MMA without Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

482697_551921061509215_1904084322_nI’m told BJJ doesn’t work in MMA. “Your Jiu-Jitsu does not matter when I can punch you in the face” they say. Maybe they are correct and Jiu Jitsu doesn’t matter in an ever developing sport once dominated by one dimensional styles. So why are so many practitioners drawn to fight? Aside from spending years on the mat and opening an academy, MMA offers the only outlet for a Jiu-Jitsu practitioner to have some shot at getting paid doing what they love. But what if there were other options? “What Metamoris is doing is basically what the Fertittas did for MMA,” Eddie Bravo said about Metamoris 3. “We’re lucky to finally have all this money behind Jiu-Jitsu. It’s long overdue, and I’m happy that it’s right here, right now.”  This quote had me thinking, what if Bravo is correct and Metamoris lays the foundation for Jiu-Jitsu becoming a main stream sport, or at very least a more popular one. A long shot for sure but thought provoking nonetheless. Were Jiu-Jitsu to become a sport with money, sponsors and fans, what would MMA look like? Bravo continued “Now, you can get paid with just jiu-jitsu. You don’t have to do MMA.” Perhaps with less talent on the ground, fighters would feel less of a need to go there, resulting in more aggressive stand up and what many would consider better quality fights, reminiscent of Griffin, Bonnar one. Boxing would be cleaner, kicks more crisp and the standup would be highly aggressive and highly entertaining. How can this scenario be anything but great for MMA? The other school of thought says without high level Jiu-Jitsu, MMA would deteriorate into a predicable game of stand up, causing fighters to focus on a single aspect of the sport, maybe leaving it altogether. Boxing may gain more talent and regain some of the popularity it lost after Tyson spit Holyfield’s ear onto the canvas. Those left fighting MMA will look more like your Ken Shamrocks and Mark Colemans of the 90’s. They will be mediocre and will produce a few highly entertaining fights, but will ultimately lack popularity given today’s tighter rules and regulations. Maybe Jiu-Jitsu works in MMA, maybe not as much as those who roll would like to believe it does. Either way a successful Jiu-Jitsu promotion would certainly change MMA as we know it. For better or worse, what do you think about Jiu-Jitsu in MMA and what it would look like without talented fighters on the ground?