Former UFC athlete and veteran MMA coach Din Thomas has delivered a sharp critique of modern mixed martial arts competitors who possess elite Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills but refuse to utilize them during competition. Speaking on his podcast, Thomas expressed frustration with what he sees as a troubling trend in contemporary MMA.
“It’s funny how these guys are here supporting this jiu-jitsu and refuse to use jiu-jitsu in matches,” Thomas observed while discussing competitors he spotted in the audience at a recent UFC BJJ event.
The coach specifically called out the mentality that has developed among certain athletes who believe ground grappling is ineffective in modern MMA competition.
Thomas argues that this mindset stems from a fundamental misunderstanding of the sport’s evolution.
“In their mind, they don’t think it works. So then there became this mentality that jiu-jitsu doesn’t work and if you’re doing it, you’re going to get beat up,” he explained.
This perspective has created what Thomas describes as a self-fulfilling prophecy where athletes abandon effective grappling techniques simply because they’ve been told they’re outdated.
The coach highlighted the contradiction in this thinking, pointing out that even athletes who claim jiu-jitsu doesn’t work still need to train defensive grappling. “If you’re training jiu-jitsu defense, you’re still training jiu-jitsu, and if you don’t train that jiu-jitsu defense, you’re going to lose to jiu-jitsu,” Thomas stated.
Thomas praised Roman Dolidze as an example of how jiu-jitsu can still be incredibly effective in modern MMA. “Roman Dolidze has a tremendous guard. He’s got the best guard in MMA,” Thomas noted, describing how Dolidze actively works from his back rather than simply trying to stand up. “He gets on his back, he starts elbowing you in the head, then he goes for that arm bar.”
The veteran coach believes the disconnect between jiu-jitsu and MMA communities has been damaging to both disciplines. He expressed optimism about recent efforts to bridge this gap, particularly the UFC’s promotion of pure jiu-jitsu competition.
“I’m glad that it’s kind of coming back around,” Thomas said, noting that many current athletes entered the sport through different pathways than the jiu-jitsu-heavy early days of MMA.
Thomas emphasized that athletes who refuse to use their ground skills are not only limiting themselves but also failing to provide support for teammates who do utilize grappling effectively. This creates an environment where complete martial artists are discouraged from showcasing the full spectrum of their abilities.
The coach’s criticism extends beyond individual athlete choices to what he sees as a broader cultural shift in MMA training and competition philosophy. By abandoning proven techniques in favor of a more limited striking-focused approach, Thomas argues that competitors are making themselves more predictable and less dangerous overall.
Thomas hopes to see more athletes embrace the complete martial arts toolkit that made early MMA so compelling rather than limiting themselves to what has become the accepted meta of modern competition.
