'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
At first glance, UFC fighters may seem like some of the most well-rounded athletes in the world. While that may be true, it doesn't necessarily mean they have the most well-rounded MMA skill set.
Mixed martial arts is an extremely demanding sport, one that requires its combatants to learn and ace multiple different forms of combat. From boxing to wrestling to Muay Thai and jiu-jitsu, fighters need to know their way around several fighting styles and techniques. Additionally, they need to have monstrous gas tanks.
Given that fights in UFC are the peak of competition in the sport of MMA, it is ideal for its fighters to strike a balance between training for two fundamental necessities of combat outside of physical fitness for use in their fights. These fundamentals are grappling and striking.
Fighters are rarely successful at being balanced in both. If they keep a lop-sided focus on training one aspect, the other is bound to be capitalized upon eventually by their opponents.
However, some fighters in the UFC have successfully struck a balance between grappling and striking and have become champions of their weight divisions.
Here are 5 most complete fighters in the UFC today:
5) UFC women's flyweight champion Valentina 'Bullet' Shevchenko
Kyrgyzstani-Peruvian fighter Valentina Shevchenko is the current UFC women's flyweight champion. She is ranked number two in the UFC women's pound-for-pound rankings.
As an accomplished kickboxer, 'Bullet' is known for her proficiency in striking. She is known for her exceptional ability to gauge the distance between her opponent's attack and for the varied counter-attacks she throws right after.
Her wrestling and grappling skills are also something to behold, as demonstrated in her submission wins over Holly Holm, Juliana Pena, and Priscilla Cachoeira.
Shevchenko has a background in several martial arts that include Taekwondo, Muay Thai, kickboxing, freestyle Vale Tudo and Judo, which make her one of the most complete fighters in the UFC.
4) UFC women's bantamweight and featherweight champion Amanda 'Lioness' Nunes
Brazilian fighter Amanda Nunes is the only female fighter to have become a simultaneous two-division champion. She is also the first and only fighter in UFC history to defend both of her belts while actively holding them.
While being the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC women's division, 'Lioness' is also regarded as the greatest female fighter in the UFC.
Due to her all-around skills in the fight game, 'The Lioness' has defeated the most celebrated fighters in two of the UFC women's divisions, including Ronda Rousey, Miesha Tate, Holly Holm, Valentina Shevchenko, and Cris Cyborg either via decision, submission, or knockout.
Since her defeat to Cat Zingano at UFC 178, Nunes has been on a twelve-fight win streak.
Nunes has backgrounds in boxing, karate, Vale Tudo, Judo, and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, but it was when she joined the American Top Team that her MMA career picked up.
3) UFC welterweight champion Kamaru 'The Nigerian Nightmare' Usman
'The Nigerian Nightmare' Kamaru Usman is the only fighter on this list who is undefeated in the UFC. Usman has surpassed Georges St-Pierre for the longest active win streak in the UFC's welterweight division. GSP is regarded by many as the most all-around fighter in UFC history.
Usman became the champion after defeating Tyron Woodley at UFC 235. Following the victory, the Nigerian-American went on to defend his title four times.
Throughout his UFC career, the Nigerian-American has defeated celebrated fighters like Jorge Masvidal, Demian Maia, Rafael Dos Anjos, Gilbert Burns, and Colby Covington.
At the start of his UFC career, the Nigerian-American fighter's style relied heavily on grappling due to his background in NCAA wrestling. However, he successfully went from being a wrestler to an all-round fighter who finishes his fights with knockouts.
On his professional MMA record, Usman has 9 wins by decision, 1 win by submission, and 9 wins by knockout.
2) UFC lightweight champion Charles 'Do Bronx' Oliveira
Current UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira has faced some big names, including Clay Guida, Kevin Lee, Michael Chandler, and Tony Ferguson, to get to where he is.
'Do Bronx' also currently holds the record for the most wins in the UFC at 17 as well as the most submission wins in the UFC at 14.
His large number of submission wins might give the impression that he is a one-trick pony. However, that is far from the truth.
Oliveira is also a relaxed and fluid striker with a variety of strikes in his arsenal that includes jumping front kicks, spinning back fists, rear uppercuts, overhand rights, and leg kicks.
He throws his strikes with very little telegraph, making it difficult for his opponents to see them coming.
'Do Bronx' engages his opponents with steady and heavy pressure, which only gets favored by the variety of strikes in his arsenal. As a result, he has a few knockout wins on his resume. He won the UFC lightweight title at UFC 262 by beating Michael Chandler on the feet.
1) UFC flyweight champion Brandon 'The Assassin Baby' Moreno
When competing in the smallest weight division in the UFC, a fighter is forced to have an all-round game as they progress, owing to the level of competition in terms of speed and technicality. Fights in the UFC flyweight division consistently see themselves reaching new heights of dynamism in the sport of MMA.
Hence, current UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno is the most obvious number one pick for this list.
At UFC 256, then-flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo and challenger Brandon Moreno went to battle in a five-round fight. The bout saw both fighters fighting in all possible facets of MMA. Be it while standing, in the clinch, or on the ground. To both of their disappointments, the fight was a draw.
The two fighters faced each other again at UFC 263 in a rematch, where Moreno defeated Figueiredo by submission in the third round.
