Craig Jones, who coaches UFC welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena, recently offered his perspective on the combat sport of sambo.
“Sambo is the kind of sport where essentially two judokas decided to take off their pants to wrestle,” Jones remarked. “I have nothing but respect for that.” However, he also added, “De Ridder has already debunked the myth of the strength of American wrestlers [by defeating Bo Nickal], and Australians have similarly done the same regarding the strength of Russian wrestlers.” Jones concluded with a sarcastic query: “Is there really any country where people can *truly* wrestle?”
