By Aaron Ramos

MMA has had a meteoric rise to the mainstream of modern sports. So much so, that the pinnacle competitions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu are now often seen as feeders into the big leagues of mixed martial arts. Outspoken competitors such as Michelle Nicolini have already been quoted as saying that they are tired of fighting simply for medals, but what other avenues do they have? Is it better to coach? Travel and conduct seminars? Or bite the bullet and transition to a completely different sport altogether? The sport of MMA is so unpredictable in its outcomes, is this even a wise move for the top athletes in the sport of Jiu-Jitsu?

The evolution of MMA over the last twenty or so years has been a rapid one. Early events were a “Kumite” of sorts, pitting style against style. Karate, kickboxing, boxing and even catch wrestling were featured in bouts of unlimited time with no points. The only way to win was via stoppage. In the form of a young Royce Gracie, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu rocketed to the top, inspiring generations of modern day fighters to don the gi and tie up their white belt.

Nowadays MMA is almost a martial art in itself. Competitors do tend to specialize to a degree, but being well rounded in all areas is the only way to championship contention. Interestingly though at the top of the pile, the only champion with a legitimate background solely from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is the heavyweight Fabricio Werdum. Below him we have a list of strikers, wrestlers and pure mixed martial artists. ? It is somewhat ironic that Jiu-Jitsu now forms only a portion of the modern mixed martial arts show, when originally it took centre stage. So why then is the art which proved so dominant at the birth of MMA, lost its momentum in modern competition?

A good study into this transition would be with one of the finest competitors to ever step onto the tatami, Roger Gracie. Having been a world champion twelve times at black belt, it seemed only natural that Roger would take that step into the ultimate proving ground for martial artists. Early on in his career at light heavyweight, Roger stormed through the lower levels of the competition, with quick submissions in the early rounds of most of his fights.

However as the level of competition increased, victory became harder and harder to attain. The grinding, muscle endurance based grappling fitness Roger had
honed for so long didn’t lend itself particularly well to MMA, a much more explosive martial art. There was now no gi to grab and stronger opponents with a deeper knowledge of submission defence. Roger found his road to UFC gold momentarily halted by Tim Kennedy in 2016. Now re-signed with a different promotion, perhaps a slower road to the top is necessary as proved by one of Roger’s greatest adversaries, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza.

While not quite as accomplished in the world of BJJ, Jacare still holds multiple world titles in the sport, including a controversial win against the aforementioned Roger Gracie. However it’s his MMA record which is the centre of attention as his professional career continues. A veteran of 26 fights (22 wins, 3 losses), Jacare has already tasted gold under the now defunct Strikeforce promotion. Roger was thrown in at the deep end, a victim of his own previous success. But Jacare (much like his reptilian namesake), slowly made his way through the ranks at middleweight, and is now knocking on the door of yet another world title.

It seems then that the recipe for success is much the same as the journey from white to black belt. Start slow and at the bottom, learn your craft, take your time and keep coming back. Over time, slowly but surely the body adjusts to the transition of the sport and greatness can then follow. But what if the idea of fighting another man in a cage isn’t as attractive as it was to these two giants of Jiu-Jitsu? What’s left for incredible wealth of talent filling the IBJJF and ADCC rosters? Unlike almost any other sport, our champions are also universally teachers too. Many often coaching at their own schools or teaching seminars worldwide. But at what cost? How heavily does teaching and traveling full time affect the fighting ability of a top Jiu-Jitsu competitor?

It’s almost universally true that most sportsmen and women are much like racehorses. They show up to practice and are looked after by coaches, nutritionists and trainers. In turn, they are then expected to perform to the best of their athletic ability. The idea of the top tennis players, footballers or even cyclists teaching a whole class of students every day is almost laughable. It is then maybe both a blessing and a curse for our sport that our champions are so readily available to us as students. Can you imagine how much a private session with Cristiano Ronaldo or Rafael Nadal would be to the average pupil? For less than the monthly cost of a gym membership at your local Jiu-Jitsu school, you can usually train with any number of black belts in a private one to one session. Similarly, any white belt who signs up to compete at a national level may find themselves on the adjacent mat to Alan “Finfou” do Nascimento, Jackson Sousa, or Marcus Almeida “Buchecha.”

So which choice is it that is best for the top talent in our sport? Is it better to be a beloved coach and mentor, perpetuating the cycle of pupil to master from gym to gym until retirement? Travelling the world and racking up sponsorships, students and medals? Or is it to take that first step into a totally different sport? To leave behind your roots in a sport you love to take on new challenges for arguably better pay? The first is something of an altruistic pursuit, with little gain personally but facilitating great strides forward for the art itself. The second is maybe more selfish, a truly one on one challenge that puts all of the focus on the single athlete on a single night. Both sports are still so fresh in the limelight of the world stage. Perhaps it will take some time before we see a few more successful crossovers step out under the bright lights of MMA.