folkstyle vs freestyle vs greco — which style is best for MMA crossover

this question comes up constantly in MMA circles and the answer is more nuanced than people think.

folkstyle (american collegiate wrestling):

• emphasizes riding time, top control, escapes, and returning opponent to mat
• the most relevant to MMA ground control. if you want to hold someone down and ground and pound, folkstyle is your base
• downside: the bottom position in folkstyle (referee's position) doesnt exist in MMA so some skills dont transfer
• example fighters: Colby Covington, Kamaru Usman, Henry Cejudo

freestyle:

• emphasizes explosiveness, throws, and exposure (turning opponent's back to mat)
• the best for takedowns in MMA because freestyle takedowns are dynamic and translate directly to the cage
• the scrambling in freestyle is incredibly useful for MMA transitions
• less bottom position work which means less ground control but better takedown offense
• example fighters: Khabib Nurmagomedov (sambo is basically freestyle+), Daniel Cormier

greco-roman:

• upper body throws and clinch work only. no leg attacks
• the clinch work translates DIRECTLY to the cage. dirty boxing and cage clinch positions are greco territory
• the throws are spectacular and devastating in MMA — a greco throw onto a canvas is brutal
• downside: no leg attacks limits the takedown options
• example fighters: Randy Couture, Matt Lindland

my ranking for MMA:

1. freestyle — best overall MMA transfer
2. folkstyle — best for control and top game
3. greco — best for clinch and cage work but limited in other areas

the real answer: train all three and pull from each what works in MMA. the best MMA wrestlers (Khabib, Islam) blend all three styles seamlessly.

what do DFW fighters and coaches think?