Tag: Editorial

Royce Gracie is the man who put Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) on the map and started MMA’s push into mainstream consciousness. He didn’t develop the grappling art. That credit mostly goes to his father Helio Gracie and his uncle Carlos Gracie. However, Royce was the one who proved the effectiveness of BJJ during the inaugural Ultimate Fighting Championship tournaments, dominating bigger, stronger opponents with a new martial art most people had not seen before at the time. 

Many people who saw Gracie’s performances at the first five UFC tournaments were inspired by them. He won the first two UFC events, then pulled out from the finals of the third tournament due to an injury. He went on to win the fourth tournament and fought to a draw against his rival Ken Shamrock at the fifth tourney. 

The Legend Of Royce Gracie

Born on December 12, 1966, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, BJJ has always been a part of Royce Gracie’s life. The son of the founder of what is now known as Gracie Jiu-Jitsu or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, his BJJ training started while he was a toddler. 

It was the normal thing to do being a part of the Gracie family. His brothers Royler, Rickson, Relson, and Rorion are all decorated BJJ fighters as well.  

Royce entered his first BJJ competition at the age of eight, and he was skilled enough to train students by the time he was fourteen. He received a blue belt at the age of 16, and he was awarded his black belt a few months before his 18th birthday. Royce decided to move to the U.S. to help his brother Rorion’s BJJ academy there. There was no way to predict what this decision to relocate would lead to. 

Glory Days: A Natural Fighter

Rorion, along with Art Davie and John Milius, went on to create a no-holds-barred tournament that would feature the best fighters from different martial arts. The goal was to determine which combat style was most effective. It was modeled after the Vale Tudo fights that brought many Gracie members like his father fame in Brazil.

They called it the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Royce already had some Vale Tudo experience from back home in Brazil, and he was selected to represent the family. That turned out to be an incredibly intelligent decision as Royce made it look easy as he methodically took opponents down, peppered them with strikes, and forced them to submit. Those who were too arrogant to tap went to sleep or suffered broken limbs. 

That first UFC tournament was Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu’s introduction to the mainstream. Everyone was talking about it. People couldn’t believe how easily some skinny guy was defeating guys who looked to be twice his size at times. 

BJJ schools started popping up all over the world, as the demand to learn this new martial art that seemed to be superior to all the others grew. 

Royce went on to win the second UFC tournament, reasserting BJJ’s dominance over all other martial arts. He probably would have won the third event, but he ended up withdrawing from the finals due to an injury. He came back with a vengeance for the fourth UFC tourney and left with the title once again. 

The fifth UFC tournament was the first step towards what is now known as mixed martial arts. Time limits were introduced, and a new rule allowed the referee to stand up both fighters if they were stalled on the ground. Ken Shamrock ended up using those rules to his advantage, lasting the entire 36-minute duration of the bout. The fight was ruled a draw. 

Royce left the UFC shortly after. 

He accepted a big-name challenge against one of his uncle Carlson Gracie’s students, Wallid Ismail, to settle a dispute about which Gracie school was stronger. Ismail was one of Carlson’s top students, while Royce was his father’s top disciple. At the time, Ismail had already racked up wins against other members of the family like Ralph and Renzo. 

Special rules were made for the match between Royce and Ismail, but things didn’t go as planned for the former. Royce ended up getting submitted with a clock choke early in their match. It was Gracie’s first loss on the big stage, but it didn’t stop the feud between the two. A rematch has never been finalized. 

Return To MMA

Disappointed with his results in his return to BJJ competition, Royce decided to go back to mixed martial arts. He signed up with the top MMA promotion in Japan, PRIDE Fighting Championships. He was scheduled to fight UFC champion Mark Kerr in his debut, but he ended up pulling out due to a back injury. 

Royce eventually made his PRIDE debut in 2000, defeating Nobuhiko Takada via unanimous decision. His next fight was against one of the most decorated Japanese fighters at the time, Kazushi Sakuraba. Sakuraba gave Gracie a good scare early in their match, almost catching Royce with a kneebar at the end of the first round. 

The fight between the two lasted over an hour and momentum started to shift towards Sakuraba as the fight progressed. He intelligently used Gracie’s gi against him and seemed to be the better-conditioned fighter. Royce’s team threw in the towel about 90 minutes into the contest as Royce could no longer stand due to a broken femur. 

It was Royce Gracie’s first loss in mixed martial arts. 

Royce went on to fight a few more times in PRIDE and K1 Dynamite, amassing a record of one win and two draws. He returned to the UFC for a catchweight fight against former champion Matt Hughes, but he ended up getting knocked out, suffering his second loss in MMA. 

Gracie managed to turn things around during his next fight, avenging his loss to Sakuraba at Dynamite USA in 2007. Royce won the fight via unanimous decision. He tested positive for anabolic steroids after the fight, but the results of the contest were never overturned. 

Royce returned to MMA after a 9-year break in 2016, defeating his arch-rival Ken Shamrock via knockout. 

An Irreplaceable Legend

Royce Gracie is the father of modern MMA, and he’s the reason BJJ is added to the training programs for law enforcement and military personnel all over the globe. 

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 BJJ gym in Singapore.

Rickson Gracie is widely regarded as the greatest Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) practitioner of all time. The 9th-degree red belt (the highest level attainable) is simply the epitome of the word icon. But why? What stands the son of Grand Master Helio Gracie in such good stead?

Sure, Rickson earned his black belt at just 18 years of age and changed the face of BJJ forever. He has an undefeated MMA record, and his life was largely dedicated to martial arts. Pretty much everything the great man touched turned to gold, and he was nothing short of a tactical genius when it comes to his submissions.

The art he refined throughout his long and exciting career has bestowed something of a legend on Rickson Gracie. Today, we will take a closer look behind the mystical master of BJJ.

Early Life

Rickson Gracie was born on November 20, 1958, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The third oldest of nine sons by the legendary Helio Gracie, Rickson was quickly ushered into Gracie Jiu-Jitsu training from a very young age. There was never any doubt that he would walk in the footsteps of the famous elders of the Gracie clan.

This famous fighting family were the pioneers behind BJJ, also known as Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, so this was the legacy Rickson was to inherit and defend throughout his life. He showed great promise from an early age, and this wasn’t lost on his father, who helped mold the young fighter into the family’s next representative.

As mentioned earlier, Rickson gained his black belt at 18 years old. He had developed a wealth of experience from years of training with his famous father and many siblings, going on to fight locally in various competitions and seeing off many challenges from the Luta Livre clan alongside an array of foreign competitors.

Early Career

Rickson had his first official success against Brazilian Vale Tudo legend Casemiro Nascimento Martins, aka “Zulu King”. Rickson was only 18 years old, and he was over 20 pounds lighter than his highly respected opponent. Nonetheless, the young Gracie managed to lock in a rear-naked choke and take the win which garnered National acclamation.

Martins would challenge Rickson to a rematch four years later at the 40,000 seater Maracanãzinho venue. The fight had stirred so much interest that the venue was nearly full to capacity with spectators getting the opportunity to watch Rickson come out on top once again via his sublime rear neck choke.

The two bouts with ”Zulu King” were far from the only occasions Rickson would face off against a Vale Tudo figurehead. He famously had a run-in with the specialist Hugo Duarte, the Luta Livre star who had insulted the Gracie family. Rickson forced him to fight on the beach where he grounded and pounded his opponent with slamming shots that overwhelmed Duarte.

The frustrated Duarte cried foul and said somebody had sand kicked into his eyes, demanding a rematch which Rickson accepted. When Duarte was beaten for a second time, it actually sparked a local riot – a strong reflection of the animosity the BJJ and Luta Livre camps held towards each other.

The vendetta between the two factions continued for years as both clans vied for the top spot in the local fighting scene.

Pride And Colosseum

In 1994, Rickson left the feuding behind him as he was invited to participate in an eight-man tournament called Vale Tudo Japan. This proved to be a great way of promoting the Gracie brand of Jiu-Jitsu as he defeated all of the opponents in one night and made a massive impact on Japanese fight fans. Rickson would take the tournament again the following year, beating respected fighters such as pro wrestler Koichiro Kimura and shoot wrestler Yuki Nakai.

Yuki Nakai was the smallest man in the competition, and he had previously sustained an injury to his right eye whilst fighting the Dutchman Gerard Gordeau. Rather than targeting the right eye of his opponent, Rickson used his technical expertise to catch and submit Nakai something which was a great testament to his character.

Rickson knew he could have ended the fight quickly, but he was intelligent enough to gauge the situation and realize he would gain more respect by showcasing his technical superiority rather than attacking his opponent’s blatant weak spot. This type of mentality is what set Rickson apart from others as he was always looking to promote his fighting style in the best light possible.

Japanese fighters and pundits were left surprised at Rickson’s supremacy in the ring and challenges came in from across the board, one outspoken challenger was the pro wrestler and shoot fighter Nobuhiko Takada.

Exporting BJJ

Rickson had moved to the USA by this stage as he was intent on bringing Gracie Jiu-Jitsu worldwide. One day, there was a knock on Rickson’s gym door, and it was none other than the agitated Nobuhiko Takada. Rickson had previously ignored the fighter’s challenges in Japan and now the wrestler had brought the challenge to Rickson’s doorstep alongside a small film crew.

In line with ”The Gracie Challenge,” Rickson invited the unannounced Takada into his gym where he is said to have beat down his opponent. The film crew was not allowed to record the one-sided affair – and although it was captured by one of Gracie’s students – the tape was never released for public viewing. There is a photo available which was taken immediately after the fight which shows a bloodied and deflated looking Takada.

In 1997, Rickson went on to fight Takada at the Pride 1 competition in front of 47,800 spectators at the Tokyo Dome. Gracie made easy work of his Japanese counterpart and ended the fight with a mean-looking armbar. They met again in Pride 4 with the Japanese wrestler again being outmaneuvered and succumbing to an armbar.

Rickson had gained a huge following in Japan and on May 26th of 2000, many of those fans were tuning in to watch him take on the famous wrestler and mixed martial artist Masaharu Funaki.

Gracie and Funaki were well matched, and at one stage in the fight Masakatsu appeared to have gotten the better of Rickson with a guillotine choke, but Gracie was able to shake it off and take Fanuki to the mat. Rickson eventually smashed the shocked looking Funaki to pieces before he executed a rear-naked choke to defeat the Japanese star.

Tragedy and Retirement

Rickson had beaten many of the top fighters of his time. So, when he declared his interest in fighting world champion Judoka Ogawa Naoya, there was huge interest. Unfortunately, this fight would never reach Colosseum as tragedy struck when Rickson’s son Rockson was found dead from a drug overdose in January 2001.

The death devastated Rickson, and he stopped training for almost three years. He has spoken openly about the impact the tragic loss had on his career and that of his family, but ultimately it led to his retirement from fighting. In the years that followed, Rickson traveled and held BJJ seminars. He remains involved with the family legacy albeit from the side-lines, and his career record remains unblemished by defeat with 11 wins and 0 losses.

Rickson was like an anaconda, squeezing the consciousness out of his opponents whilst solidifying his reputation as one of the greats. His career has inspired many young fighters, and he has contributed so much to martial arts as a whole, not just BJJ.

Rickson Gracie is a living legend.

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 BJJ gym in Singapore.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is one of the world’s fastest-growing martial arts. Students of all ages and from all walks of life practice the art for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, fitness, camaraderie, stress relief, and fun. And while it has only recently come into the public consciousness due to the popularity of mixed martial arts competitions such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship and ONE Championship, its origins can be traced back several centuries.

BJJ’s Japanese Roots

The Samurai Years

The BJJ story begins in Japan, where an early form of Jiu-Jitsu (also called Ju-Jitsu) was developed for use on the field of battle by Japanese samurai. These warriors, who engaged in armed battles on horseback, developed Jiu-Jitsu as the last line of defense in the event that they found themselves disarmed and afoot. However, the heavy armor worn by the samurai restricted their mobility, making chokes, joint locks, and throws preferable to striking techniques. Over time, Japanese Jiu-Jitsu branched off into a number of different styles, with the focus gradually shifting from armed combat to general self-defense. And while each style differed in certain aspects, the focus on throws, strangles, and joint locks remained a constant theme. One man’s style, however, with its emphasis on maximum efficiency and minimal effort, would eventually rise above the rest.

Jigoro Kano And The Development Of Judo

In 1882, Jigoro Kano, a student of traditional Japanese Jiu-Jitsu, founded a martial arts school that would come to be known as the Kodokan. At the Kodokan, Kano instructed students on what he felt were the most effective techniques of Japanese Jiu-Jitsu. A unique aspect of Kano’s art, which would eventually come to be known as Judo, was its emphasis on live sparring, also known as randori. Through randori, Kano’s students practiced throws, takedowns, joint locks, and chokes against resisting opponents. Judo’s implementation of randori represented a major departure from the prevailing training philosophy of the time, which favored compliance-based drilling over full-contact sparring.

Approximately 30 years after Judo’s founding, a journey to Brazil by one of Kano’s students would set in motion a chain of events that would eventually lead to the creation of the world’s most effective ground fighting art.

Mitsuo Maeda And The Gracie Family

Mitsuo Maeda began training at the Kodokan in 1894, eventually becoming one of Kano’s top students. While well-versed in throws and takedowns, Maeda’s specialty was ground fighting, also known as newaza. In 1914, Maeda traveled to Brazil, where he befriended a businessman named Gastão Gracie. Maeda would eventually accept Gastão’s son, a teenager name Carlos Gracie, as his student. Carlos studied Maeda’s newaza-based style of judo for several years, eventually sharing his knowledge with his younger brothers. One of his brothers, Hélio, had difficulty executing judo’s techniques due to his diminutive size and lack of strength. Consequently, he began to make adjustments to the judo techniques he had learned, refining them until they could be applied by anyone, regardless of size or strength. It was from these innovations that BJJ was born.

Over the years, the Gracie family tested and refined the art of BJJ through participation in challenge matches—contests with few rules that pitted the Gracies and their students against practitioners of other martial arts. The Gracies rarely lost.

The art of BJJ continued to evolve over the years, eventually incorporating aspects of wrestling and other grappling arts into the curriculum. However, BJJ would remain relatively unknown outside of Brazil until Hélio’s son, Rorion, immigrated to the United States to spread the art of BJJ—a move that would forever change the way the world viewed the art of fighting.

Royce Gracie And The Ultimate Fighting Championship

Rorion Gracie arrived in the United States in the late 1970s. Anxious to expose the public to his family’s art, and drawing inspiration from the challenge matches that had been taking place in Brazil since BJJ’s founding, Rorion and a business partner began to lay the groundwork for a martial arts tournament intended to demonstrate the effectiveness of BJJ. This contest, which they named the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), had few rules and pitted martial artists of various disciplines against one another in a one-night, single-elimination tournament. Confident in his family’s art, Rorion believed that the UFC would provide the ultimate showcase for BJJ.

The first UFC (UFC 1) took place in 1993, and Rorian appointed his younger brother, Royce, as BJJ’s representative in the tournament. Rorian believed that Royce, with his slender build and unassuming appearance, was the ideal person to introduce BJJ’s effectiveness to the world. As the tournament got underway, Royce, the event’s smallest participant, dominated opponent after opponent, shocking spectators who expected the little Brazilian in the white gi to be easily defeated. For many, Royce’s victory was a revelation, it really was possible to defeat bigger, stronger opponents with the proper use of technique and leverage. Royce would go on to win the next several UFC events, and martial artists all over the world would begin to seek out instruction in the art of BJJ. After several centuries of development, the BJJ revolution had begun.

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 BJJ gym in Singapore.

John Danaher is widely known today as one of the innovators of modern-day Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu. The fourth-degree black belt holder under Renzo Gracie is the mastermind of the Danaher Death Squad (DDS), which dominated the international grappling scene with their reputable leg lock game. John has never competed professionally in BJJ because of hip and leg-related issues, despite being one of today’s best coaches. How is this Jiu-Jitsu master from New Zealand, able to lead one of the most successful grappling teams of the modern era? Today, let’s look at the rise of the modern BJJ master, John Danaher, from his early days to becoming one of the most recognized coaches up to date.

Early Life

John Danaher was born in the year 1967, in Washington, D.C. The United States. His father was a New Zealand Airforce pilot who was assigned to Washington shortly after he was born. John was still young when he and his family moved back to New Zealand, his parents’ native country. John spent his youth as the youngest of six children in his family in Whangaparaoa while his father continuously served in the Air Force. He spent his adolescent years practicing striking martial arts such as boxing and kickboxing, as those were the only available combat sports in his area with grappling being disregarded at that time.

John relocated to Mairangi Bay as a teenager to attend the University of Auckland, earning his Bachelor’s degree and later on a Master’s degree in philosophy. He trained karate in Auckland in 1991; it was not until John was about 28 years old when he learns about Jiu-Jitsu.

Living In Manhattan

The 24-year-old John Danaher received a full financial scholarship to continue his doctorate studies in philosophy focused on epistemology at Columbia University in New York. Two weeks after arriving in Columbia, Danaher found himself low on cash and realized perhaps it’s time to look for a job.

While walking down an avenue, Danaher saw an older man getting beaten up by a stronger and more aggressive younger guy. John quickly helped the man by throwing the young guy down the street. The older man turned up to be an owner of a nightclub that offered John a job as a bouncer. John spent his time teaching philosophy during the day and worked as a bouncer for the club at night. Learning with his co-workers as a bouncer, John latches onto the practicality of grappling with unwanted guests of the club instead of knocking them out.

A colleague of Danaher from Columbia University encouraged him to try a class of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as he was aware of Danaher’s nature of work. Inspired by the events of how BJJ dominated the early days of UFC where BJJ fighters submit their lanky-bodied opponents. Danaher took up a BJJ class which was initially led by Craig Kukuk, an assistant of Renzo Gracie, with Renzo later taking over the classes.

Teaching At The Renzo Gracie Academy

It was around 1999 that Renzo Gracie wanted to write a book about BJJ, with Danaher the only one capable of writing, this left him no choice but to become better in Jiu-Jitsu, thus, placing Danaher directly under Renzo’s wing. Renzo wanted to focus more on his fighting career along with his other students who wanted to start their school, namely Matt Serra, Ricardo Almeida, and Roger Gracie. Renzo wanted Danaher to take over the academy teaching students, leaving Danaher with no other option.

Danaher started out doubting his ability to transfer knowledge, thinking it would lower the expectation of the students, together with the thoughts about his future and whether he should coach BJJ or continue his academic route teaching philosophy.

It was until the year 2002 when a young Canadian fighter named Georges St-Pierre came in to train and attended the introductory classes. Watching the VHS of St-Pierre, Danaher was convinced that the young Canadian could be the future of MMA as he considered him a perfectly well-rounded fighter. Building a strong teacher-student relationship throughout the years, the then local Canadian fighter turned up to be one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time.

Danaher Death Squad And Leg Locks

In the early 2000s, Matt Serra invited the famous Dean Lister to train, along with other higher belt students and Danaher. Dean and Danaher got into a philosophical conversation that led to leg locks, particularly the straight ankle lock, which was not given recognition at that time.

“Why would you ignore 50% of the human body?” – The line left by Dean that changed Danaher’s outlook in Jiu-Jitsu.

The Danaher Death Squad (DDS) is a group of people known for their leg locks, specifically the heel hook. A big reason for this is their effective control of their opponents’ leg also known as the 411, inside sankaku, honeyhole, or saddle. This denies the opponent’s ability to react and roll over as one of their legs is trapped, and the other is open for attacks.

The founding members of the DDS were Eddie Cummings, who was 26 years old when he started training and was also involved in university academics similar to Danaher, is also known as one of the innovators of leg locks for the squad to follow, Garry Tonon, one of the key players that popularized the leg locks as he dominated EBI’s with it, and Gordon Ryan who was initially known for his leg locking skills, is now known as an indomitable force in all positions in grappling, and also one of the best no-gi grapplers.

As Danaher’s influence on grappling grew, so did the squad. More members have joined the DDS, namely, Nicky Ryan, which Danaher refers to as a young master and a BJJ prodigy, Ethan Crelinsten and Oliver Taza, both BJJ prodigies from Canada, Nicky Rodriguez, a Division III college wrestler who is also known as the black belt slayer who won ADCC silver medal as a blue belt, and Craig Jones who is already a well-known grappler before joining DDS and is arguably the best grappler from Australia.

The Split Of Danaher Death Squad

Recently, the squad announced their relocation to Puerto Rico, bringing the entire team there to train in their new gym. However, after a few months of staying in PR, the squad called it quits. Gordon, Taza, Tonon, and Danaher opened a gym in Austin, Texas. They’ve since renamed their team to be called the New Wave Jiu-Jitsu. On the other hand, Jones, Nicky Ryan, Rodriguez, and Crelinsten formed their team known as B-Team Jiu-Jitsu.

Final Thoughts

John Danaher is not known for competing as he never really competed professionally in BJJ. It was the embodiment of his students, his exceptional teachings and philosophy that brought him and the squad success, winning prestigious grappling competitions such as the ADCC, EBI, and IBJJF Worlds, leaving a mark in the BJJ community and the grappling world.

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.

When Justin Bieber and Tom Cruise once briefly contemplated fighting each other inside the Octagon, it raised quite a few eyebrows. Here were two regular guys (well, pop culture superstars), who could potentially end up face-to-face in combat. Yet fans without a doubt asked themselves the most obvious question: Can these two actually fight?

Martial arts, and to be a genuine martial artist, it takes years of dedication and practice to be able to reach a level acceptable for competition. It should not be taken lightly.

While Bieber does his fair share of boxing training (with Floyd Mayweather, no less), he’s in no way capable of actually fighting in the cage. Cruise, at the very least, was a high school wrestler, so he may have some of the necessary skills hiding latent somewhere.

Yet, there are a handful of celebrities who possess the skills required to enter the field of combat. You’d be surprised with some of them and what they are capable of. These men and women have trained in the art of combat.

Let’s take a look at who they are and what they’ve done in the gym. Today, Evolve Daily shares 8 celebrities who can actually fight in real life.

1) Wesley Snipes

He’s famous for roles in movies such as Blade, Demolition Man, and The Expendables. Wesley Snipes has been in blockbuster action films since the 1990’s, and he’s used a variety of martial arts disciplines to portray fight scenes in his movies.

Snipes has been training in martial arts since he was a kid, and is a 5th degree black belt in Shotokan Karate, a 2nd degree black belt in Hapkido, and also trains in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), Kung Fu, and Capoeira. Yes, he can definitely fight.

2) Demi Lovato

Singer, songwriter, and pop star Demi Lovato, famous for her hits “Sorry Not Sorry”, “Give Your Heart a Break”, and “This Is Me”, has a bright and flashy superstar smile, and is every bit the pop star you would imagine her to be. But don’t let her good looks fool you, Lovato takes names on the mats, and she’s been doing so for a long time.

Lovato has been studying and training in the art of BJJ for a while now, and is equipped with the technical knowledge to choke you out or hyperextend your arm if you get too close.

3) Chris Hemsworth

He’s the God of Thunder on the big screen, has biceps the size of footballs, and trains like a madman to achieve superhero levels of fitness. Chris Hemsworth spends hours and hours of time training in the gym to better play his iconic superhero movie role of “Thor”. But aside from being a health and fitness nut, Hemsworth is also a huge fan of mixed martial arts.

It comes as no surprise then that he does a bit of martial arts training himself, and mixes it up well with his routine. Hemsworth is known to train in both boxing and Muay Thai when he feels the need to unleash Thor’s fury on the pads.

4) Henry Cavill

On the silver screen, he plays a buff dude who wears his underwear over his pants, has a huge ‘S’ on his chest, can zip through the air, and shoot laser beams out of his eyes. Henry Cavill may very well be the best Superman we’ve had yet, finishing off bad guys with his superhuman strength. But that doesn’t mean he can’t fight in real life too.

Cavill also trains in the art of BJJ avidly and utilizes the martial art to not only keep himself in top shape but also to equip him with the knowledge of the grappling sciences.

5) Idris Elba

Known for playing Heimdall in Thor: Ragnarok, and Brixton in the upcoming Hollywood blockbuster Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw, Idris Elba is the epitome of an action star, with the chiseled physique, mean mug, and fighting skills.

Why does he fight so well on screen you ask? Maybe because Elba is a legit kickboxer who has had a couple of professional fights. Elba sheds some light on his training and competition in the docuseries, Idris Elba: Fighter.

6) Ashton Kutcher

Ashton Kutcher was awarded his purple belt by Prof. Rigan Machado.

To many fans, he’s just Kelso on That 70’s Show, but Ashton Kutcher is more than just a romantic comedy superstar. He’s also a high-level BJJ practitioner who has been working on his skills for a few years already and holds a purple belt.

In fact, he’s so good, grappling world champion and 8th degree BJJ red and black belt Rigan Machado once famously claimed that Kutcher would beat Conor McGregor in a straight grappling contest.

7) Mario Lopez

His acting career took off when he landed the role of A.C. Slater from Saved By The Bell, and then soon dabbled in the world of mixed martial arts and boxing. Mario Lopez got his lean and cut physique by wrestling and playing football in high school, but was able to maintain his fitness by training in boxing and BJJ.

In this clip, Lopez is seen sparring with Mexican boxing great Canelo Alvarez and appears to have held his own.

8) Jason Statham

One of the most prolific action stars in the modern day, Jason Statham has made it a habit of kicking butt on screen — whether he’s the good guy or the bad guy. Star of movies such as “Transporter”, “The Expendables”, and the “Fast & Furious” franchise, Statham’s on-screen fight sequences are so realistic because the guy actually knows how to fight.

Statham trains in various martial arts disciplines from BJJ to kickboxing to boxing and wrestling. Just like his characters in the movies, Statham can put a beatdown on anybody who wishes to put him to the test.

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.

Our favorite MMA fighters are often the fighters we’ve been following before they became famous. We feel more connected to those fighters because we feel like we’ve been part of their journey to the top. 

Some up-and-coming fighters burst onto the scene with lots of hype, as was the case with Conor McGregor, while others are barely noticed until they’ve established themselves as top contenders.

Ten Up-And-Coming Mixed Martial Artists To Watch Out For

Let us take a look at some of the high-potential up-and-comers that have the potential to be MMA superstars in the future:

1) Mackenzie Dern

Dern is one of the most decorated female grapplers in MMA, with over 100 professional grappling matches under her belt. Most opponents don’t survive for long when she puts their backs on the canvas. Seven of her eleven wins came by submission, and she’s improved her striking ability in recent years. 

With an 11-2 record, Dern remains one of the most promising up-and-comers in the women’s strawweight division. 

2) Chris Barnett

Chris Barnett might be the most entertaining heavyweight in MMA right now. He’s a bag of surprises, and his chubby appearance often leads to people underestimating him. Barnett comes from a family of Taekwondo practitioners, and his kicks are a thing of beauty. 

He throws spinning techniques effortlessly, something you don’t typically expect to see from a pudgy heavyweight. During his last outing, Barnett’s spinning kicks came in handy, stopping veteran Gian Villante with a spinning wheel kick. 

3) Garry Tonon

Currently ranked third in ONE Championship’s featherweight division, Tonon is a decorated grappler with almost a hundred professional grappling matches under his belt. He started with wrestling classes in the fifth grade and added Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to his training routine in his early teenage years. 

Tonon signed with ONE Championship in 2018, and he’s been even more impressive as a mixed martial artist. He’s already compiled a 6-0 record, finishing five of his six opponents. He’ll face Thanh Le the next time he laces up his gloves for the Featherweight title. 

4) Paddy Pimblett

Pimblett made a strong statement during his UFC debut, surviving Luigi Vendramini’s initial onslaught before pulling off the comeback knockout late in the first round. He displayed the rock-solid chin he’s known for and a willingness to keep walking forward regardless of how bad things get in the cage. 

“The Baddy” has the potential to be a contender in the lightweight division if he works on his few weaknesses, like keeping his head high. So far, so good for the Englishman who some have already dubbed the next Conor McGregor.

5) Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida

Buchecha is another highly decorated BJJ specialist who has crossed over into mixed martial arts. He has 128 wins in submission wrestling, and his MMA career is off to a good start with two first-round submissions.

Almeida’s grappling pedigree creates an interesting matchup with ONE Championship’s heavyweight champion Arjan Bhullar – who has Olympic-level wrestling experience. You certainly want to keep your eyes on Buchecha as he makes his way through the ranks. 

6) Victoria Lee

The younger sister of Christian and Angela Lee, expectations were high when Victoria made her ONE Championship debut, and she’s delivered so far. She’s quickly built up a 3-0 record in the promotion, finishing all of her opponents.

At only 17, Victoria has already racked up some impressive accolades like a pair of Pankration Junior World Champion gold medals and IMMAF Wrestling Junior World Champion gold medals.

7) Sean O’Malley

Sean O’Malley is one of the most exciting up-and-comers in MMA right now. He’s an eccentric personality who fights with a unique style he created. He’s super precise with his strikes, and there are rarely any dull moments during his fights. 

O’Malley suffered his first loss in the UFC when he faced Marlon Vera, but he’s bounced back nicely since, winning his next three fights via knockout. O’Malley is now back on track, and he’ll likely get a shot at a top ten contender his next outing. 

Get your popcorn ready when “Suga” fights because he always finds a way to make things entertaining. 

8) Michael “Venom” Page

Page comes from a family of kickboxers, and it shows when he fights. He’s arguably the most entertaining fighter in mixed martial arts with his unorthodox techniques and footwork. Page often makes his opponents look ridiculous inside the cage, effortlessly evading their attacks while landing powerful punches of his own. 

Page currently sports a 20-1 pro-MMA record, and he avenged his only loss during his last outing, defeating Douglas Lima by split decision. Many expect Venom to fight for Bellator’s welterweight title soon, and he has what it takes to capture the title and reign for a long time. 

9) Yaroslav Amosov

Amosov is a decorated grappler with several World Sambo titles under his belt. He’s been even more impressive as an MMA fighter, amassing a 26-0 record. Amosov defeated Douglas Lima to win Bellator’s welterweight title during his last outing, and a future title defense against Michael Page seems unavoidable at this point. 

That will be the biggest test of his career, given Page’s unique fighting style. It’s one of the biggest fights that could be made in MMA right now, and all eyes will be on these two when they eventually collide. 

10) Khamzat Chimaev

Chimaev is arguably the most dominant prospect the UFC has ever signed. A highly accomplished wrestler, Chimaev won four gold medals competing in the Swedish Nationals. He currently sports a 10-0 MMA record, and he’s made quick work out of all of the opponents he’s faced since signing with the UFC. No one has been able to last a full two rounds against the Swede. 

Chimaev’s most impressive victory came during his last outing when he picked up top contender Li Jingliang, walked over to the fence to talk trash to UFC president Dana White, threw Jingliang to the canvas, and submitted him shortly after. At this rate, Chimaev will be fighting for the welterweight title within a year.