{"id":147597,"date":"2025-09-16T07:49:20","date_gmt":"2025-09-16T07:49:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/147597\/"},"modified":"2025-09-16T07:49:20","modified_gmt":"2025-09-16T07:49:20","slug":"gordon-ryan-explains-the-dominance-of-the-dagestani-grappling-style-in-mma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/147597\/","title":{"rendered":"Gordon Ryan explains the dominance of the Dagestani grappling style in MMA"},"content":{"rendered":"

During a recent UFC Paris JRE Companion podcast, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu<\/a> champion Gordon Ryan<\/a> offered insights into what makes certain grappling styles so effective in mixed martial arts, particularly touching on the formidable reputation of MMA stars from Dagestan and similar regions.<\/p>\n

The conversation emerged organically as the hosts discussed various UFC matchups and the evolution of modern MMA grappling. Ryan<\/a>, widely considered one of the greatest grapplers<\/a> of all time, provided his perspective on why MMA stars from certain geographical regions have become so dominant in the sport\u2019s grappling exchanges.<\/p>\n


\n \"Watch
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Ryan<\/a> emphasized that the dominance of Dagestani<\/a> and similar regional MMA styles stems from their comprehensive approach to grappling.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe level of grappling is just so significant,\u201d<\/p>\n

he noted when discussing the stark differences between elite grapplers<\/a> and typical MMA competitors.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s such a difference in the technical knowledge and application between world-class grapplers and even high-level MMA competitors who haven\u2019t dedicated the same focused attention to ground fighting.\u201d<\/p>\n

The discussion highlighted how wrestlers from these regions often transition seamlessly into MMA because they possess what Ryan<\/a> described as an innate understanding of body manipulation and control. He explained that wrestlers who<\/p>\n

\u201clove jiu-jitsu\u201d<\/p>\n

rather than those who want to<\/p>\n

\u201cbeat jiu-jitsu\u201d<\/p>\n

tend to be far more successful in adapting their skills to mixed martial arts competition.<\/p>\n

Ryan<\/a> pointed out that the most dangerous combination comes when elite grappling technique meets exceptional mental fortitude.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost guys, even at the highest levels, like if you give them the reason to quit, they\u2019ll quit,\u201d<\/p>\n

he observed. The Dagestani approach combines technical mastery with an almost unbreakable mental toughness that makes their fighters particularly formidable when matches hit the ground.<\/p>\n

This mental aspect extends beyond just toughness in competition. Ryan<\/a> noted that true dominance comes from comprehensive study and preparation. The same dedication to detailed technical knowledge that characterizes his own approach to grappling appears to be deeply embedded in the training culture of these regional fighters.<\/p>\n

Perhaps most importantly, Ryan<\/a> explained how technical superiority translates to practical advantages during competition. He described how being more technically sound allows a competitor to operate at a lower work rate while forcing opponents to expend significantly more energy.<\/p>\n

\u201cTheir work rate is always three, four, five times as high as mine,\u201d<\/p>\n

he said, explaining how technical gaps force less skilled opponents into unsustainable patterns of explosive movement and desperate defense.<\/p>\n

This efficiency advantage becomes particularly pronounced in longer matches or when bouts hit the ground for extended periods. The Dagestani style of persistent, technically sound pressure creates a compounding effect where opponents become increasingly fatigued while the technical competitor maintains their energy and control.<\/p>\n

The conversation also touched on how the sport continues to evolve, with newer athletes entering the UFC already possessing world-class grappling skills. Ryan<\/a> noted that there are<\/p>\n

\u201cno gimme matches anymore\u201d<\/p>\n

in modern MMA, as even relatively unknown competitors often possess extremely high-level grappling abilities.<\/p>\n

This evolution has made the technical advantages possessed by competitors from strong grappling regions even more pronounced. As the overall level of competition has risen, the margin between good and great has become smaller, making the comprehensive technical knowledge and training culture of certain regions an increasingly decisive factor in determining match outcomes.<\/p>\n

The Dagestani approach to MMA grappling represents a perfect storm of technical excellence, mental toughness and systematic preparation that has proven extremely difficult for opponents to counter, regardless of their own athletic abilities or game planning.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"During a recent UFC Paris JRE Companion podcast, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champion Gordon Ryan offered insights into what makes…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":147598,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[444],"tags":[49,48,641,638,82],"class_list":["post-147597","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mma","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-fighting","tag-mma","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147597","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=147597"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147597\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/147598"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=147597"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=147597"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=147597"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}