The 7 Levels of MMA Grapplers

The 7 Levels of MMA Grapplers

Not all wrestling is created equal in 
MMA. Some wrestlers get knocked out, others become champions. This is the seven levels 
of MMA wrestling. From basic takedowns to GOAT status. Whether you love striking or grappling, 
wrestling is the most dominant base in MMA. Today, we’re ranking exactly how wrestling evolves from 
one-dimensional grapplers to the legends who built dynasties. Level one, pure wrestlers who can’t 
strike. These fighters bring Olympic credentials into the cage. But the moment it stays standing, 
they’re in trouble. Ben Ascrin is the perfect examples. One of the best collegiate wrestlers 
ever. His chain grappling was elite, but his standup was non-existent. Stiff, predictable, and 
when he faced worldclass strikers, that wrestling couldn’t save him. He won through control, 
but never through damage or adaptability. Once opponents solved the entry, the fight was over. In 
modern MMA, this approach is extinct. Level two, defensive wrestlers. These fighters use wrestling 
to keep the fight where they want it. Almaine Sterling doesn’t just hunt takedowns constantly. 
He uses wrestling for position. Stuff your shots, reverse scramble, stay safe while striking 
or hunting submissions. Defensive wrestling is underrated. It’s why some fighters can face 
Olympic level opponents and survive. But here’s the limitation. It keeps you in the fight, but 
doesn’t win it decisively. You’re reacting, not dictating. Sterling was great at nullifying 
opponents, but not at imposing his will the way the next level does. Level three, offensive 
chain wrestlers. Now we’re getting into chaos. Relentless pressure, endless cardio, wrestling 
as mental warfare. Nobody embodies this more than Morab Devash Philly. You shoot 30, 40 takedown 
attempts in one fight. Not because everyone lands, but because the pressure breaks you. Miss the 
leg, go to a body lock. Stuff that trip attempt. Defend again, back take. Even if the takedown 
fails, you’re carrying his weight, defending constantly, and that’s exhausting. Level three 
wrestlers weaponize pace, but their limitation, they often lack finishing power. They control but 
don’t always destroy. And speaking of control, let me know in the comments where does Kobe 
Covenson rank on this list because what comes next changes everything. Level four, MMA 
wrestlers with striking. This is where wrestling meets striking. Charles Olivera isn’t 
a traditional wrestler, but his takedown entries, clinch control, and pressure all rely on 
wrestling fundamentals. He blends knees, elbows, and submissions in a way that forces you to defend 
wrestling even when his striking. At this level, the takedown isn’t the goal. It’s the threat that 
opens up everything else. Faints a level change, uppercut lands. Shoot halfway, then a guillotine 
lock. That’s MMA wrestling. Not pure wrestling, but wrestling that fuels chaos. Level five, 
elite scramble artist. Camaro Usman doesn’t rely on perfect doubles or singles. His strength 
is controlling positions in motion. Try try to take him down, he reverses. Stand up, he drags 
you back down. He adapts mid scramble. And that’s the difference between a college wrestler and an 
MMA champion. People might say Usman’s wrestling is better than Coventon’s, but that’s not really 
the case. It’s Usman just has better timing and cage crafts. Coventson has the credentials. 
Usman has the application. Elite scramble artists make the cage their mat. Every clinch, 
every transition, every escape is part of their system. And when combined with elite striking or 
cardio, they become championship material. Now, it’s fair to say something like Charles Olivivera 
should be above Usman on this list as an example. In my opinion, you can switch both sides. But the 
reason I put Usman a level above is because when it comes to the wrestling fundamentals, he applies 
that better. Yes, Charles has the most finishes in the UFC, has the most submissions in the UFC, but 
that really is the outcome of his jiujitsu. When it comes to applying the wrestling fundamentals, 
I do think Kamaru Usman does do a better job when it comes to the scramble, mixing up the striking 
and the wrestling. Now, if you disagree or agree, let me know in the comments. Level six, wrestling 
plus submission threats. Now, things get scary. Ground control becomes a finishing weapon. Islam 
Mahachev lives here. He’s not just taking you down. He’s taking you to the worst place possible. 
Clean takedown, instant pass to dominant position. If you defend that, you give up your neck, 
your arm, or your back. The fear isn’t the takedown necessarily. It’s what happens after. 
Every transition leads to a submission chain. The control isn’t just physical, it’s technical 
suffocation. Another great example of this level is Hamza Chimaya. He’s arguably the best wrestler 
in MMA right now. And it’s not necessarily because of the takedown entries, which if you’re looking 
at is absolutely perfect. He’s very quick with it. And he constantly chases those takedowns, but it’s 
also the inevitability of what happens after. He either smudges you or finishes you. Either way, 
it’s absolutely dominant. It’s almost like if he lands that takedown, which he 99% will most likely 
land a takedown, there’s nothing else you can do aside from trying to survive for the rest of the 
round. Just take a look at his fight with Robert Whitaker and also his fight with DDP. He broke 
Robert Whitaker’s seat with a submission, but he didn’t finish DDP, but it was 100% one-sided. 
Nislam Mahachev and Hamza Chimayv at the blueprint of level six wrestling. Patient, systematic, 
unstoppable. It’s easy to watch Hamzad and say, is he really patient? Does he really wait a little 
bit before he goes for his takedowns? But that’s not what patience means. It means picking 
the right spot, the right entry, and landing it at the right time. Islam striking exists to 
funnel you into his world. One jab, one faint, suddenly you’re on the back with no way out. 
This is championship level MMA wrestling. The mat becomes a trap. Now, there’s always been a debate 
between Islam Mahachev and Kabib Numagamedov on who is the better fighter. And I think it does 
come into how they mix up their grappling with their striking. question is when you compare both 
fighters, is it a hot take to say Islam Mahachev in his prime is a better grappler than Habib 
Nagamedov in his prime? And we’re talking about pure grappling. Let me know in the comments what 
you think about that. Speaking of Habib Nagamedov, we transition to level seven, complete game 
changers. The ones who didn’t just wrestle, they redefined MMA itself. Hhabib Num Magagomedov 
built a system of pressure control, posture, ground strikes, positional suffocation, aka 
smash. He turned wrestling into dominations, not decisionmaking. I mean, 29 and0 is 
an incredible record. Whether or not you want to say things like, “Yeah, he fought cans 
most of his career.” 29-0 is still impressive. He never bled in the octagon, never lost around 
in his prime. And that just goes to show you how dominant he is when it comes to instilling his 
game plan to the fight. And also how good he is defensive wise and how decent he was when 
it came to the striking cuz he did mix it up. His wrestling wasn’t about takedowns. It was about 
inevitability. You knew what was coming. Everyone knew and nobody could stop it. George St. Pierre 
did this with his striking based wrestling using timing and distance to dictate when and how 
fights happened. Daniel Comeier did this at heavyweight rag dling Olympic caliber wrestlers 
while throwing knockout power. At level seven, wrestling isn’t defense or offense. It’s fight 
control. It dictates tempo, distance, striking, and everything. These fighters don’t just use 
wrestling to win rounds. They use it to end careers. Level seven wrestlers make the sport 
evolve. They turn wrestling from a tool into an art form. Where does your favorite fighter land? 
Are they a chain wrestler like Morab, a submission threat like Islam? Or have they reached the wear, 
the Khabib and GSP level, where wrestling becomes destiny. If you’ve reached this part of the video, 
thank you so much. Don’t forget to hit that like button and subscribe to the channel if you’re 
new as I post these type of videos every week. And also, if you’re interested in seeing the seven 
levels of MMA skill and the seven levels of MMA fighter, go ahead and click on the videos on the 
screen after this. I’ll see you in the next one.

This video provides a deep dive into wrestling in mma, offering mma analysis on how fighters utilize takedown defense. It also explores various mma techniques and grappling techniques within the context of the ufc and broader mma.

0:00 – Intro
0:25 – Level 1
1:00 – Level 2
1:41 – Level 3
2:33 – Level 4
3:14 – Level 5
4:43 – Level 6
7:22 – Level 7

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