5 most underrated stand-up fighters in the UFC today

Some of the UFC's top fighters have flashy stand-up games that often score viral finishes and highlight packages. However, there are a number of UFC athletes who have some extremely underrated striking that they may not have had the opportunity to fully showcase yet.

In the following list, we will go over five UFC fighters who have solid stand-up games that do not receive the praise that they arguably deserve. Honorable mentions go to Jack Shore, Anthony Smith and Alexa Grasso.

#5. Arnold Allen - UFC featherweight

Arnold Allen is riding a ten-fight win-streak and is currently ranked within the top ten of the UFC's featherweight division. Despite this, Allen is criminally underrated in all facets of his game, especially in the striking department.

The reason for this is clear: he is yet to win via knockout in the UFC. However, he has multiple KO victories on his resume from his time at Cage Warriors and on the UK regional scene.

He has also outfought some legitimate strikers in the UFC. Sodiq Yusuff was considered a rising prospect at 145lbs, with legitimate knockout power and solid boxing. However, it was Allen who had the advantage on the feet. He even dropped Yusuff at one point and came incredibly close to finishing him.

With luck, Allen will be matched up against one of the big name strikers in the featherweight division. In time, he can properly showcase just how good he is when it comes to throwing hands.

#4. Beneil Dariush - UFC lightweight

Beneil Dariush came into the UFC with a reputation for being an elite ground fighter with a plethora of submissions in his arsenal. However, after losing several fights by KO, Dariush seemed to reinvent himself. He still has the wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills as an option, but now also seems more than happy to engage in a complete firefight.

His fights against Drakkar Klose and Scott Holtzman are perfect examples of this. In the fight against Klose, Dariush got badly rocked, which led Klose to attempt to swarm him. Rather than crumble like he may have earlier in his career, Dariush embraced the war and sat in the pocket, swinging back. He caught Klose, quickly followed up and knocked him out.

The finish over Scott Holtzman was equally impressive. One does not normally attribute spinning finishes to fighters with grappling backgrounds, but that is exactly what Dariush did. As Holtzman stepped in, Dariush landed a viscious spinning backfist, resulting in a brutal walk off KO.

Sub v DoberSub v CamachoKO v KloseKO v HoltzmanFour finishes in a row for Beneil Dariush, and the last one was the most spectacular! 🔁#UFCVegas18 | Saturday | BT Sport 1 HDpic.twitter.com/AlCNb29eBn
— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) February 2, 2021

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Now ranked in the top five of the lightweight division, expect even more explosive performances from Beneil Dariush.

#3. Stipe Miocic - UFC heavyweight

Stipe Miocic is an interesting anamoly in the UFC's heavyweight division. In a weight class that is nearly entirely populated by specialists (e.g. Blaydes - Wrestling, Spivac - Submissions, and Lewis - Knockouts), Stipe Moicic is a well rounded fighter who can compete wherever the fight takes place.

However, due to not holding the one punch knockout power of Francis Ngannou and Derrick Lewis, Miocic occasionally gets over-looked when discussing the best strikers in the division.

This is of course completely unfair, with Miocic's boxing being some of the best in the entire UFC. One only has to look at his title-winning victory against Fabricio Werdum to get an idea of just how good Miocic's striking truly is.

Miocic was able to knock the former champ out with a counter hook whilst moving backwards. This is an incredibly uncommon way to finish a fight regardless of weight class.

"I'm the world champ! I'm the world champ!" 😤Absolute scenes when Stipe Miocic knocked out Werdum to become UFC champion 😂 pic.twitter.com/7ziRyMNm8M
— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) August 12, 2020

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#2. Leon Edwards - UFC welterweight

Top-ranked UFC welterweight Leon 'Rocky' Edwards is another fighter similar to Arnold Allen. This is because he does not seem to be receiving the respect he deserves considering his body of work as of late.

Just as with Allen, this is down to Edwards' lack of stoppages. Edwards has created a game that leans heavily on clinch striking and wrestling pressure. However, fans would do well to remember that Edwards once held the record for the fastest KO in the UFC welterweight division. He knocked Seth Baczynski out in just eight seconds.

Eight seconds 😳Leon Edwards recorded one of the fastest knockouts in UFC history when he caught Seth Baczynski flush...Devastating left hand 💥#UFCSanAntonio pic.twitter.com/ObRTEx4kVU
— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) July 18, 2019

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During the early days of Edwards' UFC career, he was almost entirely dependent on his striking. However, he found himself on the losing side of several judges' decisions, after being outwrestled by savvy opposition. This prompted Edwards to change his style to be more well rounded.

While he may no longer be pulling off spectacular knockouts with any particular frequency anymore, he has a record of nine wins and one no contest in his last ten fights. Rest assured, though, that those striking skills are still there in Edwards' backpocket.

#1. Islam Makhachev - UFC lightweight

Islam Makhachev is a man heralded as the successor to Khabib Nurmagomedov's legacy. The two men are close friends and regular training partners. Thus it stands to reason that many MMA fans believe Makhachev will replicate Nurmagomedov's dominant wrestling approach to MMA.

This is true to an extent. Makhachev is an excellent wrestler and sambo practitioner. However, where Khabib's strikings was utilized with the end goal of setting up a takedown, Makhachev is more than happy, and capable, of letting the fight play out on the feet.

He is an excellent pressure fighter, and the threat of a potential takedown keeps his opponents constantly guessing. This is a side of Makhachev's game that we will likely see more frequently now that he has been catapulted into the top five of the lightweight division.