Grappling is overrated because of the MMA & UFC sport?

First of all, the sport of UFC & MMA can provide some really talented fighters/mixed martial artists and is viewed by many as a decent form of entertainment. I remember back in 1993 (or thereabouts) when the UFC first got started.  There were far less rules (and rounds) back then and it closely resembled the "tough man contests" that were gaining popularity during that particular time era, to say the least.  However, things have changed a great deal since then. 5-minute rounds have been added, weight classes now exist, and additional safety measures have been applied.  In short, the MMA and UFC can definitely be labelled as a "sport" now, more so than ever before.

What about the dominance of grappling? Is it overrated or does it receive too much credit because of this type of sport?  I would hate to argue about the effectiveness of a good grappling game, as it has crippled the strategy of many a good striker, kick boxer, etc. There is no doubt that judo, wrestling, jujitsu, and other grappling skills, are all highly effective at getting submissions for the victory within the sport of MMA and the UFC.

But when it comes to real-life street fighting with no rules whatsoever, would the outcome be the same?  Take that picture above, for example.  The guy has the other guy in the all-too-famous arm-bar thingy-ma-jiggy. It looks like the dude on the bottom is in trouble, right?  In the sport of MMA & UFC, he would have clearly lost the fight via tap-out/submission.  If this was out in the backyard, though, what would happen if the other guy took a huge bite/chunk out of his leg? I mean, his leg is clearly right by his mouth... Ha-ha!  Would he have even gotten a chance to wrestle around, hug and grope the other guy for several minutes until he nestled his legs around the other guy's face and arms, without all the rules being applied in this sport?

The questions of grappling being overrated doesn't stop there, either. What about eye pokes/gouges and groin strikes that are not allowed in the MMA and UFC?  How about direct downward elbow strikes to the spine and neck when the opponent tries to take you down, which is also not legal in this sport?  These are just a few examples of rules that wouldn't apply in real life.  By having these rules in place, it does limit the defense a person has when another one is trying to take them down intentionally so they can use their awesome grappling skills to squeeze something they normally wouldn't have the chance to get to in the first place.

On the flip side, having excellent grappling skills, if nothing else, can save your life - especially if you are fighting a much bigger and stronger opponent.  I'm not saying that being an excellent Kung-Fu striker is better than being an excellent grappling wrestler, as it would depend on the person and their ability, potential, skills, strength, and so on.  What I am saying, is that due to the "sport" of UFC and MMA, grappling has become a bit overrated, in my opinion.  At any rate, I enjoy watching a good fight from time to time, whether it is professional boxing, UFC, etc., so I'm not complaining in the slightest; ha!

Image Credit: It is in the Public Domain and is not under copyright protection.

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Semi-related Post:
http://random-twaddle.blogspot.com/2015/07/punching-bag-human-dummy.html