In BJJ, we have not seen anyone saying focus on weight more than the BJJ skills. It is obvious from the BJJ matches that a slim and lean player can defeat a bulky and fat player. There is a recent example where the small grappler submits all the sturdy fighters at the gym with her active BJJ skills.
These days, we are coming across the news that the world’s strongest man, Mitchell Hooper, grappled with the Namajunas and Barry. Rose Namajunas, the former UFC Strawweight Champion, lost her title to Carla Esparza earlier this year. She is set to face Manon Fiorot at UFC Fight Night: Gane Vs. Spivac on September 2nd, 2023. Recently, Namajunas was spotted wrestling with Mitchell Hooper, the World’s Strongest Man.
The World’s Strongest Man
Hooper, a Canadian strongman, emerged victorious in the 2023 World’s Strongest Man competition held in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. He also acquired the top position at the 2023 Arnold Strongman Classic. Weighing approximately 320 lbs and standing 6ft 2 inches tall, Hooper encountered Namajunas and her MMA coach, Pat Barry. He uploaded two videos on his YouTube channel showing him wrestling with both champions, leaving them exhausted.
Skills vs. Weight OR Weight vs. Skills
It’s often stated that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is primarily about skills and techniques. The prevalent belief in BJJ circles is that even a smaller, leaner individual can have the edge over a larger, bulkier opponent. However, this isn’t always the case. Raw power is just as crucial as grappling techniques. Despite being a brown belt in BJJ, Namajunas was unable to withstand Hooper’s weight. Barry, Namajunas’s coach, was forced to tap out when Hooper attempted to submit him.
Even with a grappling advantage over Hooper, both Namajunas and Barry failed to execute a takedown on Hooper. Hooper outweighed Barry and was twice as heavy as Namajunas.
Mitchell Hooper’s Vs. Namajunas and Barry
Initially, Namajunas introduced Hooper to some BJJ techniques and later attempted to submit the World’s strongest man but was unsuccessful. Namajunas made an effort to lift Hooper, but he countered by taking her down. She tried to bring Hooper down to the ground, but his substantial weight prevented her from doing so. Hooper succeeded in submitting Barry by applying force to his arm, leading to a kimura.
This isn’t the inaugural instance of MMA fighters/grapplers taking on the World’s Strongest Men. Gunnar Nelson, a Mixed Martial Arts combatant, wrestled with Hafthor Bjornsson, the 2020 Arnold Strongman Classic champion. Dustin Poirier also had a grappling match with four-time World’s Strongest Man, Brian Shaw.
