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The UFC is often touted as the peak of MMA. Thus, it is home to countless fighters from all walks of life, armed with various fighting styles. However, the modern mixed martial artist is often a generalist who is competent in every facet of the game but elite at none.
But, there are still specialists spread throughout the UFC roster. Many are strikers who developed impregnable takedown defense. Others, however, are wrestlers, and some are slick submission specialists. For the most part, specialists stay as they are, only developing defenses for their weaknesses.
Rarely do these specialists become high-level in their initial weaknesses. But there have been elite grapplers who go on to become great strikers, some of whom even managed to become champions due to their evolution as fighters.
#5. Paulo Costa, UFC middleweight
Most MMA fans may not remember, but Paulo Costa was originally a 'The Ultimate Fighter' washout. Back then, he was a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt with a hulking physique and not much else. Unfortunately, he lacked the wrestling to consistently drag fights to the mat and was without the gas tank for extended grappling.
After his exit from 'The Ultimate Fighter,' Costa reinvented himself, becoming a pressure fighter who cuts off his foe's angles of escape with lateral footwork, right round kicks, and a thudding left hook to the body. The Brazilian embarked on an undefeated streak, culminating in a title shot.
Check out Paulo Costa rocking Robert Whittaker:
While he failed, he remains a fixture in the middleweight top 10. His striking has improved to such an extent that besides Israel Adesanya, no one has managed to outstrike him. Former 185-pound champion Robert Whittaker, an elite striker in his own right, struggled to beat Costa and was even rocked by him.
#4. Gilbert Burns, UFC welterweight
Former welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns is one of the most credentialed Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialists in MMA, having once captured an IBJJF championship. Naturally, he relied largely on his grappling during the first half of his MMA career. But things changed after his level of competition increased.
Forced to evolve, Burns became a brutally effective striker with two primary weapons on the feet: a left hook and an overhand right. However, to use them, he must be within range. This is difficult at welterweight, where most are taller than him and try to stick him at the end of their jab.
Check out Gilbert Burns TKO'ing Demian Maia:
Burns' solution is the calf kick, which he uses to kick his foe's lead leg whenever they step in with a jab. This destabilizes their stance, and as they try to reset it, Burns pounces with looping punches over the top, where his nuclear punching power can lead to an instant knockout.
#3. Fabrício Werdum, former UFC heavyweight
Fabrício Werdum is often touted as the greatest grappler in heavyweight MMA and for good reason. He is a second-degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and as slick a submission specialist as there's ever been at 265 pounds. Unfortunately, for most of his career, that was all he was.
To make matters worse, he had an absurdly weak takedown game and would even resort to flopping on his back and pleading with opponents to follow him to the mat. But under Rafael Cordeiro's tutelage, 'Vai Cavalo' evolved into a dangerous Muay Thai striker who made liberal use of knees.
Check out Fabrício Werdum landing a flying sidekick on Travis Browne:
The Thai clinch became his bread and butter, and few dared to trip him to the mat for fear of his submissions. His striking grew to such a degree that even former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez, touted for his kickboxing, was forced to resort to wrestling him, only to be submitted with a counter-guillotine choke.
#2. Rafael dos Anjos, UFC welterweight/lightweight
Rafael dos Anjos has never been submitted, and it is easy to see why. He is a fourth-degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and one of the most well-rounded grapplers on the roster when it comes to the mat. He was a grappler with a perfect blend of skill and physicality for a large chunk of his career.
He was a competent striker but little else with his hands. That was until he joined Kings MMA in 2012. Under the tutelage of Rafael Cordeiro, 'RDA' underwent a drastic evolution over the next few years, developing a punishing Muay Thai game and becoming one of the best pressure fighters in the sport.
Check out Rafael dos Anjos outstriking Donald Cerrone:
He attacked the space around his opponents with sweeping punches, backing them up to the fence before brutalizing them with long combinations. He also became one of the sport's most devastating low kicks. This metamorphosis was such that he dethroned Anthony Pettis to become the UFC lightweight champion.
#1. Charles Oliveira, UFC lightweight
When Charles Oliveira first signed with the UFC, he was an undefeated submission specialist with tremendous hype behind him. He scored back-to-back submission wins in his promotional debut and sophomore fight, and the sky seemed like the limit for him.
However, a poor striking game, weight-related struggles, and a penchant for giving up when things grew difficult saw him rack up losses and tumble down the order. Without a change, he would never fulfill his hidden potential. But around 2018, everything changed, and he became a terrifying offensive striker.
Check out Charles Oliveira TKO'ing Michael Chandler:
Powerful, technical, and offensive, he developed a vicious Muay Thai game, using the Thai clinch and knees to great effect and a devastating counter-left hook. With it, he embarked on a legendary win streak that saw him capture and defend the UFC lightweight title in an all-time exciting run.
