Though it is an old topic I find that it brings out a lot interesting viewpoints and I value each of them. So, if you could, bear with me and listen to what I have to say. It has been said that 90% of all fights end up on the ground. It has also been said that all fights between inexperienced fighters end up on the ground. Personally I would prefer to stand up. I've been in more than a few scuffles and I remained standing through the duration of the fight. However this is just because I usually put the other guys lights out within two hits, thus reducing a chance for him to shoot on me. My line of thinking is like that of Mas Oyama. Oyama said that he could knock out or kill you with one punch. (he proved it too when he killed three fully grown bulls during his sixtieth birthday celebration.) With power like that no one could beat you, and that is the common aim of all strikers, the one hit wonder, a single strike knock out. On the other hand, grappling is very advantageous in situations where you do not want to absolutely destroy the other fighter. Take this scenario for instance: My high school graduation party is being thrown and I invited my party loving relatives over. My cousin gets wasted. He starts to throw chairs around. I have two options: 1). Knock his lights out and never be invited to Thanksgiving celebrations with my cousins family again. 2). Get him into a joint lock, head lock, leg lock, whatever until we can tie him to a chair until he sobers up. Obviously the second choice would be the most reasonable. Being from both sides of the river (striking and grappling) I can say that if it were a fight between the two it could go either way. But if it were one of the two versus someone who could utilize both types of fighting then there is no question that the eclectic fighter would win due to his flexibility. Bruce Lee said, "Be like water. If you pour water into a cup it becomes the cup, if you pour it into a teapot it becomes the teapot. Water can flow but always remember that water can crash like the waves. So be like water my friend." Without the philosophical mumbo jumbo it basically means learn everything you can and you will dominate.
