Wrestling

Wrestling is one of the oldest and most widespread combat sports in human history. The sport is depicted in cave paintings, was celebrated in ancient Greece, and has been part of the Olympic program since the modern Olympic Games were reintroduced in 1896. Wrestling is a pure test of physical strength, technique, balance, and willpower, teaching body control and takedowns that form the foundation of virtually every other combat sport. In MMA, a wrestling background is widely considered the most valuable foundation a fighter can have.

Ancient Origins

Wrestling has been documented in nearly every ancient civilization. Egyptian tomb paintings from 2300 BC depict wrestling holds that are still recognizable today. Sumerian carvings, Greek pottery, and Chinese manuscripts all describe wrestling as a central athletic and military discipline. In ancient Greece, wrestling (pale) became part of the pentathlon at the ancient Olympic Games in 708 BC. Pankration, a combination of wrestling and striking, was one of the most celebrated events.

In Japan, sumo wrestling developed over more than 1,500 years into both a ritual and a sport. In the Islamic world, oil wrestling (yagli gures) became a national tradition in Turkey. In Central Asia, folk styles such as Mongolian bökh and Kazakh kuresi developed their own traditions. Wrestling is truly a universal human activity.

Modern Wrestling Styles

Modern competitive wrestling is dominated by three main styles governed by United World Wrestling (UWW):

Freestyle: Leg attacks and the use of the legs in offensive and defensive maneuvers are permitted. At the Olympic Games, there are categories for men and women. This is the most widely practiced competitive style worldwide.

Greco-Roman wrestling: Holds below the waist and the use of the legs for offensive actions are prohibited. Throws must be executed exclusively with the upper body. This style requires exceptional upper-body strength and strong clinch technique and is included in the Olympic Games only for men.

Folkstyle (collegiate) wrestling: The dominant style in the United States, emphasizing control and the top position on the ground. This style produced many of the best wrestlers in MMA, including Dan Gable, Cael Sanderson, Randy Couture, and Dan Severn.

Wrestling and MMA

When the UFC began in 1993, wrestlers quickly proved their dominance alongside BJJ practitioners. The ability to determine where a fight takes place, standing or on the ground, gave wrestlers a structural advantage that no other base could match. Champions such as Randy Couture, Dan Severn, Tito Ortiz, and later Khabib Nurmagomedov showed that elite wrestling, combined with ground-and-pound or submission defense, was nearly impossible to defeat. Today, virtually every top MMA fighter trains wrestling intensively, regardless of their primary discipline.

Training in wrestling

Wrestling is physically demanding and requires excellent conditioning. Training sessions typically cover: stance and movement, level changes and entries, single- and double-leg takedowns, throws and leg trips, sprawls and defensive wrestling, mat returns and top-position control, and competition-specific scrambles.

Live wrestling (sparren) is central to development and is practiced early in training. The sport develops exceptional explosive strength, anaerobic conditioning, body awareness, and mental toughness. Wrestling in U.S. high schools and universities produces world-class athletes across various combat sports.

For MMA practitioners, wrestling training focuses on offensive and defensive takedowns, wrestling against the cage and in the clinch, positioning for ground-and-pound, and taking the back. A strong wrestling foundation gives MMA fighters the ability to dictate the location and pace of every exchange.

Wrestling in the Netherlands

Wrestling has a modest but growing presence in the Netherlands, strongly driven by the explosive growth of MMA. The Dutch MMA scene, built on a world-class striking tradition, is increasingly investing in wrestling as the missing piece of the combat sports puzzle. Clubs affiliated with the Dutch Wrestling Federation (NWF) are active throughout the country, and wrestling has now become an established part of serious MMA training programs in the Netherlands.