In the biggest MMA promotion around the world, the UFC, we get to see different types of martial arts. One of the most popular martial arts that is consistently seen in the UFC is Muay Thai. It comes from Thailand and is a form of kickboxing. Over the years, many incredible Muay Thai fighters have achieved success in the MMA world and in UFC. In this article, we will tell you about the 10 best Muay Thai fighters in the history of UFC.
10) Paul Felder
Paul Felder began his professional MMA career in 2011. He had a karate and Tae Kwon Do background, but Felder established himself as a great Muay Thai fighter. Paul entered the UFC in 2014 and fought in the promotion until 2020. “The Irish Dragon” has a notable TKO win against Charles Oliveira. He amassed a 17-6 professional record, and 10 of his 17 wins came via knockout.
9) Carlos Condit
Carlos Condit began his professional MMA career in 2002, fighting in various promotions like the KOTC, WEC and UFC. He was one of the most dangerous strikers in MMA during his prime. Condit has shared the octagon with some of the best MMA fighters in the world, including Georges St-Pierre, Nick Diaz and Johny Hendricks. “The Natural Born Killer” amassed a 32-14 record in the MMA world. His Muay Thai skills were incredibly displayed during his contests with Dong Yung Kim, Thiago Alves, Dan Hardy and Martin Kampmann.
8) Edson Barboza
Edson Barboza competes in the featherweight division of the UFC. He is one of the most dynamic Muay Thai kickboxers in the promotion right now. Barboza entered the UFC in 2010 and won his first four matches. His most notable win from these initial matches came against Terry Etim, when he knocked him down with a spinning wheel kick. “Junior” has compiled a 24-11 professional record till now. 14 of his 24 wins have come by knockouts.
7) Thiago Alves
After fighting in various MMA promotions since 2001, Alves entered the UFC in 2005 and was one of the best Muay Thai fighters in the welterweight division. He was a dominant fighter who used a variety of leg kicks. The Brazilian has notable wins over fighters like Josh Koshcheck, Matt Hughes, Caro Parisien and Max Griffin. He compiled a professional MMA record of 23-15, out of which 13 of his wins came by knockout. Alves currently trains many fighters who compete in the UFC.
6) Joanna Jedrzejczyk
Joanna made her UFC debut in 2014 and just after winning two bouts, she got a title shot at the UFC strawweight championship. At UFC 185, Joanna scored a TKO win against Carla Esparza and captured the women’s strawweight title. She defended this title five times and was dynamic during her title reign. During her prime, “JJ” used to torment her opponents with powerful combinations before landing the finish. She throws a high volume of leg kicks and jabs before attacking her opponents with various combinations.
5) Donald Cerrone
Donald Cerrone is one of the most amazing MMA fighters to step into the UFC octagon. He is an incredible and skilled Muay Thai fighter who has an extensive background competing in Muay Thai as well as boxing. He is a powerful kickboxer who attacks the legs before slowly switching his kicking targets to his opponent’s bodies and heads. “Cowboy” has notable wins over Eddie Alvarez, Alexander Hernandez, Matt Brown, Jim Miller and Charles Oliveira. Cerrone has scored 17 of his 36 professional wins by submission.
4) Mauricio Shogun Rua
Mauricio Rua is one of the most famous UFC fighters who had a fantastic MMA career. He was a dynamic striker and holds a black belt in Muay Thai. The former UFC Heavyweight champion was a member of the famous Chute Boxe Academy team, which primarily trained Vale Tudo fighters in the art of Muay Thai. “Shogun” entered the UFC in 2005 after winning the Pride Grand Prix Middleweight Tournament. The Brazilian has notable wins over Chuck Liddell, Lyoto Machida, Forrest Griffin, Brandon Vera and Corey Anderson.
3) Valentina Shevchenko
Valentina Shevchenko began her professional MMA career in 2003 and joined the UFC in 2015. She went on to become an iconic flyweight champion. “Bullet” is an exceptional Muay Thai striker with a great background in boxing and kickboxing. Shevchenko’s biggest strength is her speed and she can deliver powerful kicks and punches at unimaginable speeds. When Valentina won the UFC flyweight title in 2018, she defended it seven times and was on a nine-fight winning streak before losing it to Alexa Grasso in 2023.
2) Jose Aldo
Jose Aldo is one of the greatest MMA fighters to ever compete in the UFC. He is also one of the best Muay Thai practitioners in the promotion’s history. “Scarface” is a former WEC and UFC featherweight champion and has defended his title nine times. Aldo is known for his excellent leg kicks, powerful jabs and stunning body strikes. During his career, the Brazilian amassed a professional record of 32-7 and scored 17 of his wins by knockout.
1) Anderson Silva
Anderson Silva is arguably the best Muay Thai fighter in UFC history. He is not only a great Muay Thai practitioner but also one of the greatest MMA fighters. Silva entered the UFC in 2006 and was one of the most dynamic strikers in the octagon. He made striking look easy by defeating his opponents with front kicks, Jans, crosses and head kicks. “The Spider” has remarkable wins over fighters like Forrest Griffin, Dan Henderson, Vitor Belfort, Chael Sonnen and Derek Brunson. The former middleweight champion holds the record for the longest title reign in UFC history.
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