Does size matter? At UFC 1 and UFC 2, Royce Gracie, dispatched all opponents with ease, despite being the youngest person in the event. However, which technique can overcome size, and is indeed a central point of martial arts, there are limits.
The classic PRIDE FC fight between Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira and Bob Sapp, showed that raw strength can compensate for a massive difference in skill. But Big Nog was ultimately victorious. So where are the limits?
The minds behind Russia’s hugely popular combat sports youtube channel True Gym decided to put the question to a test. In the blue corner is Ivan, a colossal, 322 pounds (146kg) and 6’ 3" (191cm) tall powerlifter. In the red corner is a grappler named Alexey, who weighs in at 128 pounds (58kg) and is 5’ 3" (161cm) tall.
The Rules
This was a friendly grappling match, followed by going live in three position-specific situations.
What Happened
At the end of the video, there are three specific situations:
•Body lock - Size mattered a lot;
•Mount escape - Little guy did great, while big guy invented new technique that could work great if ever you’re attacked by a child; and,
•Tackle - Unstoppable mass meets moveable object, and stoppable mass meets immovable object.
In these goes from a specific circumstance, while standing, size mattered overwhelmingly. On the ground it was far closer, with the powerlifter escaping faster, but showing more fatigue.
However, when the match was live, the little grappler vs. the giant powerlifter was essentially even. At the 1:03 mark, the grappler hits a beautiful Arm Throw/Drop Seoi Nage, although he is unable to hold the powerlifter down following the takedown. If the rule set gives points for initiation, the little guy won. If for riding time, then it goes to the giant. So call it even.
The lesson is that skill can allow you to hold your own even vs. someone not twice as big, but 2.5 times as big, and the size was all functional muscle.
