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#2. Current UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya
The current UFC middleweight champion is arguably the finest striker in the sport today. The former professional kickboxer boasts an elite level stand-up game comprised of several disciplines. From boxing to hints of taekwondo, Adesanya’s limbs are some of the deadliest and most versatile on Earth.
Not only is Adesanya’s offense ruthless, his defense is also masterful. ’The Last Stylebender’ is light on the feet and able to switch stances at any moment. His dancing background ensures he’s limber and agile at all times. His head movement is also blink-and-you’ll-miss-it quick.
The importance of high quality feints can also not be stressed enough in regards to throwing off his foes. Adesanya has lost just once in his time in the UFC. His sole defeat came via unanimous decision at UFC 259 against Jan Blachowicz. ‘Polish Power’ smartly slowed the fight down and relied primarily on his grappling to get the better of Adesanya.
On the feet, the middleweight kingpin borders on untouchable. As if his striking defense wasn’t enough, Adesanya also boasts exceptional takedown defense. Furthermore, as witnessed by his performance at UFC 263 against Marvin Vettori, Adesanya’s ground game is improving quickly as well.
At this rate, it’ll be hard to land any kind of offense on the Naruto megafan.
#1. UFC lightweight rising star Islam Makhachev
The UFC lightweight division’s most intimidating combatant has not lost a fight since 2015. At UFC 192, Makhachev got rocked by a skull-rattling shot from Adriano Martins in the first round.
It’s safe to say the former sambo competitor learned his lesson. Makhachev hasn’t lost a fight since and has come a long way from that setback. Thanks to his ferocious grappling and commitment to pressure fighting, Makhachev rarely gives his opponents the breathing room to throw any major strikes.
His most recent fight was a submission win over Thiago Moises last month. Makhachev secured the win with a rear-naked choke in the fourth round. Makhachev landed a respectable 61 significant strikes compared to Moises’ less than stellar 13.
Makhachev’s current eight-fight winning streak has seen him shoot up in the lightweight rankings. His fearsome ground game and takedowns have left many fighters looking the other way when he’s looked for new opponents. Don’t be surprised to see him potentially lift lightweight gold in 2022.
According to the UFC’s current records, Islam Makhachev has the lowest number of significant strikes absorbed per minute. His rate is 0.77 making him officially the hardest UFC fighter to significantly hit going today.
