Maia and Askren – The Principles of The Best!

The recent UFC fight between Ben Askren and Demian Maia had that special selling-appeal of unstoppable force vs. immovable object. Askren has been on a tear with a record of 19-1, mauling his opposition with superior wrestling and positional control. Maia’s record of 27-9 doesn’t sound as impressive at first. However, when you consider who he’s beaten and how much he’s grown, one will gain a better sense of why Askren dubbed Maia as the best grappler “possibly in MMA ever”.  But Askren himself was no pushover for Maia, and what makes both of these men iconic in MMA is their formal training away from the MMA scene.

Askren was no wrestling phenom from the start. Although he eventually became a high school state champion, his first year in college began with losing ten matches in the span of six weeks. It was only after much trial and error – far outside the limelight of the MMA scene – that he developed a disciplined, individual style that helped him earn the NCAA Division 1 Championship in 2006 and in 2007.

Demian Maia started his BJJ career at age 19. Amazingly, he earned his black belt after 4 years and 7 months of training (often several times per day). However, it took time for Maia to translate his BJJ success into MMA success. When he did transition into MMA, he was already well-established in terms of BJJ basics. His solid MMA record of 28-9 doesn’t sound as cool as 19-1, but losses have never derailed him from consistent training and improvement.

My point here is that the greatness and fame of such men are not first made in the octagon. They’re made in the long, unpopular, grueling hours of formal training in wrestling, BJJ, and boxing, and Muay Thai. So even if you don’t have the time to train several sessions per day like Maia or Askren, you can still follow in their footsteps through steady training habits. At our academy, we’ll be happy to set you on this path!

Come train at NJ United Mixed Martial Arts and take advantage of our 7-day free trial offer! Whether you’re an aspiring competitor or casual student, you will benefit from training in our friendly, professional, and ego-free environment. Call us at 973-638-1570 to schedule your first class, and visit us on the web at http://www.njunitedmma.com/ for more info.