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Brazilian jiu-jitsu and MMA have gone hand-in-hand since the very beginning, with the grappling arts emerging as one of the major pillars of the sport we know and love. Throughout the history of MMA, there have been a handful of elite BJJ fighters who have made their mark in the cage.
Their exploits on the mats have been fantastic to watch, especially for hardcore MMA fans who love to witness the technicality of ground fighting. Legends like Royce Gracie built the sport of MMA from the ground up.
Casuals may not appreciate the high level of skill and grappling mastery these MMA fighters showcase on a nightly basis, but it’s certainly beautiful to watch, regardless. These athletes can turn their foes into human pretzels with incredible dexterity and can produce awe-inspiring submissions from unbelievable positions.
ONE Championship recently signed Brazilian legend Andre Galvao, who joins rival Gordon Ryan in the Asian promotion. The duo, who appear to be on a collision course, should assume this list shortly after making their promotional debuts. That being said, they do deserve a mention.
However, today the torch is carried by a handful of awesome fighters. This list is by no means exhaustive, but these are the men (and women) we think you should watch out for. Here are five of the best BJJ fighters in MMA right now.
#5. Mackenzie Dern (MMA: 11-2, Grappling: 75-25)
28-year-old UFC women’s strawweight contender Mackenzie Dern is no doubt one of the most decorated female BJJ fighters ever. She took up grappling at three years of age, and has since earned a black belt in BJJ from Gracie family apprentice Wellington Dias.
Throughout an exceptional grappling career, Dern has reached incredible heights in the sport. She is a former No. 1-ranked IBJJF competitor, and is an ADCC world champion. Her medal haul at a plethora of BJJ World Championships is also tremendously impressive.
In 2016, Dern made headlines when she transitioned to MMA, shocking the grappling community with her decision. She got off to a hot start, winning her first seven MMA fights. She signed with the UFC in 2018, but shortly after, she succumbed to Amanda Ribas in her third fight for the promotion.
Dern then rallied to win her next four, before again falling, most recently against Marina Rodriguez in the main event of UFC Fight Night 194. MMA has also been tricky for Dern, with difficulties making the strawweight limit for some of her fights. Nevertheless, she remains a very strong prospect in the cage.
#4. Ryan Hall (MMA: 8-2, Grappling: 16-8)
Ryan Hall isn’t the most accomplished male grappler on this list, but that doesn’t make him any less dangerous in MMA on the mats. “The Wizard” is a BJJ black belt, and has won a plethora of BJJ competitions throughout his grappling career. Most notably, he’s been a force at the Mundial and the prestigious ADCC, in addition to his many accolades at Grapplers Quest.
Hall made his MMA debut early, losing to Eddie Fyvie way back in 2006. But he wouldn’t fight again until six years later when he was victorious against Phillip Deschambeault in 2012. He then went on to win eight straight, including victories over Artem Lobov and former top contender Gray Maynard in TUF finales.
But what is perhaps Hall’s greatest achievement is his 2018 submission victory over the legendary BJ Penn. At UFC 232 and with the whole MMA world watching, Hall caught Penn in a nasty heel hook that forced a quick tap from Penn, who was in the middle of a comeback.
The performance earned Hall the “2018 Submission of the Year” award.
He may be a late bloomer in MMA, but Hall’s upside is tremendous. At 36 however, time could be running out for the American. Still, that doesn’t change how dangerous of a grappler he is.
#3. Shinya ‘Tobikan Judan’ Aoki (MMA: 47-9 1NC, Grappling: 12-5)
If there’s one man who has proven that age is nothing but a number, that’s multiple-time former ONE lightweight world champion and Asian MMA legend Shinya ‘Tobikan Judan’ Aoki.
The man’s nickname loosely translates to “the grandmaster of flying submissions,” that in itself is already a clear indication of what Aoki has been capable of during his entire MMA career. But if that’s not evidence enough, then perhaps the 30 submissions out of 47 wins across nearly two decades as a professional should do it.
In terms of Asian MMA fighters, there’s no better grappler than Aoki. Aoki’s schtick is predictable. He never goes out there looking to finish fights on the feet. Every opponent he’s been faced with knew he was looking for a fight-ending submission, but they just couldn’t stop him from achieving his goal, regardless.
In addition, Aoki is one of the most ruthless. If his opponents don’t want to tap, Aoki has no qualms about putting them to sleep or breaking their arms. It may be unsportsmanlike, but to the Japanese MMA legend, it’s necessary to maintain his terrorizing reputation on the mats.
#2. Garry ‘The Lion Killer’ Tonon (MMA: 6-0, Grappling: 71-25)
American grappling antihero Garry ‘The Lion Killer’ Tonon is perhaps the most successful case of a pure grappler-turned-MMA-fighter. Tonon is a product of the infamous Danaher Death Squad and is arguably the best submission grappler in and around his weight class.
Tonon is highly-decorated, with multiple BJJ world championship accolades to his name. He is a former IBJJF world champion in both Gi and No Gi, a five-time Eddie Bravo Invitational champion, and more. He even has a win over the aforementioned Aoki in ONE Championship’s first-ever grappling super-match.
Tonon made the decision to transition to MMA in 2018, making headlines by signing with ONE. Since then, Tonon has gone on to win his first six MMA fights, five of which have come inside the distance.
Staying true to form, Tonon has three submission wins on his MMA record. More surprisingly, however, is the fact that he’s been able to record two knockouts to go with that. He is truly one of the most dangerous BJJ fighters in the cage.
#1. Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida (MMA: 1-0, Grappling: 138-14)
If we’re talking about the best BJJ fighters in MMA right now, then there’s no one better than the legendary Marcus Almeida, widely considered the most accomplished submission grappler in history.
More fondly referred to as ‘Buchecha,’ a nickname given to him by Rodrigo Cavaca, Almeida owns six IBJJF world championship open weight titles, and holds the record of absolute gold medals at the Mundial, eclipsing Roger Gracie's previous record of three in 2016.
With a litany of accomplishments in BJJ, one would have to wonder what Almeida would stand to gain from a transition to MMA. At 31 years of age, he’s joining the party late in his prime, and he has only a few good years of competing at the highest level ahead of him.
Still, that doesn’t make him any less dangerous, and if he plays his cards right, he can still make a very sizable dent in MMA’s heaviest division.
Almeida made his MMA debut recently, showcasing his talents inside the ONE Championship cage. ‘Buchecha’ defeated Anderson Silva last September via north-south choke. He has since teased a return to action in December.
