UFC always had great submission artists and grapplers in their organization. Very first UFC event winner Royce Gracie was himself a great Jiu-Jitsu specialist who submitted his opponent Gerard Gordeau in the final bout. From that point forward, the sport has evolved and there are even better grapplers in Mixed Martial Arts. In this article, we will check out UFC’s greatest submission artists at the current time.
Islam Makhachev
This list would’ve been incomplete without Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov’s friend and protégé. Numerous specialists view him as a potential title challenger and the only person whose grappling skills can be equaled or even surpass that of Charles Oliveira. Makhachev made his debut in 2015 and secured an impressive submission victory against Leo Kuntz. His next fight was unfortunate, as he lost via knockout. As of now, the Dagestani fighter has a 10 fight win streak and his next fight can possibly be for the championship title. Islam has a very good submission game as he has 10 submission finishes in his career. His most impressive performance was against Divisions number 5 Dan Hooker. Islam submitted him in the first round. If you are a fan of Islam Makhachev and want to make a bet, visit BetChan Casino Login. Here you can win some extra cash while supporting your favorite fighter.
Brian Ortega
Even though Brian Ortega fell short in his title campaign, he’s still regarded as one of the best featherweights on the planet. The Mexican fighter has a Gracie first-degree Jiu-Jitsu black belt and his grappling skills are arguably the best in the division. At the start of his career, Brian enjoyed a big success with his grappling skills, and almost half of his wins were by way of sub. In the later years, Ortega’s fighting approach changed, as his boxing skills vastly progressed, but without a doubt, his submission game is one of the best in the promotion.
Paul Craig
Paul Craig may not be as popular as other guys on the list, but make no mistake about it, his submission skills are on the top level. The Scottish fighter had some ups and downs in his career, but as of late, we are certainly witnessing his rise. Paul Craig’s last loss came against knockout artist Alonzo Menifield. Since then, Craig has 6 back to back wins, almost all of them via submission. His ground game may not be the best in general, but when it comes to the submissions, not many guys can match the standard he sets.
Glover Teixeira
Like Paul Craig, Glover Teixeira also had a career resurgence. Glover was mixing up wins and losses, but since 2019 he has managed to achieve a 6 fight win streak. In the last bout, Teixeira won the light heavyweight championship when he defeated the reigning champ Jan Blachowicz. This success was mostly because of his grappling skills, as he managed to submit almost all of his opponents.
Charles Oliveira
Charles Oliveira is definitely the best submission artist UFC ever had. Charles made his debut in 2010. The Brazilian was unsuccessful in his featherweight run, so he decided to move up to lightweight. Since 2018, Oliveira has been winning more and more dominantly. 2021 was probably the best year in his decade-long career, as he managed to win the ultimate gold and defend it for the first time. It’s important to mention that Oliveira has a record for the most submissions in the organization. Charles is evolving from one fight to another and his kickboxing skills are improving vastly, but his jiu-jitsu skills are still the fundamental weapon that assisted him with getting a lightweight belt.