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UFC fighters come in all shapes and sizes, diversifying their respective skill-sets to set them apart from their divisional rivals. Some mixed martial artists are masters at operating from a range where their strikes connect but their opponents' strikes don't. These include the likes of Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson and Israel 'The Last Stylebender' Adesanya.
Other fighters, however, are more willing to march into the line of fire. They're not necessarily reckless, but they're less risk-averse. These are mixed martial artists willing to sit in the pocket and throw shorter, tighter strikes than can only be thrown if the fighter in question is willing to be counter-struck. The more action-minded fighters, however, cross the border from risky to reckless.
Rising UFC lightweight star Paddy Pimblett recently reflected on his UFC Fight Night 208 bout with Jordan Leavitt and expressed how much he enjoyed fighting and, in particular, being punched in the face. With Pimblett's statement and fighting style taken into account, this list looks at 5 fighters, including 'The Baddy' himself, who employ reckless fighting styles inside the octagon.
Check out Paddy's appearance on the Pat McAfee show below:
#5. Michael Chandler
Former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler is as explosive as a fighter can possibly be. Unfortunately, Chandler fights as though he's the only lightweight with enough power to bring his bouts to a sudden end. The one-time UFC lightweight title challenger fights from a wide stance, overexposing his lead leg to low kicks.
However, Chandler's issues with checking low kicks are the least of his concerns. The former All-American wrestler steps in very deep with every punch he throws. While it renders his punches extraordinarily powerful, it also makes him prone to running into counter-punches like Charles Oliveira's counter-left hook.
Chandler's approach in the cage isn't just reckless because of his stylistic choices. His overall decision-making process sometimes raises eyebrows, such as his decision to slam Charles Oliveira on his back when the Brazilian had secured a back-mount: an action that even Chandler himself was subsequently self-critical over.
#4. Jiří Procházka
The reigning UFC light heavyweight champion is one of the most unorthodox fighters on the roster. Jiří Procházka is a frequent stance-switcher who fights from a wide stance, and like Michael Chandler, his lead leg is often overexposed and thus highly susceptible to low kicks, as evidenced by his struggles against C.B. Dolloway.
Procházka's style is reckless primarily due to how frequently he undercuts his natural reach advantage against virtually every foe he fights. Despite his 80-inch reach, the Czech phenom often fights from close range where his longer arms enjoy no benefit. Instead, it allows opponents with shorter arms to land punches from tighter and shorter arcs before Procházka can connect himself.
Worse still, the current UFC light heavyweight title-holder often fights with his hands held low and exposes his head, which remains fairly stationary throughout most of Procházka's bouts. Lastly, the Czech great extends exchanges in the pocket, prolonging his combinations in a range that is too short for his long limbs to operate optimally in.
#3. Brian Ortega
Brian Ortega is not deliberately reckless. Instead, his fighting style is reckless due to the gap between his skillset and that of the opponents he faces inside the octagon. The two-time UFC featherweight title challenger is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist whose fiercest weapons are his guillotine and triangle chokes. Despite his lethal grappling skill-set, 'T-City' does not possess any reliable means to ground his opponents.
Ortega possesses neither strong wrestling nor serviceable judo trips to benefit from the clinch engagements he often forces. Thus, Ortega is an opportunistic grappler by necessity, as he has no other choice but to wait for his foes to either slip or be knocked down. Regarding his striking, Ortega exhibits basic boxing fundamentals and decent punching power.
Unfortunately, he neither moves his head nor wields an effective guard, leading Max Holloway to comically try teaching him how to block in the midst of their bout at UFC 231. Ortega simply marches forward, relying on his toughness for striking defense while having no proper avenue to consistently implement his Brazilian jiu-Jitsu skills.
#2. Derek Brunson
Derek Brunson is one of the few high-level wrestlers in the UFC middleweight division. The American is powerful, strong, and explosive, possessing every athletic tool to be a dominant force in his resident weight class. Due to the sheer benefits of his athleticism, Brunson has enjoyed a fairly successful career at middleweight despite never challenging for the divisional title.
Prior to his violent loss to Jared Cannonier at UFC 271, Brunson was riding a five-fight win streak. Unfortunately, even Brunson's wins are punctuated by his in-cage recklessness. As a wrestler, Brunson is mainly interested in pursuing takedowns against his foes. The American will do so relentlessly at times, making no effort to use his striking to create openings for his takedowns while being content to dive in for his foe's hips over and over again, even tripping over himself.
Against Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker, Brunson's worst habits were glaring. He shoots for sloppy takedowns with no setup and leads with his chin sticking out every time he throws punches: an instinct that's present even when Brunson wins. When throwing punches, the American's eyes are almost towards the ceiling due to how far back his head is in his over-aggressive charges, opening himself up to counterpunches.
#1. Paddy Pimblett
The UFC's newest budding star is Paddy 'The Baddy' Pimblett. A lightweight who has taken the promotion by storm, the Brit possesses a fairly well-rounded skill-set. However, Pimblett's bread and butter is his Brazilian jiu-jitsu skill-set, which benefits from his judo takedowns as they immediately land him in offensive positions like side control.
However, 'The Baddy' is reckless on the feet in both practice and attitude. Inside the octagon, Pimblett does not tuck his chin. Additionally, he does not possess an airtight guard, nor does he move his head. Nevertheless, Pimblett lunges forward with punches, never moving his head off the center-line, leading to concerns from observers who have implored him to tighten up his defensive striking.
The Brit's answer to those concerns has been to either claim that Scousers like him don't get knocked unconscious or claim that he enjoys being punched in the face. Due to Pimblett's natural aggression when striking, his poor defense leads to reckless exchanges on the feet that have already led to isolated moments of trouble during his career.
