In the UFC, there have been many elite strikers over the years. Veterans include the likes of Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture and Dan Henderson. However, the current crop has evolved with the mixed martial arts game.
Israel Adesanya Reveals Live Reaction To Alex Volkanovski's Getting Knocked Out
Israel Adesanya looked stunned as he watched his friend and teammate Alexander Volkanovski get knocked out.It has created a roster that is more dynamic, versatile, and, quite frankly, dangerous. Here are the top 10 currently competing for UFC president and CEO, Dana White, and his matchmakers across all divisions.
10 Stephen Thompson Is A Karate Genius
'Wonderboy' Hits Opponents From Every Angle
Date of Birth | Feb. 11, 1983 |
Age | 41 |
Place of Birth | USA |
Year of MMA Debut | 2010 |
Overall MMA Record | 17-7-1 |
UFC Divisions Fought In | Welterweight |
Stephen Thompson is a full-contact kickboxer, who has that 'Karate Kid' vibe. Whether it's hands or the feet, Thompson finds a way to hit opponents from all angles.
Yair Rodríguez is very similar, but Thompson stands out with his fluid style that has knocked out opponents such as Robert Whittaker at welterweight, and Jake Ellenberger with a spinning wheel-kick. Thompson also has TKO wins over Johny Hendricks and Kevin Holland, which is why people prefer to see him fight a fellow striker than a wrestler like Colby Covington.
9 Cory Sandhagen Cuts Angles And Causes Immense Pain
'The Sandman' Is Lightning-Fast And Accurate
Date of Birth | Apr. 20, 1992 |
Age | 31 |
Place of Birth | USA |
Year of MMA Debut | 2015 |
Overall MMA Record | 17-4 |
UFC Divisions Fought In | Bantamweight, Featherweight |
Cory Sandhagen has that very kinetic flow like Thompson, dancing around the octagon, cutting angles and making it tough for his opponent to catch. Sandhagen switches stances a lot, creating a more unpredictable fighter.
With his base stemming from kickboxing as well, Sandhagen has TKO wins over Austin Arnett, Iuri Alcântara, Marlon Moraes and Song Yadong. It helps that opponents are worried about his grappling and submission skills, too. This aids Sandhagen in setting up scary finishers, such as 2021's flying knee to sleep Frankie Edgar.
8 Israel Adesanya Masters The Art Of Strategic Striking
'Stylebender' Uses Distance And Range To Set Crushing Traps
Date of Birth | July 22, 1989 |
Age | 34 |
Place of Birth | Nigeria |
Year of MMA Debut | 2012 |
Overall MMA Record | 24-3 |
UFC Divisions Fought In | Middleweight, Light Heavyweight |
Adesanya is a mercurial kickboxer in the UFC's middleweight division. He is considered the new Anderson Silva by many, upgrading what the Brazilian G.O.A.T. did in terms of movement, precision and cerebrally picking apart opponents.
Israel Adesanya Responds To Dricus Du Plessis Callout
Israel Adesanya responds to Dricus du Plessis with another hint that they will fight soon.Adesanya has methodically broken down the likes of Derek Brunson with knees and punches (TKO), Paulo Costa with elbows and punches (TKO), and Whittaker via KO. The former middleweight champion even dropped hammers on Alex Pereira at UFC 287 to regain his belt at the time, reiterating he has power to boot.
7 Valentina Shevchenko Carves Out Openings Every Time
'Bullet' Fires At Will And With Insane Precision
Date of Birth | Mar. 7, 1988 |
Age | 35 |
Place of Birth | Kyrgyzstan |
Year of MMA Debut | 2003 |
Overall MMA Record | 23-4-1 |
UFC Divisions Fought In | Bantamweight, Flyweight |
Shevchenko's moniker as the 'Bullet' has a lot to do with her Muay Thai and kickboxing background. Whether it's rapid hands or brutal kicks, Shevchenko finds angles to expose openings that fighters didn't think existed across the flyweight and bantamweight divisions.
She knocked out Jessica Eye (head kick), beat Katlyn Chookagian via elbows and punches (TKO), trumped Jéssica Andrade with elbows (TKO), and demolished Lauren Murphy with elbows and punches (TKO). Shevchenko is quick, tough to read, sniping out her opposition in stellar fashion. It is why she is considered one of the best female flyweight champions ever, having defended the belt seven times before dropping it to Alexa Grasso in 2023.
6 Zhang Weili Cracks With Terrifying Power
Zhang Has Finessed Her Game To Cause Maximum Damage
Date of Birth | Aug. 13, 1989 |
Age | 34 |
Place of Birth | China |
Year of MMA Debut | 2013 |
Overall MMA Record | 24-3 |
UFC Divisions Fought In | Strawweight |
Zhang Weili hits as hard as a truck. Just ask Joanna Jędrzejczyk, who was on the receiving end of a scary spinning backfist in 2022. Her 2020 war and decision win over Jędrzejczyk initially cued fans up as to how deft a striker Zhang was.
In time, TKO wins over Jéssica Andrade, and decision victories over the likes of Amanda Lemos and Tecia Torres would put UFC's strawweight division on notice. Zhang was here to bully people around, outbox them, and leave the octagon as bloody as possible, paving the way for her current reign as champion.
5 Sean O'Malley Is A Tactical Sniper
'Sugar' Knows How To Mix Patience With Violence
Date of Birth | Oct. 24, 1994 |
Age | 29 |
Place of Birth | USA |
Year of MMA Debut | 2015 |
Overall MMA Record | 17-7 (1 NC) |
UFC Divisions Fought In | Bantamweight |
O'Malley is one of the newer faces in the crop of UFC bantamweights, but he isn't an amateur. He has proven to cynics he is an elite boxer. The current champion punched out Aljamain Sterling (TKO) to take the belt in 2023. In addition, he has beaten Petr Yan (decision), Raulian Paiva (TKO) and Kris Moutinho (TKO).
Fans Predict Sean O'Malley's Demise After Merab Dvalishvili Dominates Henry Cejudo
UFC fans believe Merab Dvalishvili will dominate Sean O'Malley if he gets pass Marlon Vera at UFC 299.He even has a walk-off KO over Eddie Wineland and a KO over Thomas Almeida, among the many. He embodies that old adage of "on the button," which is why White was so high on him after sleeping Alfred Khashakyan in 2017's Contender Series. 'Sugar' is easily one of UFC's sweetest marksmen, setting up an enticing UFC 299 rematch with Marlon 'Chito' Vera. And if he has his way, a boxing crossover with Gervonta 'Tank' Davis.
4 Tom Aspinall Tempers Power In The Blink Of An Eye
Aspinall Surgically And Rapidly Assassinates Opponents
Date of Birth | Apr. 11, 1993 |
Age | 30 |
Place of Birth | England |
Year of MMA Debut | 2014 |
Overall MMA Record | 14-3 |
UFC Divisions Fought In | Heavyweight |
Tom Aspinall doesn't spend much time in the cage. His fights last, on average, 2 minutes and 10 seconds, which is astounding. Aspinall does so by teeing off on opponents, using his British style of boxing to set up takedowns and submissions, or to send them into the shadow realm.
He boasts TKO wins over Jake Collier, Alan Baudot, Serghei Spivac and Marcin Tybura, coming off like a UFC remix of Mike Tyson. The most perfect appraisal of his boxing talents came in 2023 when he put Sergei Pavlovich's lights out at UFC 295 to claim interim heavyweight gold. Aspinall's sharpness, self-awareness and ability to duck and dodge has fans hoping Jon Jones tests his seasoned mettle at some point against the Brit to see who really is the true heavyweight king.
3 Justin Gaethje Smashes Up Top And Below
'The Highlight' Is The Epitome Of Ruthless Aggression
Date of Birth | Nov. 14, 1988 |
Age | 35 |
Place of Birth | USA |
Year of MMA Debut | 2011 |
Overall MMA Record | 25-4 |
UFC Divisions Fought In | Lightweight |
Justin Gaethje has a propensity for adding scalps to his highlight reel. He doesn't just use his hands, but some of the UFC's most devastating leg and calf kicks. So much so, even Khabib Nurmagomedov said he had never gotten hit like that before.
Gaethje battered many a foe in the octagon with TKOs over Michael Johnson, Donald Cerrone and Tony Ferguson. He has knockouts of Edson Barboza, James Vick and that iconic head kick that slept Dustin Poirier for the BMF belt. However, Gaethje tempered his chaotic style, which allows him to strike and smash fighters across all three rounds, as Rafael Fiziev learned in 2023.
2 Max Holloway Is Accustomed To Hammering Opponents Like Nails
'Blessed' Remains One Of The Best Hard-Hitters Around
Date of Birth | Dec. 4, 1991 |
Age | 32 |
Place of Birth | Hawaii |
Year of MMA Debut | 2010 |
Overall MMA Record | 25-7 |
UFC Divisions Fought In | Featherweight, Lightweight |
Max Holloway is one of UFC's best featherweight champions and best boxers. Folks like Calvin Kattar questioned that brag, but Holloway proved it. He broke his own UFC record for significant strikes on Kattar, landing 445 to open up 2021. Holloway even looked away and talked to the commentators while punishing Kattar.
Holloway also dropped 290 strikes to stop Brian Ortega's unbeaten run, and put 230 on Rodriguez for five rounds. While Holloway may not be the champ anymore, his focus on volume, accuracy and timing is why fans can't wait to see him face Gaethje at UFC 300. As Jim Ross would say, it will be a slobberknocker with both men already promising a destructive, merciless bout between buddies.
1 Alex Pereira Leaves No Opening Untouched
'Poatan' Has Many Weapons To Bruise And Break Opponents
Date of Birth | July 7, 1987 |
Age | 36 |
Place of Birth | Brazil |
Year of MMA Debut | 2015 |
Overall MMA Record | 9-2 |
UFC Divisions Fought In | Middleweight, Light Heavyweight |
Alex Pereira's nickname translates to 'hands of stone' -- one of the most fitting tags in UFC history. Pereira has switched off the likes of Adesanya and Sean Strickland with brutal, fist-led knockouts. It came as no surprise after Pereira slept Andreas Michailidis with a flying knee in his UFC debut. While he lost the middleweight belt to Adesanya, he moved up to light heavyweight and TKO'd Jiří Procházka via elbows to win the belt there.
It's empirical evidence that while folks think Pereira is one-dimensional, he has other striking facets to his game to cripple enemies. It's due to his kickboxing background, providing him with deadly leg kicks in the arsenal. They compromised Adesanya's leg in the second fight, and as Daniel Cormier has stated, Pereira holds power in the feet beyond compare. It sets up an intriguing boxing and grappling affair versus Jamahal Hill as the UFC 300 main event.
