The history of MMA is closely linked to the history of jiu-jitsu. The first UFC in 1993 was the brainchild of Rorion Gracie and acted as a promotional tool for his family's style of ground fighting. The explosive growth of the UFC helped take jiu-jitsu all over the world, turning a Brazilian off-shoot of an ancient Japanese martial art into a global phenomenon. 

Every MMA fighter alive learns the basics of jiu-jitsu, just as they do with wrestling and striking. It's impossible to have a career as a fighter without knowledge of the techniques developed by jiu-jitsu stylists, from sweeps and positional control to the fight-finishing submissions. 

Modern jiu-jitsu has developed into a vibrant and globally-practiced sport in it's own right, and is often taught and trained without MMA in mind. Positions and techniques have been created that function in grappling competition but have little practicality in an MMA fight. That's no criticism of the direction that jiu-jitsu has taken, simply an acknowledgment that there are different expressions of the art and some people can spend their entire life invested in one kind of jiu-jitsu while never engaging with the other. 

Until the mid 2000s it was common for high-profile figures from the world of jiu-jitsu to transition to MMA. This happens less and less as financial opportunities have gotten more lucrative in jiu-jitsu. Whereas fighters used to have to transition from jiu-jitsu to MMA to make a living, many grapplers are able to enjoy a comfortable life without ever needing to step foot into a ring or cage. 

For some athletes, there is an allure to competing in an arena where grappling techniques are performed alongside punches, kicks and slams. Not everybody has the desire to get punched in the face, but some people want to test their jiu-jitsu skills under a kind pressure that grappling competitions simply cannot offer. Crossing over from jiu-jitsu to MMA is still a common practice, although this generally happens earlier in an athlete's career and less so in the cases of established world champions. 

This article will feature news from the world of MMA, leading with the news that Buchecha may finally make his highly-anticipated and long-awaited MMA debut. 

Buchecha gets his fight – we think? 

We've twice believed that Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida was about to step in the ring. At one point he was rumored to be taking on the Senegalese heavyweight Oumar "Reug Reug" Kane but that fight never came to fruition. Then Almeida was briefly announced as fighting South Korean knockout artists Ji Won Kang, but that fell through too. 

Now, it appears that Buchecha's moment has come. MMA Fighting has reported that Almeida will fight for ONE Championship on September 24 against undefeated heavyweight Thomas Narmo. 

Narmo, of Norway, is nicknamed "The Last Viking" and is listed as 6'7" tall (201cm). Narmo fought just last Friday on August 13 in a bout that ended via no contest. Prior to this, all of Narmo's fights have ended by KO or submission. 

We've reached out to try and confirm with ONE Championship whether the fight is definitely going ahead– more details as we get them. 

Rafael Lovato Jr. Talks Buchecha's Legacy & Move To MMA

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Who else could we expect to fight MMA? 

Lucas "Hulk" Barbosa 

Hulk is already 2-1 in MMA, having fought in Brazil between 2011-2012. With two finishes (one RNC, one KO) and one split decision loss, Barbosa has competed exclusively in grappling ever since but has been seen training in San Diego. We spoke to Barbosa and he said that he is trying to line up a fight before the end of the year. Stay tuned for details. 

Bianca Basilio 

The 2019 ADCC World champ has been quietly learning striking and training MMA for nearly a year now, although she hasn't stopped competing in the gi during that time. Basilio is currently in Mexico and can be seen in the USA soon as she'll be competing in the major IBJJF tournaments, including Worlds in December. Basilio hoped to squeeze an MMA fight in before the end of the year but told us she wants to win Worlds first. 

Roberto Jimenez 

We heard rumors that Jimenez, one of the most exciting grapplers in the game, had signed a deal with LFA. Jimenez brings a high-paced grappling game that employs effective wrestling, scrappy scrambles and deadly chokes from the back. He's already got experience of competing with strikes, as he won Eddie Bravo's Combat Jiu-Jitsu Worlds at 170lb, which permits open hand slaps when grounded. He teased earlier this year that his MMA debut was coming and that he'd continue training for grappling matches in the meantime. 

Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza Retires From MMA

As one titan of jiu-jitsu gets closer to his debut, another is hanging up his gloves. Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza, an IBJJF and ADCC champion who rose to the upper echelons of the UFC middleweight division, signaled that he will step away from MMA and possibly return to his grappling roots. 

"I have fought a lot. I retired very early from jiu-jitsu, I think I have fought a lot of MMA and I have no intention of fighting again. It is really over. I am retiring from MMA, and I am returning to the sport that I made history, the sport that I like so much."  

Ronaldo Jacare Souza Highlight: His Best Jiu-Jitsu Moments

Souza, 41, captured the Strikeforce middleweight title in 2010 and was awarded seven Performance of the Night awards during his UFC career. He started his black belt career in 2003 after a standout brown belt run that saw him take double gold, winning the majority of his matches via submission. 

He last competed in the gi in 2005, when he infamously won the IBJJF World Championships with a broken arm. That same year he won ADCC gold at 88kg and took silver in the absolute. His last grappling match was in 2011 when he faced Braulio Estima in the ADCC Superfight. 

Michelle Nicolini returns to ONE Championship

ADCC and IBJJF World champ Michelle Nicolini is back in action. She challenges Chinese fighter Xiong Jing Nan for the ONE Championship 125lb title belt on September 3. 

Appearing in the main event, #2-ranked contender Michelle Nicolini will fight reigning ONE Women’s Strawweight World Champion Xiong Jing Nan, who is 15-2 with 10 KOs. 

The fight was originally due to take place in May of this year in Singapore but was delayed due to COVID-19. Nicolini is 6-2 in MMA with five submission wins. 

WNO veteran Kody Steele Eyes MMA debut 

Three-time WNO veteran and 2019 Combat Jiu-Jitsu World welterweight champ Kody Steele makes his amateur MMA debut on August 29. Steele will enter the cage for the first time against 2-1 Texas-based fighter Kane Lewis at Fury Fighting 49 in San Antonio. 

A black belt under Rodrigo Cabral and representing Checkmat / Brazilian Fight Factory in Austin, TX, Steele has been preparing for his MMA debut by competing in amateur Muay Thai bouts. In 2021 he traveled to train with jiu-jitsu-MMA crossover star Ryan Hall. 

Steele will enter the cage with a strong wrestling base and a proven ability to utilize ground and pound, as per his performance at Combat Jiu-Jitsu Worlds, a grappling tournament that allows open-hand slaps only while grounded. 

In June 2021, Steele out-grappled UFC veteran Philip Rowe at WNO: Jones vs Panza. Watch the match video here. 

Fix My Game With Kody Steele: Slaps & Suplexes

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Learn Combat Jiu-Jitsu Basics From CJJ Champ Kody Steele

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BJJ in MMA Ranking 

Did you know we have a special Jiu-Jitsu in MMA Ranking? We created a system to rank fighters from the world of grappling who crossed over into MMA. 

Our ranking uses a unique series of formulas that assigns them scores based on their titles and achievements in grappling (ADCC titles, World titles, etc), and their MMA win-loss record, with a focus on submission finishes. 

Their point score will go up and down every time they have a fight– if they finish fights via submission, their score will increase. If they fight and lose, their score will go down. If they continue to win grappling titles at the same time, then likewise their overall score will go up.

Check out the FloGrappling Jiu-Jitsu in MMA Ranking here.

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