a guy who has been doing bjj for 5 years will beat most wrestlers who have been wrestling for 10 years on the ground..if all they have been doing is wrestling. but some cross training for a wrestler makes a huge difference.
In low level MMA BJJ guys still dominate easily. In top level MMA, you basically need both. But you can get away with great wrestling and submission defence.
There's only one answer; Wrestling for the dominant control and required strength when on top in the missionary position - being the giver. BJJ if you're the taker. Closed guard is especially flexible as it allows for being butt-****ed when on your back, or up in the air if the giver is standing.
:deal Well stated if all things are equal. That said both are awesome and depends on the individual's attention to their overall ground game.
Both arts are effective because they specialize in their particular range. Wrestlers will always be stronger with takedowns and control whilst jiujitsuan will always have the edge in submissions. In answer to the direct question of which one is more effective in MMA - I would say wrestling beause I believe the standup rules, time limits and points system lends itself to the wrestler's strength who merely has to score a takedown while the jiujitsu figther wants the submission. I personally believe jiujitsu is stronger in a gi and in street situations involving normal clothing - but inside the ring - the gi advantage is taken away.
Wrestling. They dictate where the fight goes. Against a BJJ practitioner, they keep it standing. Against a striker, they take it the ground. We moved from a BJJ stage in early MMA, to a wrestler stage, to a brief striker stage, and then we went back to a wrestler stage. Obviously hybrid fighters will always be the best, but if I have to choose a base for MMA, it's wrestling all the way.
Both are effective, in their own right. I say BJJ gives you the better chances of a submission finish. Wrestling gives you the better chance for a decision. A BJJ practitioner can spend the entire fight on the bottom of a wrestler -- the BJJ practitioner has the better chance for a finish (the wrestler does not from his wrestling, alone), but if he doesn't get it, the wrestler's chances for a win via decision are at its highest.
Every current UFC champion who has successfully defended their title owns a brown belt or higher in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu except for Jon Jones and Dominick Cruz (blue belt).
That's a poor example of Wrestler vs BJJ. This is Maia vs Sonnen who are both MMA fighers for long time now.