5 of the most dominant wrestlers currently competing in the UFC

Ever since the days of Mark Coleman and Dan Severn, wrestling has been one of the most integral tools in the arsenal of every UFC fighter. A variety of different styles of wrestling such as sambo, freestyle and Greco-Roman have all been integrated into modern MMA. While most high-level UFC fighters are at least proficient in them, some fighters particularly excel.

We recently had several of the UFC's wrestling greats retire, with both Khabib Nurmagomedov and Daniel Cormier hanging up their gloves in 2020. Thus there is no better time than now to take a closer look at which fellow fighters with wrestling backgrounds will succeed the two champions.

In the following list, we will go over five current UFC fighters who have wrestling games that stand out from the rest of the pack. Honorable mentions go to Kevin Lee, Jon Jones, Tatiana Suarez and Curtis Blaydes who could all easily feature on this list.

#5. Kamaru Usman - UFC welterweight

Ranking Kamaru Usman only at fifth may seem to discredit the UFC welterweight champion. Still, he only places here due to his recent tendency to favor striking over wrestling. This change could be attributed to his time spent training with Trevor Wittman.

But he still has that incredibly high-level wrestling that saw him establish himself as a top contender in the UFC's 170lb division. He outwrestled Tyron Woodley, a man who had been dominating everyone he came up against with his superior ground game.

However, Usman's wrestling accolades are not limited to the UFC. 'The Nigerian Nightmare' is an NCAA Division II national champion and once had dreams of competing for the US Olympic freestyle wrestling team before injuries forced him to turn to MMA instead.

#4. Gregor Gillespie - UFC lightweight

In a UFC division that strikers have dominated in the past, Gregor Gillespie brings a plethora of wrestling credentials to the table. Gillespie competed as a folkstyle and freestyle wrestler for many years before transitioning over to MMA.

In 2007, he became an NCAA Division I National Champion at 149lbs. Other accolades include being a four-time NCAA Division I All–American and a three-time EWL and PSAC conference champion for the Edinboro Fighting Scots.

He has since managed to adapt the skills he picked during this time to MMA incredibly effectively. His most recent victory over Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Carlos Diego Ferreira showed just how impressive his ground game is, as he overcame his opponents' repeated submission attempts and picked up the TKO victory.

#3. Colby Covington - UFC welterweight

Colby 'Chaos' Covington is a formidable pressure wrestler who competes in the UFC's welterweight division. While he does not quite have the list of credentials Gillespie holds, Covington still claimed All-American honors after placing fifth in the NCAA tournament as a senior.

Covington's utilization of wrestling as an MMA fighter is incredibly effective. He fights at a remarkably high pace, constantly pressuring back his opponents, keeping them guessing whether he will attack with striking or wrestling exchanges.

Covington has overcome some of the best grapplers and ground fighters in his division. BJJ submission ace Damien Maia had little success against 'Chaos' and former welterweight champion Tyron Woodley was outwrestled for four-and-a-half rounds.

#2. Movsar Evloev - UFC featherweight

Russian featherweight Movsar Evloev has been quietly climbing through the UFC featherweight division up into a top 15 ranking. He has outwrestled essentially every opponent he has faced.

Despite most associating the sport of sambo with Russian wrestlers, Evloev is a Master of Sports in Greco-Roman wrestling. Since making the move to MMA, Evloev has picked up 15 consecutive wins, maintaining a perfect record throughout.

Of those 15 wins, five have been in the UFC. Seung Woo Choi, Enrique Barzola, Mike Grundy, Nik Lentz, and, most recently, Hakeem Dawodu all fell to Evloev's dynamic style. He looks like a legitimate threat to anyone in the 145lb division.

#1. Islam Makhachev - UFC lightweight

A close friend and training partner of former undefeated lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev's wrestling prowess appears nearly unmatched in the lightweight division.

Whilst Khabib's primary goal in every contest was to get the fight to the mat as soon as possible, Makhachev has a slightly different approach. He is considerably more comfortable in the striking exchanges than Khabib, allowing him to enter wrestling exchanges from a greater variety of entries.

Once the fight hits the mat, Makhachev showcases the quintessential wrestling prowess that has led to Dagestan being one of the greatest modern-day talent pools for upcoming MMA prospects. Makhachev will smother his opponents with suffocating pressure, sapping their gas tanks and forcing mistakes.

This was exactly the case in Makhachev's last fight, where he dominated Thiago Moises for three and a half rounds before locking up a rear-naked choke on the fatigued Brazilian.

Now ranked fifth in the UFC's lightweight division, Makhachev will finally be able to test his high-level ground game against the best in the world.