I had a thought… who, I wonder, has made the most improvement during their fighting career? In this article I’ll take a look at who I think has made the greatest improvement in the sport today.
In MMA today it is extremely important to be well-rounded. If a fighter is a great wrestler but is weak with their stand-up game, it is clear to see where their opponents will try to take advantage of them. And so while these fighters came into the game showing great skill in one or two areas, it is their improvement of weaknesses over their career that have taken them to the top of the sport.
1) Georges St-Pierre: I genuinely believe (and I think many would agree) that Georges St-Pierre can be considered one of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters to come out of the UFC – ever. Let’s face it, when GSP came into the UFC he rarely used his jab, and his wrestling was nowhere near the level it is today. However, his jiu-jitsu and karate made up for it. Now however, he’s made a transition into increasing his use of the jab/boxing, and has developed into one of the top wrestlers in the sport. While this may not be the most exciting improvement, we can definitely say he’s become a better fighter because of it; not to mention, he has won the welterweight title (and defended it successfully) for a long-time against a number of fighters with a variety of styles.
2) Alexander Gustafsson: While this guy stepped into the octagon with a great skill set, his wrestling use was limited at best. However, after improving his arsenal by learning wrestling techniques and implementing them into his fights, he became the first man to take down Jon “Bones” Jones – an amazing achievement. We look forward to a second meeting between Gustafsson and Jones in the near future.
3) Chael Sonnen – After joining the sport, we knew right from the first time he fought in the octagon that his wrestling was impeccable. He’s had an excellent run in his career, and even improved his Jiu-Jitsu going so far as to submit Shogun Rua in the first round. If you’d had told me that he would’ve submitted Shogun four years ago, I’d have laughed at you. Let’s not forget the growth to his striking game – I think few can forget his first round knock-down of Anderson Silva in their first match-up. Despite these improvements to his game, he’s still not drifted away from his wrestling roots and still continues to fight around that style.
4) Michael Bisping – After coming out of TUF 3 with a stunning KO over Josh Haynes, and taking home the six-figure contract, he was known to have a weak spot for wrestling. Being from England, this was expected (wrestling isn’t huge over here in the UK). However, after gaining a little more experience in the cage, he soon learned to adapt, and has since dramatically improved his wrestling.
5) Vitor Belfort – He has always been a great fighter, but recently his performance has been incredible, ending 3 of his last 3 fights with kicks. He also finished Dan “Hendo” Henderson with one at UFC Fight Night 32. I honestly think he could give any light heavyweight a run for their money. Even the near perfect Jon Jones was almost submitted by Belfort in their first match-up, and I can’t help but think “The Phenom” is chomping at the bit to one day get another shot at Bones Jones.
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