The 25+ Best Grapplers In The UFC, Ranked

You can argue about who hits the hardest in the UFC all day. But when it comes to
grappling – takedowns, top control, slick submissions, and that soul-draining
pressure – the data and the choke marks on people’s necks tell a pretty clear story.

Using official UFC stats for takedowns, control time, and submission attempts, plus fan rankings
and expert breakdowns from sites like Tapology, SportsBoom, and BJJ-focused outlets, we’ve pulled
together a ranked list of the 25+ best grapplers in UFC history.
Some are active champs, others are retired legends, but all of them made opponents deeply regret
ever skipping wrestling practice.

How We Ranked the Best UFC Grapplers

To keep things grounded and not just “my favorite guy smashes your favorite guy,” we looked at:

• Grappling stats: takedowns per 15 minutes, takedown accuracy and defense, and
  submission attempts per 15 minutes from official UFC stat leaders.
• Control & dominance: top position percentage and control time – who
  actually keeps people stuck on the mat and not just “kinda wins” scrambles.
• Submission threat: total submissions, variety of finishes, and reputation
  among BJJ and MMA analysts as elite submission artists.
• Strength of competition: who they were doing this to – top contenders and
  champions, not just short-notice debuting guys.
• Eye test: pressure, positional awareness, transitions, and that “oh no, this
  is over” feeling as soon as the fight hits the canvas.

This isn’t a pound-for-pound GOAT list. It’s all about the ground game – wrestling,
judo, sambo, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu blended for MMA.

The 25+ Best Grapplers In The UFC, Ranked

1. Khabib Nurmagomedov

The undefeated lightweight king is the default answer whenever people ask,
“Who’s the best grappler in UFC history?” Khabib combined Dagestani wrestling,
judo trips, and sambo throws into a style that looked less like a fight and more like a slow,
systematic demolition. He chained takedowns against the fence, climbed into mount or back mount,
and unloaded strikes until opponents gave up their necks.

Analysts and fellow champions routinely point to Khabib as the most dominant wrestler they’ve
ever seen in MMA, with absurdly high control time and almost no one ever reversing or escaping
once he got on top.
He didn’t just win fights; he erased careers from title contention.

2. Islam Makhachev

Islam Makhachev started as “Khabib’s student” and quietly became his own problem for the entire
roster. Statistically, he’s a monster: a takedown average above 3 per 15 minutes, strong accuracy,
and elite takedown defense (around 90%), showing he can dictate where the fight happens.
He doesn’t just hold people down, either – he passes guard, hunts arm-triangles, and wraps up
back takes like it’s a hobby.

As he’s moved through lightweight and into welterweight title territory, Makhachev’s blend of
suffocating top control and opportunistic submissions has many analysts openly debating whether
he’s surpassed Khabib as the most complete MMA grappler of the modern era.

3. Charles Oliveira

If Khabib and Islam are the faces of wrestling-heavy grappling, Charles “Do Bronx” Oliveira
is the walking embodiment of Brazilian jiu-jitsu violence. Oliveira holds
the UFC record for most submission victories, and ranks near the top in
submission attempts per 15 minutes among lightweights.
Guillotines, rear-nakeds, anaconda chokes, armbars – the man collects necks and joints like
trading cards.

What makes Oliveira terrifying is that he doesn’t even need to take you down first. He’ll pull
guard, attack from scrambles, or latch onto a front headlock mid-strike exchange. If Khabib is
the best controller, Oliveira is arguably the best finisher on the mat in UFC
history.

4. Georges St-Pierre

GSP wasn’t a lifelong wrestler – which makes his career even more absurd. The Canadian legend
turned late-start wrestling into his superpower, repeatedly out-wrestling NCAA All-Americans and
Olympic-level opponents at welterweight.
His timing on double legs, his ability to mix jabs into level changes, and his top control made
him a nightmare to game-plan for.

Add in his improved grappling later in his career – including a title-winning
rear-naked choke over Michael Bisping – and you get a fighter who built one of the greatest
resumes ever largely on the back of elite MMA wrestling and positional awareness.

5. Demian Maia

Demian Maia is the guy other black belts point to when they say, “That’s what pure BJJ in MMA
looks like.” As a third-degree BJJ black belt and former ADCC champion, Maia turned welterweight
and middleweight fights into grappling clinics, riding opponents’ backs like a backpack they
couldn’t shrug off.

His game was simple on paper – single leg, back take, choke – but he did it against some of the
best fighters in the world. When he was in his grappling prime, if Maia got your hips, the fight
became a countdown to a rear-naked choke.

6. Daniel Cormier

Olympic-caliber wrestling plus heavyweight power equals misery for pretty much everybody.
Daniel Cormier carried his elite freestyle wrestling credentials into light heavyweight and
heavyweight, where he repeatedly dumped huge men onto their backs like it was nothing.

Cormier’s cage wrestling – using underhooks, clinch ties, and trips against the fence – was
world-class, and his ability to pin people in half guard or against the cage and beat them up
made him one of the most effective control grapplers in UFC history.

7. Kamaru Usman

Before he started falling in love with his hands, Kamaru Usman was basically a welterweight
takedown machine. His relentless chain wrestling, smothering top pressure, and ability to keep
opponents pinned to the fence earned him one of the longest win streaks in UFC history and
multiple title defenses.

Statistical breakdowns consistently show Usman among the leaders in control time and takedown
volume at welterweight, with many analysts listing him in the all-time top tier of MMA
wrestlers.

8. Khamzat Chimaev

Khamzat Chimaev fights like someone hit “easy mode” in a video game and forgot to turn it off.
Early in his UFC run, he racked up absurd stats in strikes landed and control, often picking
opponents up, carrying them to his corner, talking to his coaches, and then slamming
them. Stats put him near the very top in top-position percentage among UFC fighters.

While his level of competition has steadily increased, his ability to blast double guys across
the cage and instantly slide into dominant positions makes him one of the scariest active
grapplers on the UFC roster.

9. Fabricio Werdum

Long before heavyweights were expected to do spinning stuff, Fabricio Werdum was winning world
titles with grappling. A multiple-time BJJ world champion, Werdum submitted legends like Fedor
Emelianenko and threatened almost everyone he faced on the mat.

Analysts consistently rank Werdum among the greatest submission specialists in MMA history,
with a guard and top game that forced even massive heavyweights to think twice about going to
the ground with him.

10. Royce Gracie

If we’re talking pure technical sophistication, the modern generation has passed Royce Gracie.
But in terms of impact, he’s foundational. In the earliest UFC events,
Gracie’s jiu-jitsu made much larger, stronger, and more experienced strikers tap out in front of
a stunned audience, proving that grappling could dominate “no rules” fights.

Modern MMA exists because those early Gracie clinics convinced the world that ground fighting
was real, repeatable, and terrifying if you didn’t know what you were doing.

11. Aleksei Oleinik

With well over 40 submission wins in his MMA career, Aleksei Oleinik is a walking, breathing
grappling trivia question. He’s famous for pulling off Ezekiel chokes in MMA – including
from bottom mount, which should not even be a thing, and yet somehow is.

While not the most athletic heavyweight, he makes up for it with bizarre, old-school grappling
traps that continue to work even at the highest level.

12. Frank Mir

Frank Mir was one of the first heavyweights to develop a truly dangerous MMA submission game.
He snapped Tim Sylvia’s arm, heel-hooked Brock Lesnar, and attacked legs, arms, and necks with a
level of aggression not often seen in big men.

His willingness to hunt risky submissions – even if it meant giving up position – helped
normalize the idea that heavyweights could be technicians, not just punchers.

13. Matt Hughes

Before the GSP era, Matt Hughes was the blueprint for “wrestling beats everything” in the UFC
welterweight division. A powerhouse with farm-boy strength, Hughes slammed people, held them
down, and mixed positional dominance with ground-and-pound and opportunistic submissions.

Multiple title defenses, plus iconic moments like the slam KO of Carlos Newton, cemented his
spot as one of the most influential wrestler-grapplers in UFC history.

14. Randy Couture

Captain America used Greco-Roman wrestling and clinch grappling to win titles in multiple weight
classes. Couture’s dirty boxing, body locks, and trips off the fence made him a master of the
in-between space – not quite striking range, not quite pure ground, but fully miserable for
opponents.

His ability to control where the fight happened, especially against bigger heavyweights, was a
huge part of his Hall-of-Fame run.

15. Ronda Rousey

In terms of one-weapon dominance, Ronda Rousey’s judo and armbar game is right up there with
anyone on this list. She tossed opponents with hip throws and trips, landed in side control or
mount, and almost automatically transitioned to armbars.

Her run as the first women’s bantamweight superstar was powered by pure grappling violence – and
she forced every future women’s contender to take their judo and submission defense very,
very seriously.

16. Gilbert Burns

Gilbert “Durinho” Burns is an elite BJJ world champion who successfully translated his grappling
game into high-level MMA. While he’s also a dangerous striker, his ability to threaten from
top or bottom, especially with back takes and sweeps, makes opponents nervous about engaging
fully on the ground.

On his best nights, Burns blends sharp takedowns with suffocating top control and a constant
submission threat that keeps even elite welterweights honest.

17. Beneil Dariush

Beneil Dariush is one of those quietly terrifying grapplers. He doesn’t always lean on it, but
when he does, he suffocates opponents with back control, positional rides, and opportunistic
submissions, especially rear-nakeds and arm triangles.

His performances against other high-level lightweights have repeatedly reminded fans that his
grappling is world-class, even in one of the UFC’s deepest divisions.

18. Merab Dvalishvili

“The Machine” is exactly what he sounds like. Merab Dvalishvili puts up video-game numbers in
takedown attempts, often shooting relentlessly for all five rounds. Even when opponents pop back
up, the cumulative effect of his chain wrestling wears them down.

His style is more about volume and pace than flashy submissions, but as a pure
wrestling/grappling force in the modern bantamweight division, he’s near the top of the food
chain.

19. Aljamain Sterling

Sterling’s nickname is “Funk Master” for a reason. His grappling is funky, creative, and
absolutely suffocating once he gets your back. Many of his biggest wins came from using kicks
and movement to create scrambles, then jumping onto back control and locking in body triangles.

As a former bantamweight champion, his ability to neutralize dangerous strikers with crafty
grappling exchanges earns him a solid spot on this list.

20. Curtis Blaydes

Heavyweight wrestling isn’t always pretty, but Curtis Blaydes has made a career out of taking
extremely large men down, over and over again. He ranks among the heavyweight leaders in
takedowns landed, and his top pressure is no joke.

Blaydes might not chase submissions like a BJJ artist, but as an MMA
control grappler, he’s one of the best big men the UFC has seen.

21. Jailton Almeida

If you look at raw top-position percentage, Jailton Almeida is at or near the top across the
entire UFC roster.
Once he gets on top, he almost never lets opponents back up. He passes guard smoothly,
floats over hips, and drops ground-and-pound or slides into submissions.

Almeida is still writing his story, but purely from a control and pressure standpoint, he looks
like one of the most dominant grapplers of the current era.

22. Mackenzie Dern

A world champion in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Mackenzie Dern brought high-level sport-BJJ technique
into the women’s strawweight and flyweight divisions. When she manages to get fights to the
ground, the difference in grappling level is often obvious.

Her ability to transition quickly to back control and threaten armbars and chokes has produced
some of the most technical submission finishes in recent women’s UFC history.

23. Tatiana Suarez

Suarez is a former freestyle wrestling standout who transferred her skill set directly into
MMA. Her double legs, single legs, and chain wrestling make it incredibly difficult for
opponents to keep the fight standing.

Once on top, she mixes positional control with steady ground-and-pound and occasional
submissions, making her one of the most feared grapplers in the women’s divisions when healthy.

24. Bryce Mitchell

Bryce “Thug Nasty” Mitchell may show up in camo shorts, but his grappling is anything but
backyard-level. He’s known for his slick transitions, strong back control, and a rare
“twister” submission that instantly put him on the grappling-nerd map.

His pressure and scramble-heavy style make him one of the more entertaining grapplers to watch
in the featherweight division.

25. Arman Tsarukyan

Tsarukyan debuted in the UFC by going toe-to-toe with Islam Makhachev in the wrestling and
grappling department – which is basically like starting your driving test on the Nürburgring.

Since then, he’s repeatedly used strong takedowns, top pressure, and rides to control other
lightweights, proving that his wrestling-heavy style can carry him deep into title contention.

26. Tony Ferguson

Prime Tony Ferguson was chaos with a black belt. While he’s known for elbows and pacing, his
submission game (especially D’Arce chokes, triangles, and scrambles from bottom) gave him a long
winning streak in one of the toughest divisions.

His ability to snatch chokes in transition and attack relentlessly from his guard makes him a
worthy addition to this list of elite UFC grapplers.

27. Nate Diaz

You might remember Nate Diaz most for his boxing and trash talk, but don’t forget his BJJ black
belt and lengthy submission resume. Triangles, guillotines, and rear-nakeds – he’s finished
plenty of high-level opponents on the ground.

Diaz’s comfort in guard and willingness to chase submissions even while absorbing strikes has
earned him a reputation as one of the toughest and craftiest grapplers in lightweight and
welterweight history.

What Elite UFC Grapplers Actually Do Better Than Everyone Else

It’s easy to say “he’s a good grappler,” but what does that actually mean inside the cage? When
you watch the fighters on this list, a few patterns show up over and over:

• They win the first grip or level change. Whether it’s Khabib shooting under a
  jab or Usman timing a double, elite grapplers beat you at the very start of the exchange.
• They chain their attacks. If the double leg fails, they go to the single, to
  the body lock, to the trip. If the rear-naked choke isn’t there, they slide to an armbar or
  triangle. There is no “one and done.”
• They understand the fence. Many of the UFC’s best wrestlers don’t shoot
  doubles in the open; they drive you to the cage and use it to trap your hips and kill your
  ability to stand.
• They mix strikes and submissions. Oliveira, Werdum, Burns – they punch to
  make you move your hands, then dive on the exposed neck or arm.
• They manage risk brilliantly. Even the wild guys know when to bail on a
  submission to keep top position. Grappling isn’t just “who taps whom”; it’s also who stays
  safe while threatening constantly.

Experiences From the Mat: What Watching & Training Teaches You About UFC Grapplers

You don’t need to be a pro fighter to feel just how special this level of grappling is. If
you’ve ever rolled in a jiu-jitsu class or wrestled in school, you already have a tiny taste of
how miserable it is to face someone who’s simply better everywhere on the mat.

The first thing you notice when you train with a high-level grappler is the
weight. Not the number on the scale – the way they feel when they’re on top.
Someone with elite pressure doesn’t just lie on you; they seem to pour their bodyweight through
their hips into exactly the spot that makes you feel pinned and helpless. Watch Khabib, Islam,
or Jailton Almeida on top, and you’ll see their opponents constantly trying to frame and turn,
only to be dragged back into a position that looks the same but somehow feels worse each time.

The second thing you notice is how calm they are. Fans often say,
“It doesn’t look like much is happening,” when fighters are stuck on the ground, but anyone who
has trained knows that surviving those positions is exhausting. Your heart is racing, your arms
are burning from posting and framing, and you’re mentally screaming, “Just give me an inch.”
Meanwhile, the better grappler is breathing evenly, adjusting grips, and already planning their
next two moves.

Watching UFC events with that perspective changes things. Suddenly, a Merab Dvalishvili
takedown isn’t just “another shot” – it’s another crack in the gas tank. A Charles Oliveira
guard pull isn’t “giving up top position” – it’s a calculated decision to move the fight into a
zone where he has a massive skill edge.

If you’ve ever been caught in a fully locked-in choke or joint lock during training, you gain a
whole new respect for the pros who refuse to tap until the very last second. That quick
tap-tap-tap you see on TV isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s a sign that the technique was applied
perfectly. The space disappeared. The options were gone. The choice was either “tap” or “go
unconscious / risk a serious injury.”

Grappling also highlights how small technical details separate the best from the rest. In your
local gym, landing a basic armbar is a big win. At the UFC level, defenders are so well-trained
that you often need tiny angle adjustments, grip changes, or misdirection to finish. That’s why
people lose their minds when someone hits a rare submission – like a twister, Ezekiel choke, or
flying triangle – at the highest level. It’s not just cool; it’s insanely hard to pull off
against opponents who know exactly what’s coming.

Finally, there’s a weird side effect: the more you understand grappling, the less you
want to talk trash about fighters online. Once you’ve had a black belt casually mount you and
tap you three times in a minute without even breathing hard, you start to watch UFC grapplers
with a kind of respectful horror. These are the best of the best, built from years of mat burn,
failed takedowns, and stubborn drilling.

So the next time you see a fighter get taken down and held there for a round, resist the urge to
yell “Just stand up!” at the TV. If standing up against someone like Islam or Usman were that
easy, we wouldn’t be talking about them on a list of the best grapplers in UFC history.

Final Thoughts: Grappling Still Rules MMA

Striking will always be the flashy part of MMA – the highlight-reel KOs, the spinning stuff,
the walk-off knockouts. But as this list shows, when belts and legacies are on the line,
grappling still rules.

Whether it’s Khabib’s suffocating fence wrestling, Oliveira’s record-setting submissions,
Makhachev’s perfectly balanced sambo game, or Maia’s human-backpack routine, the UFC’s greatest
fighters treat the mat like home. If you want to really understand who’s winning the deeper
battle in a fight, watch what happens in the clinch, on the takedowns, and during the ground
scrambles.

Champions come and go, but one thing hasn’t changed since the first UFC events: if you can’t
grapple, you’re just renting your spot at the top.