· A Look At Grappling In The Light Heavyweight Division
Ask almost any MMA fan what the most stacked weight class is and you will certainly hear that the 205 pound light heavyweight division is king. Particularly in recent years, the UFC light heavyweight title has been one of the most highly contested, with champions defending the title for only a single fight, if at all. Nevertheless, fans may have noticed a significant omission to the division that really challenges the “mixed” aspect of mixed martial arts. Light heavyweight fighters have largely ignored the ground game, and instead have focused primarily on the striking and clinch elements of MMA.
At first glance, it may not seem like there is any significant difference between 205 pound fighters and those in other divisions; however, a deeper look at recent results exposes the stand-up bias. So far in 2009, there have been 29 contests in the UFC's light heavyweight division. Of those, only two (7%) have ended in submission*, while 11 have ended in KO/TKO (38%).
The previous year was a very similar story; in 30 fights in 2008 only four ended in submission* (13%) while 20 ended with strikes (67%). This bias is by no means limited to to the UFC; thus far in 2009 48 light heavyweight bouts have taken place in MMA's major organizations**. Of those, only four ended in submission (8%) while 24 have ended in KO/TKO (50%). In 2008, six contests out of 45 ended in submission (13%) while 27 ended due to strikes (60%).
To gain some perspective into how these numbers compare to other weight classes, one can look at how UFC titles have been won in the different divisions. The 205 pound title has been contested 26 times, yet has only been won by submission three times (11%), all three of which were before Zuffa's acquisition of the UFC in 2001. The 265 pound division (heavyweight) has seen 28 title fights since its inception with four victories by submission (14%), three of which since Zuffa's ownership (15%). All of the title fights in the rest of the UFC's weight classes have happened since Zuffa took ownership of the UFC. In the 185 pound (middleweight) division, three of 13 title fights*** ended in submission (23%). Welterweight (170 pounds) has seen the highest number of title fights end in submission with nine of 23 fights ending by tapout (39%). Finally, the 155 pound (lightweight) belt has been contested nine times, two of which ended in submission (22%).
Not only are 205 pound fighters not finishing fights with submissions, but they're infrequently taking fights to the ground at all. According to CompuStrike, in UFC light heavyweight title fights dating back to Griffin vs. Jackson at UFC 86, only one successful takedown has been executed. In the Machida vs. Rua fight at UFC 104 approximately 70 seconds were spent in positions working for takedowns, none of which were successful. The Machida vs. Evans fight at UFC 96 spent only ten seconds on the ground after Machida dropped Evans with a punch. In Evans vs. Griffin at UFC 92, Evans dropped Forrest with a follow up punch to a leg kick and kept him on the ground for two minutes and ten seconds until he finished the fight with ground and pound.
When Griffin faced Quinton "Rampage" Jackson at UFC 86, the fight spent more time on the ground but with very little damage being done. Rampage dropped Forrest with a punch and stayed on top of him for 45 seconds in round 1, Forrest spent almost all of round 2 on top of Rampage attempting a guillotine and an americana, and two minutes and 18 seconds of round 4 were spent with Rampage on top of Forrest (though Forrest came close to sinking in a triangle). Almost all of the ground game of this fight was maintaining position and with the exception of Forrest's few submission attempts very little effort was made to finish the fight on the ground.
Griffin vs. Jackson represented another trend in the division: when a fight does spend significant time on the ground, fighters have not been able to capitalize on positions in order to finish with the submission. Vladimir Matyushenko and Igor Pokrajak spent a significant part of their UFC 103 matchup on the ground, yet the finishing attempts were so few and far between the ref stood them up and the fight went to decision. When Mark Coleman met Stephan Bonnar at UFC 100, Coleman scored the takedowns and maintained dominant positions for most of the fight while Bonnar unsuccessfully attempted submissions from the bottom, resulting in a decision. While Ryan Bader remained on top of Carmelo Marrero for the majority of their April 1 fight, he was unable to to finish and won an easy unanimous decision. The trend continues as one looks further back in the division.
One can only speculate as to what the cause is of this bias. An initial guess might be that higher weight classes simply experience less grappling and that bigger fighters have more power to achieve the knockout. This does not hold up; in 2009 the UFC's 265 lb weight class has had five out of 18 fights end in submission, or 28% compared to 7% in the 205 pound division, not counting this season of "The Ultimate Fighter" where four out of eight preliminary heavyweight bouts ended in submission.
Taking a look at the skill sets of the fighters, there is no reason to believe that lack of skill causes fighters to avoid the ground. The light heavyweight division is home to world-renowned wrestlers including Dan Henderson, Matt Hamill, Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz, Ryan Bader, Mark Coleman and Rashad Evans. Additionally, many fighters that have fought in the division hold Black Belts in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, including Lyoto Machida, Wanderlei Silva, Renato "Babalu" Sobral, Anderson Silva, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Thiago Silva. With such credentials one could speculate that fighters have such strong takedown defense that they neutralize each other, or possibly that they respect each others reputations enough to avoid challenging them where they excel.
At UFC 93, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua was able to neutralize Mark Coleman's wrestling, while Coleman consistently escaped Rua's submission attempts. In a rare fight that spend much of its time on the ground, the two fighters simply nullified each other's submission attempts and the fight ended with a TKO. Two jiu-jitsu specialists may each believe their opponent possesses a similar skill set on the ground, thus leaving the largest opening for an advantage in the striking game.
Vinny Magalhaes is a highly respected jiu-jitsu artist, yet when he fought Eliot Marshall at UFC 97 (who is also a strong jiu-jitsu practitioner) Marshall worked to keep the fight standing and the few instances where Magalhaes got him down he was quick to escape back to the feet. Mark Munoz, an NCAA Division I wrestler in his own right, made a single attempt to take down a superior wrestler in Matt Hamill at UFC 96, yet Hamill forced the fight back to its feet where he kept it standing and won with a devastating head kick, almost completely ignoring his wrestling experience.
No matter the cause, MMA is a constantly evolving sport and this trend may signal its next evolutionary step. Just as jiu-jitsu revolutionized a sport dominated by wrestlers, light heavyweight strikers have begun to introduce new elements in order to stay competitive and rise above the increasingly homogeneous competition. Lyoto Machida's stand-up, with it's unorthodox style and heavy reliance on Karate, has proven to be an enigma for his competition with fighters only recently finding an answer to his elusiveness. Anderson Silva, with two fights in the division, has thus far proven almost impossible to hit and has introduced angles that have devastated his competition. These standout fighters are trailblazing the future of striking in the division and their techniques will undoubtedly be adopted by fighters in other weight classes.
It is difficult to speculate what type of fighter would be needed to reverse this trend. With fighters coming in with wrestling and grappling pedigrees yet still proving unable to submit their opponents, grappling alone will not be enough to make a serious impact. A fighter with the skill to neutralize their opponent's striking, act faster than their adversary, and still impose their will on the ground would stand the best chance of winning a fight by submission. Looking at the current roster of light heavyweight fighters, many possess some of the components needed.
Two fighters to keep an eye on in upcoming months are both returning to the division after some time away: Tito Ortiz and Randy Couture. Ortiz, the last fighter to win the UFC light heavyweight belt by submission in 2000, is supposedly returning after completely recovering from surgery to correct a long-lingering back issue. While Ortiz has already attempted and failed to neutralize the current champion, his power on the ground is undeniable and if he is truly as healthy as he claims he may have what it takes to control and finish a fight by submitting his opponent. Couture, dropping back to light heavyweight after a championship stint at heavyweight, has time and time again shown an ability to formulate a plan to avoid striking damage and try to control the fight on the ground. Should Couture come into the octagon larger than his opponents and with a game plan to neutralize their striking, he stands a chance to gain a dominant position and look for the submission finish.
* Fights ending in submission due to strikes are counted as KO/TKO instead of submission
** Major organizations include the UFC, Strikeforce, Sengoku, Affliction and EliteXC
*** Bouts scheduled as title fights where one fighter didn't make weight are included
