When it comes to ADCC, many Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fans are biased in favor of their own martial art. In some ways, this is completely understandable, as BJJ typically dominates the podiums of the Abu Dhabi Combat Club events.
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How would wrestlers such as Khabib do at ADCC?
However, it should also be noted that ADCC rules also favor wrestling. For example, there is a big emphasis on takedowns and playing a top-game which isn’t always the case in other tournaments. In brief, the point-scoring system dictates this and means the ancient art of wrestling can still prevail. Because of this, people often wonder how Khabib Nurmomegedov would do in ADCC, or wrestling legend Aleksandr Karelin.
Whilst these fantasy scenarios are fun to imagine, there has been a different MMA legend try his hand at ADCC. Back in 2005, Georges St Pierre qualified for the competition but was tapped out by a flying armbar from Leo Santos. This was arguably at his peak too. Of course, Khabib is a very different grappler compared to GSP so it’s perhaps unfair to compare the two. So, what about wrestling?
How did Mark Kerr get on in ADCC?
Well, it happens that one wrestler did incredibly well. Mark Kerr was also known as the smashing machine and for good reason. He could squat 250KG and was a serious powerlifter. Just looking at his jacked-up body showed what he was capable of in terms of strength. However, Kerr was more than just a strong man. Back in 1992, he had placed second at the D1 wrestling Championships after beating Randy Courture and in 1994 he became the USA Senior Freestyle Champion. In brief, he had some serious credentials.
Step forward to 1999. At this point, Kerr was a PRIDE and UFC Champion, with an MMA record of 11-0. At his peak, he competed at ADCC and won gold in the 99KG+ division. A year later, he did it again, this time winning the absolutes too. Among the names on the road to victory, he beat the likes of Josh Barnett and Ricardo Almeida.
The vast majority of his wins came by points, where he would takedown his opponents and then pin them. Although he didn’t get too many submissions, he didn’t need to. It was an efficient way to win. After his 2001 win over Mario Sperry, he did not compete at ADCC again and instead focused on MMA. Who is to say he wouldn’t have continued to dominate the sport though? With an ADCC record of 13-1, it’s hard to bet against him.
Does wrestling still have its place in ADCC?
So, what can we take from this? It’s fair to say that wrestling still has its place in ADCC. Although his wins were over 20 years back, the tournament structure has changed very little and still helps wrestlers. Of course, grappling and BJJ have evolved massively since, with the edition of leg locks and other techniques. However, it still shows that wrestling is a very good strategy to win.
This is good news for the likes of Nicky Rodriguez, who scored a silver medal on his ADCC debut in 2019. Since then, he has worked intensively with John Danaher to improve his chances of getting the gold next time. It also shows a possible route into the sport for the likes of Pat Downey, who has also began competing in BJJ and showing his own wrestling abilities.
Where is Mark Kerr now and what happened?
As for Mark Kerr, it was a case of life goes on. Sadly, after his heroics of the 2000 ADCC and impressive MMA record that proceeded, his life started to fall apart. He eventually got addicted to opiates and ended up with an MMA record of 15-11, losing to the likes of Oleg Taktarov and others. After battling his demons, he now lives a quiet life in Arizona raising his son. Interestingly, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is meant to be playing him in a biopic which would hopefully put more eyes on sport Jiu Jitsu.
