Bellator champs: Wrestling is key for Filipino MMA supremacy
When asked what Filipino mixed martial arts (MMA ) fighters can improve on to make it into the “big leagues” in the United States, champions from Bellator Fighting Championships (Bellator) pointed to one discipline: wrestling. “At the end of the day it’s the wrestlers that you see in MMA who are doing best,” said Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler in an interview. “That’s a really good base to have.” This view is echoed by fellow fighter and Bellator welterweight champion Ben Askren who gave reasons why having an amateur wrestling background is a big deal.