5 UFC fighters who abandoned their grappling in favor of striking
In the UFC, fighters typically approach their bouts armed with a fighting style that is rooted in a martial art or sport they partook in since their childhoods. Demian Maia, for example, relied on his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expertise to carry him to great success in the UFC.
Similarly, exceptional counter-strikers like Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson and Lyoto 'The Dragon' Machida used their expertise as karatekas to stun the welterweight and middleweight divisions.
However, this is not always the case for all UFC fighters. Some mixed martial artists deviate from their foundational martial arts and develop different fighting styles.
Georges St-Pierre began his career as an aggressive karateka whose striking enabled him to finish most of his bouts. After his upset knockout loss to Matt Serra, the Canadian transitioned into a wrestler who dominated the welterweight division with a well-timed double-leg entry and high-level ground-and-pound.
This list, however, looks at 5 grapplers who have largely abandoned their wrestling/grappling skills and fallen in love with their hands.
#5. José Aldo
Before he ever dreamed of pursuing a career in mixed martial arts, José Aldo dreamed of achieving greatness in the world of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Despite capturing a gold medal at Brazil's national BJJ championships, Aldo later set his eyes on MMA. With no formal kickboxing training, any external observer would have expected 'Scarface' to search for takedowns in the octagon. The future UFC featherweight champion, however, had other plans.
José Aldo talks about his idols, advises #BJJ newcomers and teaches a sweep from the spider guard gallerr.com/gallerr/galler… https://t.co/Dm74FmAoMg
The Brazilian developed a love of striking, abandoning his grappling to the point where Aldo's only submission win came in his 3rd fight.
Thirty-six fights later, he is yet to employ Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as his primary weapon. He has transformed into a brutal Muay Thai specialist whose low kicks are the stuff of MMA legends. He finally achieved his final form as a patient but explosive counterpuncher.