The UFC has witnessed many elite strikers over the years. However, the current culture has evolved with the sport of mixed martial arts. Currently, we can see more dynamic, versatile and dangerous strikers competing in the promotion. In this article, we will have a look at the 10 best Strikers in the UFC right now.
10) Valentina Shevchenko
Valentina has a great background in Muay Thai and kickboxing. Whether it’s fast hands or brutal kicks, she finds angles to expose openings that fighters didn’t think existed in the flyweight and bantamweight divisions. “Bullet” knocked out Jessica Eye and defeated Kaitlyn Chookagian by elbows and punches. She also defeated Jessica Andrade by TKO and beat Lauren Murphy by elbow and punches. Shevchenko is fast and hard to read, finishing her opponents in spectacular fashion. This is why she is considered one of the best strikers and women’s flyweight champions of all time.
9) Cory Sandhagen
Cory Sandhagen has a very dynamic flow and he dances around the octagon, cutting angles and making it difficult for his opponent to catch up. He changes stances a lot, becoming a more and more unpredictable fighter. With his foundation stemming from kickboxing, “The Sandman” has earned TKO victories over Austin Arnett, Yuri Alcantara, Marlon Moraes and Song Yadong. His opponents are also concerned about his grappling and submission skills.
8) Stephen Thompson
Stephen Thompson is an incredible kickboxer and he always finds a way to hit opponents from all angles. Thompson stands out with his fluid style, which has seen him defeat opponents like Robert Whittaker and Jake Ellenberger at welterweight with spinning wheel kicks. “Wonderboy” also has TKO wins over Johny Hendricks and Kevin Holland, which is why people prefer to see him fight a fellow striker than a wrestler.
7) Zhang Weili
Zhang Weili began her professional MMA career in 2013 and has been an amazing fighter since then. She currently ranks #2 in the UFC women’s pound-for-pound rankings. Zhang has TKO wins over Jessica Andrade and decision wins over Amanda Lemos and Tecia Torres in the strawweight division. “Magnum” overpowers her opponents and leaves the octagon as bloody as possible, paving the way for her current reign as champion.
6) Israel Adesanya
Israel Adesanya is a great striker and many consider him to be the new Anderson Silva. In terms of speed, accuracy and cerebral mannerisms, he took apart opponents. “The Last Stylebender” defeated Derek Brunson via knees and punches, Paulo Costo via elbows and punches and Whittaker via KO. He even knocked down Alex Pereira at UFC 287 to get back his Middleweight title at the time.
5) Max Holloway
Max Holloway is one of the best featherweight champions and boxers in the UFC. Holloway broke his own UFC record for significant strikes on Calvin Kattar in 2021. “Blessed” also looked away and talked to the commentators while punishing his opponent. Holloway also landed 290 strikes to end Brian Ortega’s unbeaten run and 230 on Rodriguez for five rounds. His focus on volume, accuracy and timing is great, that’s why fans can’t wait to see him face Justin Gaethje at UFC 300.
4) Sean O’Malley
Sean O’Malley is the current UFC bantamweight champion. “Sugar” has proved to the skeptics that he is an elite boxer. He defeated Aljamain Sterling via TKO at UFC 292 to capture the title in 2023. Additionally, he has defeated Petr Yan, Raulian Paiva and Kris Moutinho via TKO. He even has a walk-off KO over Eddie Wineland and a KO over Thomas Almeida. Sean is easily one of the most beloved marksmen in the UFC, preparing for a fascinating UFC 299 rematch with Marlon Vera.
3) Tom Aspinall
Tom Aspinall doesn’t really spend much time inside the cage, as his fights last an average of 2 minutes and 10 seconds, which is incredible. Aspinall does this by attacking opponents, using his British-style boxing to set up takedowns and submissions. “Honey Badger” has TKO wins over Jake Collier, Alan Baudot, Serghei Spivac and Marcin Tybura. The most accurate assessment of his boxing talent came in 2023, when he knocked out Sergei Pavlovich to claim the interim heavyweight title at UFC 295.
2) Justin Gaethje
Justin Gaethje not only uses his hands but also some of the most devastating leg and calf kicks in the UFC. He defeated multiple opponents in the Octagon with TKOs over Michael Johnson, Donald Cerrone and Tony Ferguson. “The Highlight” also has knockouts over Edson Barboza and James Vick and his iconic head kick knocked out Dustin Poirier for the BMF title.
1) Alex Pereira
Alex Pereira is one of the best strikers in the promotion right now. He has knocked out fighters like Israel Adesanya and Shawn Strickland with his brutal punches. It came as no surprise when Pereira put Andreas Michaelidis to sleep with a flying knee in his UFC debut. While he lost the middleweight title to Adesanya, “Poatan” moved up to light heavyweight and scored a TKO win over Jiri Prochazka to win the vacant light heavyweight title.
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