Eastern Europeans are Best for Jiu-Jitsu and MMA

Have you ever wondered why Eastern Europeans are so dominant in martial arts? They have made a significant impact in Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) and mixed martial arts (MMA). It is quite clear that Eastern European nations are always at the top.

Eastern European countries, including Russia, Poland, and Ukraine, always dominate the international championships. Khabib Nurmagomedov, Fedor Emelianenko, Alexander Gustafsson, and Mirko Cro Cop are the leading fighters in MMA and BJJ. In this article, we will explore the facts of why Eastern European fighters always dominate in the bouts.

The Eastern European nations have remarkable fighters, and athletes are always ready for the fight. Their culture is enriched with the sports they deal with the traditional as well as modern sports. The youth of the eastern European countries are indulged in the sports leagues. The people play nationally and stay competitive to compete in international competitions.

These countries are highly competitive and organized in sports. Their kids and adults equally participate in sports. The enthusiastic people have a sturdy, muscular appearance and a competitive mindset. That is why they are strong and can prevail over all obstacles. The people are comparatively well-built and massive, which is why they performed excellently on the mat and on the podium.

They are traditionally involved in sports and have made a significant contribution to producing the top athletes. Fighters have left their mark on mixed martial arts (MMA). Their enriched culture supports MMA, BJJ, boxing , and wrestling. 

The region of Eastern Europe has a considerably cold climate. The sports are according to their atmosphere like ice hockey.

• Ice hockey started to gain popularity in the late nineties, and it is played at different levels.
• It includes various competitions like the national ice hockey tournaments, and international competitions.
• Ice hockey is also part of the Olympics.
• Soccer (Football) is the most popular sport, and it helps increase mobility and build physical strength.
• The top teams always lead from the eastern European side which are Serbia, Greece, and Estonia.
• Some of the indoor games are also part of their traditional sports culture which includes volleyball.
• The teams also excel in the international tournaments.

These unique popular sports help future athletes, as they have a comparative advantage when it comes to training in martial arts. 

In Eastern Europe there is a growing presence of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. As compared to western Europe, the eastern side is producing the traditionally dominated BJJ fighters.

The regions of Russia and Georgia are well equipped with the competence of exceptional grapplers. Some of the fighters are making waves in the most challenging sports, and they incorporate the tactics of different martial arts. The wrestling and boxing backgrounds are the key factors behind their success.

• The United World Wrestling (UWW) organizes grappling tournaments that produce notable BJJ fighters.
• Poland is at the top, contributing to the increase in the martial arts of jiu-jitsu.
• The other major point is that BJJ training centers are comparatively economical. That is why most athletes like to train jiu-jitsu more often.

The art of submission and grappling is popular in Eastern Europe. Brazilian jiu-jitsu is the fastest-spreading sport in Eastern Europe, helping to produce top-notch grapplers.

• East Coast Jiu-Jitsu Academy (ECJJA) provides a modern approach to training jiu-jitsu. It provides perfect training to newbies.
• The next leading gym for jiu-jitsu is 10 Planet. This place is known for training for No Gi tournaments.
• It is the best BJJ gym located in Serbia.
• The best part is that these jiu-jitsu gyms are cost-effective.
• Ground sports provide better opportunities for MMA .
• Ireland is also providing maximum opportunities for the BJJ fighters. 

Most Eastern European Fighters practice more than one martial art. That is one of the most significant differences between the fighters of west Europe. Let us find out the top fighters of Eastern Europe:

Jan Maciej Błachowicz is the best UFC fighter, and he belongs to Cieszyn, Poland. The professional MMA fighter competes in the light heavyweight division. He exhibits distinguished characteristics that have earned him a special place in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Jan Błachowicz is the representative of the “Berkut WCA Fight Team.” He is the black belt in jiu-jitsu, and Blachowicz is training under the renowed instructors Kamil Umiński and Radosław Turek.

Błachowicz has won the title of performance of the night five times, and he has been part of the top leading UFC competition that includes: UFC on ESPN: Błachowicz vs. Rakić, UFC Fight Night: Anderson vs. Błachowicz 2, UFC Fight Night: Błachowicz vs. Jacaré and UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Till. Most of his wins are with the submission and knockouts. 

Khabib Nurmagomedov is the number one lightweight champion and one of the longest-reigning lightweight champions ever. Throughout his professional fighting career, he has remained unbeaten. He has set the MMA record of appearing in twenty-nine fights and winning all of them.

Khabib Nurmagomedov is part of various martial arts, a black belt in Judo and a white belt in jiu-jitsu. Khabib is an undefeatable mixed martial artist and ranked number one in UFC pound-for-pound rankings. On 30 June 2022, he was added to the Hall of Fame; he remained the number one fighter in the lightweight division. He is at the fifth number of having the highest control time percentage in the UFC Lightweight division.

“The Eagle” also competes in the tournaments of Sambo; he has won the gold medal in the Russian Combat Sambo Championships. The versatile fighter has the part of the army in hand-to-hand combat. Khabib Nurmagomedov has competed in the jiu-jitsu competitions and won two titles in the same year that are:

• ADCC Rules No-Gi Expert Welterweight Champion
• Men's No-Gi Expert Welterweight Champion

Fedor Emelianenko is, also known as the “Last Emperor” the most dominant fighter has origin in Russia. The dominant fighter of MMA has competed in forty-eight tournaments and won forty matches out of them. Ferdor is known for his knockout power; most wins are through finishes .

The Last Emperor is considered to be the best fighter in MMA, and he has competed in the heavyweight division. He set the streak of four wins as he stepped onto the podium. Most of his notable victories are as follows:

Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers, Fight For Japan: GDKO 2011, BodogFIGHT: Clash of the Nations, Pride Shockwave 2005, Rizin World Grand Prix 2015 Finale: Iza, and Bellator 269.

His list of titles is very long. He has become the heavyweight Bellator and won the title of Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix Finalist. Fedor Emelianenko has become the fighter of the Year consecutively in three years. Emelianenko has also competed in Judo and Sambo.

Mirko Cro Cop is the most dominant fighter in MMA and holds a black belt in Taekwondo. The versatile fighter is also a kickboxer, and he has created a milestone in the history of MMA. Cro Cop is considered one of the most prominent fighters in the heavyweight category. Croatians have a fighting style that is inspired by kickboxing .

Mirko Cro Cop has appeared in fifty-two fights and won thirty-eight bouts. Most of his wins are with the knockout method. He has cemented his performance with the heavy quick, and high kick. He started his MMA career in 2001; Cro Cop has defeated the top veterans, including:

• Kazushi Sakuraba
• Kazuyuki Fujita

He is known for his ultimate finishes; Mirko Cro Cop has defeated the fighter in less than a minute. He has competed in the open weight championship and won all of the matches. He won the title of the Pride Openweight Grand Prix in 2006. In addition to that, he has remained unbeaten in the Rizin Fighting Federation and won the competition by setting the record of 6 wins and 0 losses. 

Andrei Arlovski is a Belarusian fighter and a professional mixed martial artist who competes in MMA and Sambo. He has been interested in martial arts since childhood; he started weightlifting at a very young age. The muscular youngster started training in Sambo and Judo  in his teenage years.

Arlovski is an MMA fighter who has distinguished himself with his ultimate finishing methods. He has appeared in sixty fights and won thirty-four fights; most of his wins are with the knockout method. He made his debut in MMA when he was only 20 years old. Due to his distinguished fighting style, he is famous with the names of “The Pitbull” and ‘Vampire.”

Andrei Arlovski competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he is a heavyweight. As he stepped into the octagon, he made significant victories. He has a record of fighting six hours and forty-nine minutes in the UFC . Andrei Arlovski has become the champion of the UFC in the heavyweight division.

In the MMA event “ProElite 2: Big Guns”, he used a head kick and won the fight with a KO.

His notable wins are with the knockout method, including Affliction: Banned, UFC Fight Night: Bigfoot vs. Arlovski, UFC 187, Fight Nights: Battle in Minsk, and EliteXC: Heat. 

If you peer into their eyes, you can easily figure out that they are courageous and always ready to compete . The sturdy fighters are well-built, passionate, and powerful; they have spent most of their time training in various martial arts. The Eastern European fighters are active and physically strong because they have been participating in indoor and outdoor sports since childhood. 

Eastern European communities have well-built combat sports programs. The art of submission and grappling is gaining popularity, and the best part is that it is located in the various regions of Eastern Europe.

The BJJ training centers are comparatively cost-effective. The fighters of East Europe take part in the grappling art to attain the skills of applying chokes and submission. They are best in jiu-jitsu because they have been training in various martial arts, which creates an advantage for them.

Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a worldwide sport, and athletes from all over the world contribute to its growth and development. Certainly, Eastern Europe has produced excellent MMA contenders that have created a significant impact in BJJ and MMA.

Jiu-jitsu is flourishing in Eastern Europe and has also had a noteworthy effect. In addition, BJJ training gyms are cost-effective, allowing most athletes to train in BJJ. Fighters learn the techniques of grappling, choke holds, and submission. In this way, fighters can avail themselves of better opportunities to enter the podium of MMA.