When Eddie Bravo talks about jiu-jitsu, it is probably a pretty good idea to listen as closely as possible.

Bravo, a second-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, has helped work with such students as Ronda Rousey, Joe Rogan, Chuck Liddell, Shinya Aoki and Dan Hardy, as he currently runs the 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu school out of Legends MMA.

While his record isn’t as glossy as others, he has had a large influence in the UFC, including Chan Sung Jung using his “twister” lock to earn a victory against Leonard Garcia at UFC Fight Night 24.

Bravo, as he told TapouT Radio in a recent interview, understands that a lot of the Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills he has really wouldn’t translate over to MMA.

“Roger Gracie said it himself. He said, ‘Eighty percent of BJJ is useless in MMA.’ When someone is trying to punch you, in MMA, you’re forced to play a clinching style of jiu-jitsu,” Bravo said.

Bravo pointed out a recent match on The Ultimate Fighter: Live in which Cristiano Marcello was defeated by Justin Lawrence. Marcello is a fellow BJJ practitioner, but, as Bravo said, “he couldn’t get the fight to the ground, so it didn’t matter.” Lawrence won by using his striking, dropping Marcello in the second round.

The 41-year-old Bravo has released four instructional manuals, including Advanced Rubber Guard last year.

By: Dana Becker