5 most dominant wrestlers in the UFC right now

#4. Merab Dvalishvili – UFC bantamweight contender

Merab Dvalishvili is the bantamweight division's most dominant wrestler right now

While the UFC’s current bantamweight champion, Aljamain Sterling, has an excellent background in wrestling, it’s arguable that ‘The Funk Master’ is not the best wrestler in his division right now.

That award goes to Merab Dvalishvili, who is almost certainly one of the most dominant wrestlers in the entire promotion, period.

A native of Georgia – a country that regularly produces high-level wrestlers – Dvalishvili debuted in the octagon back in 2017. While he fell to defeat in his first two outings, he’s since reeled off seven straight wins to move into title contention.

Simply put, ‘The Machine’ often looks like an unstoppable takedown artist. He has averaged a ludicrous 7.30 takedowns per fight thus far with a high accuracy of 45%.

His bout with Gustavo Lopez in 2020 saw him land a total of 13 takedowns, the fourth-most in the promotion’s history. No other bantamweight can match his total of 50 takedowns overall.

More recently, though, Dvalishvili has been learning to use his wrestling in reverse. With a takedown defense rate of 78%, it’s proven difficult for his foes to get him to the ground. In his last fight, he used that to his advantage to knock out former title challenger Marlon Moraes.

Essentially, ‘The Machine’ looks set to climb to the top at 135lbs. If he does so, it’ll be largely down to his phenomenal wrestling.

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#3. Colby Covington – UFC welterweight contender

Very few fighters have been able to withstand Colby Covington's wrestling assault

Undoubtedly one of the most dominant wrestlers in the UFC today, Colby Covington will look to utilize his skills this weekend to defeat his former teammate now turned rival, Jorge Masvidal.

An NCAA Division I All-American in wrestling at Oregon State University, ‘Chaos’ debuted in the octagon in 2014. After putting together a 5-0 record on the regional circuit, he quickly established himself as a fighter to watch in the welterweight division.

After putting together a record of 8-1, 2018 saw Covington reach the top of his division by defeating Rafael dos Anjos for the interim UFC welterweight title.

While two losses to Kamaru Usman have prevented him from ever being recognized as the world’s best 170lber, he remains highly dangerous thanks to his wrestling.

‘Chaos’ has averaged a total of 4.10 takedowns per fight during his career in the octagon. The high point came when he hit 12 takedowns against Bryan Barberena in 2016.

More importantly, Covington’s excellent wrestling has allowed him to utilize excellent takedown defense. This means he’s been able to open up with his tremendous volume striking against opponents like Robbie Lawler and Tyron Woodley.

Essentially, no fighter – even Usman – has been able to outwrestle Covington in the octagon, meaning he should definitely be seen as one of the best wrestlers in the promotion.