started wrestling when he was just 5 years old.

Nickal lived in Wyoming for 6 years years until his family moved to Rio Rancho, New Mexico. During his time in New Mexico, Bo continued to improve his wrestling ability.

When he was in eight grade, he would make the high school wrestling team, which is unheard of. In that year, Nickal would place 2nd at the New Mexico state championship against wrestlers 5 years older than him.

After placing second at state, Nickal’s family would once again move to another state. This time to Allen, Texas, where Bo would start his freshman year.

During his freshman years, Bo would place second in the Texas state wrestling championship. Then from the time Nickal was a sophomore he would win the state title three years in a row.

Winning 3 UIL state wrestling titles and placing fifth in the Cadet World Championship during his junior year.

Bo Nickal would end his high school wrestling career with a record of 183-7 with 131 pins. He was also ranked the 9th best wrestler in the country.

Bo Nickal dominates collegiate wrestling

After Nickal graduated from high school, he would then commit to wrestle at Pennsylvania State University. Bo would choose to redshirt as a freshman, which means he delayed his freshman year to extend his eligibility.

During the 2014-2015 season, Bo Nickal would wrestle unattached to any university. He would compile a record of 15-2 in open tournaments and would still practice with the Penn State wrestling team.

Bo Nickal’s Freshman Year

After redshirting for the 2014-2015 wrestling season, Nickal would join Penn State as a freshman in the 2015-2016 season. He quickly made Penn State one of the top wrestling teams in the country.

Bo would compete at 174lbs and win his first 18 matches. After getting his win streak snapped, Nickal would win 8 matches in a row and win the Big 10 Conference Championship.

Also nearly winning the national title, but placing second after being upset by rival Myles Martin.

Bo Nickal’s 1st national championship

Bo Nickal came back better than ever for his sophomore year after coming up short his freshman year. This time, he would choose to cut less weight and move up to the 184lb division.

He would only lose one time this season during the Big 10 Championship and would end up placing 3rd. But he would bounce back at the national championship tournament.

In the championship finals, he met Gabe Dean, who was going for his 3rd straight national title. Nickal was able to upset Dean by a point to win his first national title.

Bo Nickal’s 2nd national championship 

Nicklal would return for his junior as the top ranked wrestler in the country. During the regular season, Bo Nickal went undefeated.

In the postseason, Nickal would win his second Big 10 title, beating his rival Myles Martin again. He would meet Martin again in the finals of the national tournament and was able to pin him. One of the best pins of his collegiate career and winning the rivalry with Martin to win his 2nd national title.

Bo Nickal’s 3rd national championship

Bo came into his senior year looking to make history as one of the few wrestlers to win 3 national titles. This time, he would test himself by once again moving up a weight class to 197lbs.

By not cutting weight, Nickal moved incredibly well in his new weight class. To end his collegiate career, Nickal would win every major title and won the Danny Hodge award.

Bo Nickal’s road to winning a wrestling world title

After finishing his collegiate wrestling career, Bo Nickal would take his shot on the world stage. He would win the US Open wrestling tournament, which gave him a chance to qualify for the US national wrestling team.

In the finals, he would face former world champion J’den Cox. Nickal would lose two straight matches to Cox and come up short of making the team.

But by winning the US Open, Nickal had the right to a wrestle off at the US U23 World Team Trials. He would face the winner of the challenge tournament, Jakob Woodley in a wrestle off for the final spot.

Nickal would beat Woodley and secure his spot on the US national team. In the U23 World Championship, Bo would have three matches.

He won his second match by beating returning world champion Shamil Zubairov. This would set him up in the finals against Batirbek Taskulov, who had previously beaten Nickal in 2013.

Bo Nickal would get revenge and win the world title by beating Taskulov 12-2.

Bo Nickal misses the Olympics

Unfortunately in 2020, Nickal wasn’t able to compete much during that season due to Covid-19. That year’s Olympic Summer Games would be rescheduled for the next year in 2021.

Bo Nickal attempted to make the Olympic team and came into the team trials tournament as a 6th seed. He beat his former teammate and college national champion Carter Starocci in the opening round.

In the second round, Bo beat another US national champion in Pat Downey. Then in the third round, Nickal would beat Zahid Valencia to earn his spot in the finals.

He would face another teammate and former world champion in David Taylor. Nickal’s teammate would beat him to earn a spot on the Olympic team and would win a gold medal.

Bo Nickal starts coaching MMA fighters 

After winning the world wrestling title, Nickal announced that he had signed with First Round Management. A management agency for MMA fighters.

As Bo Nickal began his transition to MMA, he would be invited to join American Top Team. At ATT, Nickal would begin learning MMA and also become a wrestling coach for the MMA team.

Nickal has most notably worked with Dustin Poirier and Jorge Masvidal for their title fights.

Bo Nickal’s transition to BJJ 

In a surprise move, Bo Nicka would make his debut in professional Jiu Jitsu in 2019. Answering a challenge from ADCC and No-Gi World Champion Gordon Ryan.

Their match would take place in the main event of a Third Coast Grappling event. In the match, Nickal was very hesitant, but did well as he had never competed in a Jiu Jitsu competition before.

He defended nearly all of Ryan’s takedown attempts, but would eventually get submitted by Ryan later in the match. As of now, this has been the only Jiu Jitsu match that Nickal has participated in.

Bo Nickal’s transition to MMA 

Since 2019, Bo Nickal has been transitioning to MMA and working to build his skills at American Top Team. So far, Nickal has competed in two amateur fights and is currently 2-0 with one TKO and one submission.

Although he is still at the amateur level in MMA, Bo is still being scouted by the top MMA promotions in the world. Both the UFC and Bellator have expressed interest in signing Nickal in the future when he turns pro.

What is next for Bo Nickal? 

Bo Nickal has shown that he is a special competitor with a drive to win like no other. He dominated the world of wrestling and is now looking to make a splash in BJJ and MMA.

Don’t be surprised to see Bo Nickal’s name at the elite level of either sport in the future. He has shown that he can compete and win at the highest level of any sport he tries.

Nickal has expressed that his desire is to one day become a UFC champion. With Bo’s determination, you will likely see him in either the UFC or Bellator in the coming years.

Guest post by Evolve MMA, Asia’s premier championship brand for martial arts. It has the most number of World Champions on the planet. Named as the #1 ranked martial arts organization in Asia by CNN, Yahoo! Sports, FOX Sports, Evolve MMA is the top rated MMA gym in Singapore.

Takedowns are a huge part of wrestling. It scores points during competitions, and it can even win you a match if it’s executed perfectly. There are thousands of different takedowns used in the sport of wrestling, and it will take you a while to master them all.

Wrestling is a sport that tests your strength, endurance, intelligence, and quickness as you engage in a physical chess match with your opponent. You must use moves and countermoves as you and your opponent battle in a constant struggle for the upper hand. As a beginner, you need to master the basic moves and techniques so that you can unleash them on your opponent and defend against these moves when they are used against you.

Wrestling is one of the oldest martial arts.

These fundamental techniques have been proven to be effective at the highest levels of wrestling and other grappling competitions, and they are made up of very simple movements that are easy to learn.

The Basic Shot

Before you can perform any takedown, you first need to know how to shoot. It’s impossible to be a good wrestler without a decent shot. Learning how to shoot in properly on an opponent allows you to go underneath his defense and initiate an offensive move. There is not much to this technique. It is performed by changing your level, dropping down, stepping forward and placing your knee on the ground in between your opponent’s legs. It should all be done as one fluid motion

When executed properly, this move allows you to close the distance on your opponent and secure one or both of his legs. Once you’ve properly shot in, you have a variety of takedowns to choose from to complete your offense.

Once you know how to shoot, here are some of the fundamental takedowns you should be focused on when you start wrestling.

1) Double Leg Takedown

The double leg takedown is one of the first offensive moves taught to beginner wrestlers. The technique starts by shooting in on an opponent, as described above. Once in position, you grab the back of your opponent’s knees on both sides.

Next, you place your head next to the person’s hip, then you drive forward with your legs and head pressure while pulling your opponent’s legs into you. You also have the option of using the position to pick the opponent off the mat so you can throw him back on it. The key to mastering this technique is to perform it repeatedly. You want to be able to execute all the steps listed above in one smooth motion. Master this, and your double leg takedowns will be a nightmare for anyone you face on the mat.

2) Single Leg Takedown

The single leg takedown is another effective takedown that you will quickly run into when you first start wrestling. It’s a good move to have in your arsenal since it can be very useful when dealing with an opponent that has solid defensive wrestling or a solid base.

To perform the technique, perform a basic shot, but instead of grabbing both of the person’s legs as you would do when executing a double leg, secure only one of his legs. You typically would want to go for the person’s lead leg since it is the closest one to you. That makes it harder for your opponent to defend, as well.

You secure the leg by grabbing his foot with your inside hand and holding his ankle with the outside hand. Stand up straight once you have these two points secured, then spin and twist outwards to get your opponent to lose his balance. Many wrestlers like to keep the secured leg between their legs when executing this technique.

When done properly, a single leg takedown can be used to get your opponent on the mat and to secure a more dominant position.

3) Rear Body Lock Takedown

This move comes in handy when you have taken your opponent’s back. You can use the technique to bring him back to the mat if he tries to escape.

It is a very easy move to master. It starts with your arms locked around your opponent’s waist. You then place one of your feet behind your opponent’s corresponding foot. You want your foot to be perpendicular to your opponent’s foot. Both of your feet should look like the letter “T” when in the proper position.

Next, you place your other leg between your opponent’s legs, and you drag him down as you try to sit down. Roll through the position to regain top position as both of you hit the canvas.

The techniques listed above give you the foundation you need to take your wrestling to the next level. Make them a part of your muscle memory, and you will enjoy lots of success of the mat.

Guest post by Evolve MMA, Asia’s premier championship brand for martial arts. It has the most number of World Champions on the planet. Named as the #1 ranked martial arts organization in Asia by CNN, Yahoo! Sports, FOX Sports, Evolve MMA is the top rated martial arts gym in Singapore.

There are many benefits to training martial arts, not the least of which are physical, mental, and spiritual in nature. From the physical improvements, to the enhancement of both your mental and spiritual well-being, martial arts paves the way for people to reach their peak potential.

Martial arts has tremendous health benefits and can get you in the best shape of your life very quickly. It is one of the most effective workouts available. Many practitioners can attest to its incredible health properties and will tell you that by training martial arts, they have never felt better in their entire lives.

Achieving your fitness goals and getting your dream body takes a lot of effort. It involves absolutely no magic and it certainly isn’t easy. In this day and age, where obesity and heart disease run rampant, everyone wants to lead a healthy lifestyle.

Physical exercise, is, of course, a primary component of good health. Given that martial arts has many benefits, it is a great thing for you to try. Let’s check out the reasons why.

Today, Evolve Daily shares The Top 6 Health Benefits Of Martial Arts.

1) It Helps You Lead A Healthy Lifestyle

Those who are looking to lead healthier lifestyles should look no further. Martial arts is the perfect catalyst for getting the most out of life physically, mentally, and spiritually. It teaches you to discipline yourself when it comes to making decisions on nutrition, rest, and recovery.

Because it is such an intense physical workout, martial arts encourages you to eat clean. Improving your diet becomes second nature because your body will require more energy in general, just to perform many of martial arts’ various techniques. Secondly, martial arts improves your mental health because it teaches you how to meditate and draw upon your spiritual energy.

Through physical exercise and proper breathing, the body releases a healthy amount of endorphins, and we feel stronger, fitter, and healthier each day. In this way, martial arts benefits your life whether you want to shed some unwanted weight or reach a desired fitness goal.

2) It Gives You Supreme Self-Confidence

One of the many great benefits of martial arts training is the development of a solid sense of confidence.

Martial arts and its techniques requires a certain degree of patience and attention to detail. The many moves in various disciplines take years to master. However, once students are able to learn the techniques, there is a sense of accomplishment. This sense of accomplishment empowers us with self-esteem and confidence.

Because martial arts will push our limits as humans, a person can discover a great deal about himself during training. Of course, knowing more about ourselves makes us more confident within our own skin. Knowing that we have the ability to defend ourselves and being confident in our abilities is certainly an awesome feeling.

This acquired confidence through martial arts also permeates into our daily lives, whether it is at the office or in the classroom. Self-confidence is an incredible by-product of martial arts training.

3) Experience Weight Loss As You Get In The Best Shape Of Your Life

Due to the development of unhealthy eating habits, making poor nutritional decisions, our obsession with fat and sugar, and simply not getting enough vital nutrients, a lot of us are battling obesity. It is an epidemic that has quickly spread throughout the world over the past two decades.

Many diseases are associated with obesity, such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. This is why it is important for us, while we still can, to take action and do something about our health. While it’s not just about the number on the weighing scale, there is a direct correlation between these diseases and the size of our waistlines.

Martial arts is the most complete and effective workout of your life. One of martial arts’ most valuable benefits is allowing you to achieve supreme physical fitness, and empower you with achieving rapid weight loss. If you are looking to shed some unwanted fat, get your life back in order, and knock a few inches off your waistline, then martial arts is perfect for you.

Martial arts isn’t just for learning self-defense, it’s also great for your overall health.

4) It Improves Focus And Stillness

One of the most amazing things about martial arts is that it is not only a rigorous physical activity but also an amazing way to enhance the mind and the body. A great portion of martial arts deals with our mental health and being able to remain focused on our inner being.

In order to get the most out of martial arts, we have to pay attention to our state of mind. This is done through the study of proper breathing techniques, constant meditation, and the practice of martial arts’ various principles throughout our daily lives, namely honor, respect, courage, and perseverance, among others.

Whatever martial art we practice, developing proper technique is a must. In doing this, we actually directly enhance our focus because this synchronizes our mind and body. Because a huge part of martial arts helps us train our bodies and minds to become healthier, we are able to focus harder.

5) It Teaches Great Morals And Values

Ask any real martial artist out there, and they will tell you that the greatest lessons they have learned in life are the lessons they learned during their training. Martial arts is a gift to humankind. It teaches us so many things about life and how things work, it’s no wonder why many people turn to martial arts to give them direction and purpose.

Another amazing thing about martial arts is that it transcends what goes on inside the gym and applies to every aspect of our lives. Whether it is at the office, in the classroom, or in the safe confines of our own homes, martial arts has an enormous impact on an individual.

Yes, the physical endeavor is rigorous and demanding, but it is equally important to recognize that on our journey, we are set to learn the true essence of our discipline. By the time we are skilled enough to call ourselves real martial artists, we will have been imbued with martial arts’ true values.

It takes a special kind of determination to be a real martial artist. The strengths and positive traits we pick during our training journey stay with us throughout our lives.

6) It Improves Your Athleticism

Last but certainly not least, martial arts turns us into supreme athletes. Have you ever wanted to jump higher, run faster, lift heavier, or just become stronger in general? Well, martial arts develops our bodies and brings out our physical potential like no other workout in the world. Because we train our entire body, practicing techniques and mastering the motion, our athleticism is greatly improved.

If you are cross-training in other sports like football, or basketball, or even tennis, the physical enhancement you gain from training in martial arts will prove to be beneficial to your life as an athlete. Many famous sports stars across the world cross-train in martial arts, and for very good reason. It is one of the best ways to engage in tremendous physical exercise.

By training in martial arts, we become athletes in every sense of the word.

Give Martial Arts A Try

Learn to love your body. Treat it well and with the utmost respect and it will reward you with a boundless reservoir of energy, immense wells of strength, and waves of mental fortitude. There are many health benefits to training martial arts, but these are six that are sitting right at the top which can expect to achieve throughout your martial arts journey. So, are you ready to start your martial arts journey and reap these benefits?