10 Best Grapplers In UFC History

The UFC has a lot of fantastic talent, but there will always be some names that stand out more than the others. There are people that we will remember for many years to come thanks to their skills. In particular, there are a lot of great grapplers in the UFC.

Before you check out the MMA betting odds and place your bets ahead of the next UFC matches, we’re going to look back on some of the best grapplers in UFC history. Read on to find out more!

1. Charles Oliveira

A fighter in the lightweight division, Charles Oliveira is well deserving of the title as one of the best grapplers in UFC history. There are many people on this list that have more experience in the realm of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, but Oliveira is an accomplished fighter in his own right.

He’s been fighting for the UFC for more than 12 years, and his career started with two submission wins. His totals only add up as the years go on. It’s quite difficult to find fighters that are better grapplers than him, especially after his wrestling experience.

2. Mackenzie Dern

Mackenzie Dern fights in the Strawweight division of the UFC, and boy is she a fighter! Her record at present in the UFC is 5-1, but she’s getting better every single time that she plays. She’s the daughter of Wellington Megaton Dias, who’s a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champion. She’s been grappling pretty much since she could crawl. Her list of accomplishments is incredibly long, and she’s fantastic at submission grappling.

3. Kamaru Usman

Kamaru Usman isn’t best known for submission, but he’s a pretty fantastic grappler. There are few in the welterweight division that are better. He’s been fighting in the UFC since 2015. He’s a talented wrestler too, which only adds to his abilities in the UFC. He’s been fighting some pretty major names through the years too, including Tyron Woodley, Maia and Colby Covington.

4. Rodolfo Vieira

This fighter is actually formerly known for being a four-time Brazilian Jiu Jitsu world champion. As such, you can expect some great grappling capabilities. He has a grappling record amounting to 100 wins and a mere 9 losses. He’s still fairly new to the UFC but the grappling capabilities that we have seen from him thus far are nothing to sniff at.

5. Islam Makhachev

This fighter has been on the UFC scene since 2015 and has quite the resume behind him. His record is 7-1 in the UFC and has lost just one match against Adriano Martins. He’s fought some tough fighters in his time in the UFC, and is known for great takedowns. His submission victories amount to two, giving ample evidence that he is skilled in the art of grappling.

6. Rickson Gracie

Gracie’s name was already well known due to his family connections before joining the UFC, but his fighting proves that he deserves to be on this list in his own right. Many people believe that he’s one of the greatest grapplers of all time, at least in the Jiu Jitsu community. Many other grapplers say how good he is too.

7. Fabricio Werdum

Werdum is a professional MMA fighter now, but he was once much better known for his submission grappling abilities. He won multiple Brazilian Jiu Jitsu titles, and later won the UFC heavyweight title thanks to his guillotine choke. He submitted Fedor Emelianenko too. He’s got some crazy skill, and is always a joy to watch when he fights.

8. Demian Maia

Demian Maia is skilled in the art of the takedown, leaving many of his opponents in his dust. It made him earn the nickname of ‘the human backpack.’ He’s great at submission grappling, and it’s often what causes him to win a match. One thing is for sure – you would not want to be this guy’s opponent.

9. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

If you ask any UFC or MMA fan what Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is best known for, most people will answer the same way – his grappling abilities. He has a Brazilian Jiu jitsu background which adds to his skills. He’s actually quite a talented fighter as a whole though, not just in the realm of grappling. Fun fact – he also has a twin!

10. Khabib Nurmagomedov

This fighter is in the lightweight division and is also known for his top class grappling capabilities. He’s got a lot of wins under his belt, and he’s a blackbelt in judo. He made Conor McGregor tap during UFC 229. Pretty impressive! He’s a fantastic fighter, one of the best that the UFC has to offer at present.

Conclusion

There are a lot of fantastic fighters in the UFC, but knowing how to grapple well is essential to being successful. These are just a few of the best grapplers in UFC history, but there are certainly a lot more talented players out there too.