5 strikers in the UFC who went onto become excellent grapplers

#2. Anthony Pettis – former UFC lightweight champion

Anthony Pettis developed a venomous submission game to go with his stellar striking

Former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis might be out of the promotion now, competing instead in the PFL, but ‘Showtime’ remains one of the most highly regarded strikers in UFC history. His array of kicks and flashy moves were legendary, and his superman punch knockout of Stephen Thompson is up there with the best in UFC history.

Despite being so widely recognized for his striking, Pettis also developed a hugely dangerous grappling game during his time inside the UFC.

Part of this development probably came from the nature of his first UFC loss. His octagon debut saw him blanketed by wrestler Clay Guida. Unable to use his flashy striking, ‘Showtime’ fell to a disappointing decision loss.

After that, though, his grappling improved dramatically. While Pettis never became a truly excellent wrestler, his submission game became so venomous that it was just as risky for an opponent to take him down as it was to stand with him.

Benson Henderson found that out at UFC 164, when Pettis surprisingly caught him with an armbar and became the first man to submit him, taking his UFC lightweight title away in the process.

Later on, ‘Showtime’ submitted another highly regarded grappler in the form of Gilbert Melendez to defend that title successfully.

Add in the fact that Pettis is one of the few fighters to be able to tap out the most prolific submission artist in UFC history – current lightweight champ Charles Oliveira – and it’s clear that ‘Showtime’ belongs on any list of UFC strikers who also developed excellent skills on the ground.

Anthony Pettis vs. Charles Oliveira, an underrated fight for both men. Oliveira did not break, he never stopped competing hard and had several comeback surges, even in the 3rd round. He got a little sloppy, but his ability to fight well while tired was impressive. pic.twitter.com/ztCICS2T6D

— Ed (@EdwardGalloMMA) December 11, 2020

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#1. Georges St-Pierre – former UFC welterweight and middleweight champion

Georges St-Pierre's takedowns and ground game became practically unstoppable

Legendary former UFC welterweight and middleweight champion Georges St-Pierre – arguably the greatest fighter in MMA history – became so renowned for his grappling skills that it was hard to believe that he began life as a striker.

When he first entered the UFC, ‘Rush’ did so with a background primarily in Kyokushin karate. He was largely known for throwing flashy strikes like spinning kicks.

While he used his grappling to win some of his early fights, his biggest wins still came via strikes. A good example is his UFC welterweight title victory over Matt Hughes, which came via a second round head kick.

But after his shock loss to Matt Serra in 2007, it was pretty clear that while St-Pierre was still an excellent striker, he was more than happy to focus on his wrestling and ground game.

Incredibly, St-Pierre’s grappling game developed so highly that he outgrappled high-level collegiate wrestlers such as Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch, as well as Brazilian jiu-jitsu aces like BJ Penn.

In great company at the Montreal Wrestling Club with Coach Victor and Gia Sissaouri! pic.twitter.com/N1xgVi0bPx

— Georges St-Pierre (@GeorgesStPierre) July 27, 2018

By the time his storied UFC career ended in 2017, GSP was widely recognized as not only one of the best strikers in the sport, but arguably the best grappler too. Essentially, it’s why he is widely renowned as the greatest overall fighter of all time.