From Dan Severn to Brock Lesnar

When the cage door locks Saturday night in Las Vegas, two high level wrestlers will be face to face in the Octagon. While some are suggesting this is the era of the wrestler, that amateur studs are finally finding there way to the top, the facts disagree with that assessment. Since 1994, top American wrestlers have dominated MMA – in Brazil, in Japan, and especially in the UFC.

It all started with Dan Severn, a 36 year-old mustachioed wrestler from Arizona State. Severn made his UFC debut at UFC 4 and made an immediate impact with multiple back suplexes against poor Anthony Macias. Severn went on to crush Royce Gracie for 15 minutes before getting caught in a triangle choke by the sport’s founding legend. Severn had years of wrestling experience, but he just wasn’t a fighter in his heart. He had Gracie in very vulnerable positions but couldn’t pull the trigger on the brutal headbutts, elbows, and punches he needed to win.

Read the entire article by Jonathan Snowden of www.bloodyelbow.com here…