When it comes to martial arts supremacy, Javier Mendez has seen it all. As the legendary coach behind Khabib Nurmagomedov and numerous UFC champions, Mendez offers a perspective that carries weight in the combat sports world. His answer to which martial art reigns supreme may surprise fans who assume wrestling or striking holds the crown.
During a conversation on The Ahmad Mahmood Show, Mendez was asked directly which single martial art would prevail in a street scenario. His response was unequivocal.
“If they just know one art, jiu-jitsu beats them all. If it’s a street () situation, one-on-one, I would take jiu-jitsu, the submission specialist, which is jiu-jitsu or sambo specialist over anybody.”
The coach, who built American Kickboxing Academy into an international MMA powerhouse, acknowledged that many would assume wrestling takes the top spot. While he gives wrestlers significant credit, particularly in their ability to control where a contest goes, he sees jiu-jitsu as the ultimate equalizer.
“As a use of one single art, one single art only, I would take jiu-jitsu,”
Mendez explained. When pressed about Brazilian jiu-jitsu specifically, he pointed to history.
“They proven it. How can somebody say anything different? The Gracies proved it as a single art, single martial art in the world. No other art, theirs is the best, and I’ve yet to see anybody prove them wrong.”
Mendez’s analysis extends beyond theory. He’s witnessed countless scenarios in training where different martial arts clash. In his assessment, a top-level jiu-jitsu practitioner defeats even elite wrestlers when both are limited to their primary discipline.
“Top BJJ guy versus the top wrestler, top versus top, the BJJ guy beats the best wrestler.”
The reasoning is straightforward in Mendez’s view. A wrestler excels at takedowns and control, which works perfectly against strikers who don’t understand ground combat. However, once on the ground with a jiu-jitsu expert, the wrestler enters dangerous territory. The submission specialist has an arsenal of techniques specifically designed to neutralize and finish opponents from that position.
Mendez offered important context to his assessment. In multiple-attacker situations or scenarios involving other things, the ground game becomes a liability.
“If you’re talking kni ves and you’re talking about other scenarios, then you don’t want to be a wrestler or jiu-jitsu guy on the ground because you’re dealing with one guy and the other guys are pounding on you. It all depends on the scenario.”
Mendez ranks them clearly: jiu-jitsu first, wrestling second, then striking arts like boxing and kickboxing. Even karate, despite having useful techniques like spinning kicks and sidekicks that Mendez considers underutilized in MMA, falls lower on his list for single-art effectiveness.
