Purists in UFC or Pride?

[bustr]

How come you never see BJJ purists in the tourneys anymore? Seems like they vanished about the same time as Hackney and DeLucia. Everyone seems to be crosstraining now. Isn't BJJ alone good enough to go up against people like Randy Couture and Frank Shamrock?

[Mr. Nemo]

"Isn't BJJ alone good enough to go up against people like Randy Couture and Frank Shamrock?"

The short answer is no, not without crosstraining. The BJJ purists disappeared because BJJ alone is not enough to win against today's crosstrained fighters.

[bustr]

Thanks Nemo. That would also explain the absence of most KungFu arts even though some fighters do train in Neijia arts.

[Archangel]

Exactly what Nemo said, a pure BJJ stylist could get away with it in the past; simply because groundfighting was so foreign to everyone. Now with the advent of the cross trained fighter that has developed a specific strategy against BJJ and most of all has the tools to use it. It's lights out.

[KnightSabre]

There are very few BJJ purists left.
However there are still a number that are almost pure JJ fighters that still compete and do well.
Guys like Mario Sperry,Renzo Gracie,Wallid Ismael,Matt Serra,Antonio Nogiera(allthough he has good boxing skills).

BJJ and wrestling are the 2 styles that can get away with the least amount of cross training.

Obviously the best cross trained fighter will beat the purist on most occasions.

[Xebsball]

Nogueira does Muay Thai
Renzo does Kickboxing
Wallid does Boxing

[Mr. Nemo]

Wallid trains boxing at the same gym I do, actually. I saw him on the heavy bag once, but apparently he's only in LA for part of the year.

[Knifefighter]

Even Royce, the last of the pure BJJ guys, cross-trains now. Although I think his choice of cross-training style was a mistake and resulted in him losing to Sak.