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Back in its earliest days, the UFC’s stars tended to use a single fighting style inside the octagon, whether that was wrestling, striking or grappling.
These days, the UFC is filled with well-rounded fighters who are dangerous in all areas, but there still aren’t too many stars who are equally deadly with both striking and submissions.
Due to the talent levels now competing in the octagon, it’s getting even harder for fighters to put their opponents away before the final buzzer, meaning fighters who can stop foes with strikes and submissions should be even more celebrated.
With that in mind, here are five current UFC fighters who are equally deadly with both strikes and submissions.
#5. Brian Ortega – UFC featherweight contender
Brian Ortega might’ve failed in his quest to become UFC featherweight champion when he was defeated by Alexander Volkanovski in their titanic clash last September, but ‘T-City’ is definitely still one of the deadliest fighters on the roster.
What makes Ortega so deadly is the fact that he can seemingly finish an opponent from any possible area at any time. When he first entered the octagon, back in 2014, he did so as a widely respected grappler with a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Early on, at least, he lived up to that reputation, submitting Mike de la Torre and Diego Brandao, and dominating Thiago Tavares on the ground.
However, he showed a glimpse of his striking skills when he knocked out Clay Guida with a knee with just seconds remaining in their bout. He then stunned everyone by becoming the first man to knock out the iron-chinned Frankie Edgar with an uppercut in 2018.
Since then, ‘T-City’ has continued to demonstrate his dangerous skills in all areas, as he used a much-improved technical stand-up game to defeat Chan Sung Jung in 2020, even if he failed to finish him. He then had Volkanovski in all sorts of trouble on the ground when they faced off last year.
Essentially, while Volkanovski and Max Holloway remain the best two featherweights competing in the octagon right now, it’s definitely arguable that it’s actually Ortega who is the most deadly finisher on the roster at 145 pounds.
#4. Islam Makhachev – UFC lightweight contender
Right now, it’s safe to say that there are few more feared fighters operating in the UFC than lightweight contender Islam Makhachev. Not only is the Dagestani on one of the longest winning streaks on the roster, with 10 victories in a row dating back to 2016, but he’s also the fighter who most people suspect will be the promotion’s next titleholder at 155 pounds.
However, while Makhachev has quickly become renowned for a wrestling game strong enough to rival that of his mentor, former UFC lightweight kingpin Khabib Nurmagomedov, the truth is that he’s a fighter who is deadly in all areas.
Sure, the Dagestani’s number of wins via submission (10) puts his record of four knockouts in the shade, but that doesn’t mean that Makhachev can’t take out opponents with his fists, both standing and on the ground.
We saw that in 2018, when he sparked out longtime veteran Gleison Tibau with a beautifully timed left hand to the jaw, knocking him unconscious in a single shot. Most recently, Bobby Green felt the power of Makhachev’s striking, as he was pounded into defeat from the mount in just over three minutes.
Essentially, it seems to be the case that Makhachev simply takes the path of least resistance to find victory in the octagon, and that path is usually on the ground. However, based on the evidence we’ve seen, he’s more than happy to finish his opponents with strikes, too.
#3. Vicente Luque – UFC welterweight contender
Although he was unable to take out Belal Muhammad on his most recent trip to the octagon, it’s definitely arguable that the most deadly finisher in the UFC’s welterweight division right now is Vicente Luque.
‘The Silent Assassin’ has been the distance just once in his 14 wins inside the octagon. Most impressively, he doesn’t appear to care whether he takes his foes out with his striking skills or with his Brazilian jiu-jitsu-based submissions.
To date, Luque has knocked out a total of eight opponents in the UFC, including Muhammad in their first meeting and the ultra-durable Bryan Barberena. He’s also submitted five, including highly-rated contender Michael Chiesa and former welterweight champion Tyron Woodley.
Basically, no fighter can afford to take Luque lightly in any area of a fight. If he’s given a single opening, it’s highly likely that ‘The Silent Assassin’ will grab it, usually leaving his opponent in a beaten heap on the canvas.
Judging by his fight with Muhammad, the Brazilian does have a few holes to close in his game, most notably in his wrestling defense. However, when it comes to finishing skills, it’s clear that Luque is second to none in the promotion right now.
#2. Marlon Vera – UFC bantamweight contender
The headline bout of this weekend’s upcoming UFC Fight Night event features one of the most deadly finishers in the promotion right now, Ecuadorian bantamweight contender Marlon Vera.
‘Chito’ has quickly developed a reputation as one of the best 135lbers on the planet, and he’s done it by taking the majority of his foes out before the final buzzer.
Initially billed as a grappler, flashes of Vera’s dangerous skills in all areas were seen during his appearance in the first season of TUF: Latin America, as he knocked out Henry Briones with a brutal upkick from his back.
Since making his debut in the UFC proper in late 2014, he’s picked up a total of 12 victories in the octagon, with just two of them going the distance. Out of those 10 finishes, four have come via submission, with the other six coming via knockout or TKO, including his victories over Frankie Edgar, Sean O’Malley and Brad Pickett.
Perhaps most impressively, ‘Chito’ is equally dangerous with both his kicks and punches, as he’s stopped foes with a variety of different strikes, including punches to the head and body, as well as the incredible front kick that he used to take out Edgar.
Whether Vera can take out Rob Font this weekend is another matter, but it’s probably safe to guess that if the Ecuadorian does win, it won’t come via the judges’ scorecards.
#1. Charles Oliveira – UFC lightweight champion
Not only is Charles Oliveira the reigning UFC lightweight champion and one of the best pound-for-pound fighters on the planet right now, but he’s also a deadly finisher with both his strikes and submissions.
In fact, with 18 finishes to his name during his tenure with the promotion, there’s a very fair argument to suggest that ‘Do Bronx’ is the most dangerous finisher in the history of the UFC, point blank.
It’s safe to say that the Brazilian has come a long way since he initially debuted in the octagon back in the summer of 2010. While he did hold an unbeaten 10-0 record with a variety of finishes, Oliveira was almost purely a grappler.
His first six octagon wins came via submission, including tapouts of Hatsu Hioki and Darren Elkins. It wasn’t until 2019 that he picked up his first win in the promotion via knockout when he took out Nik Lentz in the second round of their third bout.
Since then, though, it’s clear that ‘Do Bronx’ has discovered the true power in his punches, and since then he’s picked up another two finishes via knockout, most notably recovering from a bad first round to spark out former Bellator titleholder Michael Chandler to claim the lightweight title in 2021.
Essentially, Oliveira is a truly deadly fighter from every single area, and at this point, it’s hard to pinpoint his weaknesses. No matter how skilled they are, no opponent can ever consider themselves safe inside the octagon if they’re faced with ‘Do Bronx’.
