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Much like finding success in any aspect of life, there is no definitive path to greatness in the world of MMA. Fighters from various backgrounds and disciplines have succeeded in the sport.
Be it a sturdy freestyle wrestler whose primary objective is taking the fight to the ground or a boxer whose crisp hands serve as their calling card, there is more than one way to win an MMA fight.
One of those paths is through Muay Thai, a martial arts discipline originating from Thailand that breeds some of the most spectacular knockouts in combat sports. Throughout the years, more and more Nak Muays have made the switch to MMA. They've made a name for themselves thanks to their sharp elbows, devastating exchanges in the clinch and booming high and low kicks.
In fact, Muay Thai is widely considered one of the best bases to build an MMA career. Many fighters throughout history have seen immense success down this path.
Today, the sport is full of athletes who come from a background in Muay Thai. With that in mind, here are the top five best Muay Thai fighters in MMA.
#5. MMA veteran Jose Aldo
In his early years, Jose Aldo made a name for himself by treating his opponents’ legs like trees which needed to be chopped down. The Brazilian athlete relentlessly low kicked his opponents, softening them up before going in for his highlight-reel finishes.
The best example was Aldo’s fight with Urijah Faber back in the now-defunct World Extreme Cagefighting MMA organization. The contest serves as an example of just how damaging a proper low kick can be. Faber’s leg resembled an eggplant one day after the bout.
Aldo couples his Muay Thai style with a blackbelt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Although he hardly ever uses his grappling, it serves as a buffer should he be taken down while utilizing his striking.
He has won major world titles with the WEC and UFC. He is currently booked to take on Rob Font in a bout that will likely decide the UFC’s next bantamweight title challenger.
#4. MMA atomweight Stamp Fairtex
Having begun training in Muay Thai at five years old, ONE Championship's No.3-ranked MMA atomweight Stamp Fairtex—now 24—has made a name for herself as one of the best female Nak Muays in combat sports.
Currently signed with ONE Championship, Stamp became a two-sport world champion by capturing the atomweight kickboxing and Muay Thai belts before making her transition to MMA. Even so, Stamp has not closed the book on Muay Thai, as she currently occupies the No. 2 spot in ONE's atomweight Muay Thai rankings.
As for her career in MMA, Stamp has yet to meet an opponent she couldn’t eventually defeat. Her first and only loss came at the hands of Alyona Rassohyna. The Ukrainian athlete forced Stamp to tap to a rear-naked choke with just seven seconds remaining in the bout.
The two competed in an MMA rematch in early September. Stamp avenged her loss to Rassohyna with a hard-fought, split-decision victory.
#3. MMA lightweight contender Rafael Fiziev
Fighting out of the critically acclaimed Tiger Muay Thai, Kyrgyzstan’s Rafael Fiziev seemingly became an MMA fan favorite overnight. Known for his impenetrable defense and flashy offensive striking repertoire, Fiziev is an excellent example of a Nak Muay successfully transitioning to MMA.
Often, those coming from a background in Muay Thai tend to stand upright in MMA, with a narrow stance, leaving themselves susceptible to takedowns. Fiziev has quickly boosted his MMA takedown defense to a serviceable level, awarding him the freedom to utilize his dangerous striking.
So far, ‘Ataman’ has compiled a 10-1 record, with six knockouts to his credit in MMA. He even won a fight by way of submission back in 2016. Fiziev was recently added to the UFC’s top 15 rankings, where he occupies the No. 14 spot. It will be interesting to follow Fiziev’s journey as his skill set continues to round out, all based on his strong foundation in Muay Thai.
#2. MMA heavyweight Alain Ngalani
MMA heavyweight Alain Ngalani is known for a lot of things, most notably, his ridiculously shredded physique. At 46-years-old, ‘The Panther’ looks like he’s a newly sculpted statue.
However, even with the body of a Greek god, Ngalani has struggled in MMA, winning just four of his first ten bouts, which has skewed fans' perception of the veteran martial artist.
Prior to transitioning to MMA, Ngalai earned his stripes in the world of kickboxing and Muay Thai. He became a World Muay Thai Council heavyweight champion (2002), a World Professional Muay Thai Federation champion (2004) and the Hong Kong Muay Thai heavyweight champion (2004). Additionally, he is Kru, meaning a teacher of Muay Thai.
Ngalani’s MMA career has undoubtedly been a mixed bag. However, he has the accolades in Muay Thai and kickboxing to hang with the best, and a resume perfectly suited for this list.
#1. MMA veteran Alistair Overeem
There has arguably never been a Muay Thai kickboxer as successful in MMA competition as Alistair Overeem.
Overeem is a former Strikeforce heavyweight champion, DREAM heavyweight champion and K-1 world Grand Prix champion. He is the first fighter to hold world titles in MMA and K-1 kickboxing simultaneously.
Born in Hounslow, England, to a Jamaican father and a Dutch mother, Overeem started training in martial arts when he was a child to deal with bullying. He then pursued a competitive sports career, beginning with judo and later in track and field and basketball. At the age of 15, he became a professional fighter after being influenced by legends Bas Rutten and Joop Kasteel.
Overeem made his professional MMA debut at age 19, defeating Ricardo Fyeet by submission in 1999. He then moved on to the defunct PRIDE FC and then Strikeforce before signing with the UFC in 2011. Overeem even has a submission wrestling title under ADCC.
It's safe to say that Alistair Overeem is one of the most versatile athletes combat sports has ever seen.
