Your favourite grappling matches in MMA

Belcher vs Palhares was awesome. Sitting together with their legs intertwined, it was like they both forgot they were allowed to punch each other in the face. And the sense of danger for Belcher's legs, with Rogan screaming "You can't play footsies with Palhares!" But then an awesome display of coolheadedness and defence, and a spectacular KO to finish. Awesome fight.

Most fights I've seen knowing the result beforehand, but that was one of the most exciting grappling matches I've seen live. :smoke

:hat

 

Maia vs. MacDonald - UFC 87

Primate and I are in complete agreement on that one. I was losing my **** watching that fight! Suck a sick, sick exchange on the mat, MacDonald getting out of that triangle after Rogan called, "This is a wrap ladies and gentlemen," MacDonald escaping, crowd goes insane, he grabs Maia's back with both hooks in, I'm screaming with my BJJ buddies, we're all losing our damn minds... and then he almost submits him with a guillotine? (Maia escaped to the opposite side well, which, of couse he will... he's freakin' Demian Maia) Yeah, we were going nuts.

That fight was awesome. One of the clear turning points in MMA where people didn't boo the grappling exchange and, in fact, were going nuts over it! About ****ing time!

(I am aware that this isn't the first fight in which people didn't boo the grappling but it's one of the few that I can recall where people weren't particularly indifferent about it, some excited, some not but where pretty much everyone in the crowd was loving it! Australia was another place that the crowd was AMAZING!)

 

Sakuraba vs Carlos Newton & Vernon White.....
Royce Gracie vs Ken Shamrock 1.....

Immediately come to mind.

 

Benoit Kurt Angle...
























:yep

 

Nick Diaz vs. Diego Sanchez
Nick Diaz vs. Karo Parisyan
Diego Sanchez vs. Karo Parisyan
Daisuke Nakamura vs Hideo Tokoro
Hideo Tokoro vs. Abel Cullum
Tyson Griffin vs Thiago Tavares

 

perhaps im a bit biased as a dane, but i enjoyed kampmann vs condit. kampmann vs shields was also a good one.

 

Best one Ive seen was Diaz vs. Sanchez.

 

I loved watching Griffin attempting to get Thiago off his back by slamming his head to mat. I thought Tavares won when I watched that fight.

 

Sakuraba v Newton!!

If you really wanna stretch it out watch any Volk Han v Kiyoshi Tamura matches from Rings. Classic stuff!!

 

I thoroughly enjoyed Hughes Penn 2 purely from the grappling perspective

 

Saku the Goat had so many.

 

Rousey vs Tate

 

Saku vs Newton, Saku vs Rolles Gracie (despite the fact that Saku was way past his prime in that fight), Barnett vs Nog 1

 

I actually point this fight out to a lot of guys when I'm teaching them alternatives to finish an armbar. The cross-grab that Rousey does to separate the arms is fantastic.