5 of the most skilled strikers in the UFC today

Fighters in the UFC compete at the highest levels of the sport of MMA. Hence, it is ideal for them to know the arts of grappling and striking in equal measure. Furthermore, it is also suitable for them to make balanced use of both in their fights.

However, some fighters have a lopsided knowledge of one of the two. These fighters make one-sided but successful use of either grappling or striking offensively and defensively.

In that vein, some fighters in the UFC are proficient strikers. While having minimal knowledge of grappling, they prefer to dominate their opponents on their feet.

The best strikers are usually tall and make excellent use of their reach advantage to attack and counter their opponents. They prefer to avoid grappling because their striking can usually finish the job. While they grapple only as a counter-measure, their striking game is displayed to its fullest. As fights always begin with fighters on their feet, these UFC fighters usually stand at an advantage because they get to make the first move.

With a near-perfect sense of distance, they gage their opponents' positions and movement patterns to land successful blows while avoiding their takedown attempts or strikes by staying out of their reach with well-timed sprawls, footwork, and head movement.

The general impression is that striking is all about power. However, that is only partly true. Striking is also about finesse in technique, timing, accuracy, and distance management. Some fighters in the UFC are masters of all these variables to striking. It may not be a coincidence that most of them will fight at the upcoming UFC 264.

Here are five of the most skilled fighters in the UFC today:

5) Sean O'Malley

Sean O'Malley is a fighter hailing from Glendale, Arizona. Standing at 5 feet 11 inches tall, he has a reach of 72 inches. O'Malley is a fairly new name in the UFC with just six promotional fights on his record, two of which he has won by knockout. In his overall professional MMA record, he has nine knockout wins out of 14 fights.

O'Malley made his entry to the UFC after winning Dana White's Contender Series 2 by defeating Alfred Khashakyan in the first round by knockout.

While being one of the flashiest and most charismatic fighters in the UFC, 'Sugar' is also one of the best strikers present in the UFC today. O'Malley was given this nickname by one of his early coaches. When asked why, his coach replied:

"Because you're sweet to watch."

'Sugar' is scheduled to fight Louis Smolka at the upcoming UFC 264.

Also watch: Sean O'Malley's '110-degree' backyard training video ahead of UFC 264 clash with Louis Smolka

4) Yair Rodriguez

If there is any fighter in the UFC who has made the most of their background in the highly underrated martial art of Taekwondo, it is Yair Rodriguez. He has been a flag bearer for the Korean martial art known for its highly explosive and agile kicks.

'El Pantera' lives up to his moniker by using strikes from angles his opponents just don't see coming. While being as stealthy as a 'panther,' he has used strikes that were never seen before in the UFC, be it at long or close range.

3) Conor McGregor

Although 'The Notorious' is shrouded in controversy owing to his brash attitude and tall claims, the thing that allows him to back it all up is his proficiency in striking.

While being the most famous fighter in MMA, Conor McGregor is also one of the best strikers present in the UFC.

McGregor's recent loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 257 had a lot to do with his change of stance in this fight. McGregor has moved away from his upright posture to an old-school boxing stance where he holds a high guard and square body position while leaning forward.

However, if he chooses to get back to his previous fighting stance, he remains one of the best strikers in the UFC.

His previous stance allowed him to employ optimum distance management and well-timed strikes that had earned him plenty of first-round victories in his professional MMA career.

After winning his fight with Jose Aldo at UFC 194 by first-round knockout, McGregor said something that prolific strikers worldwide could relate to:

"Timing beats speed, precision beats power."

McGregor is scheduled for a trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier as the main event at UFC 264.

2) Israel Adesanya

'The Last Stylebender' is known for his meteoric rise through the ranks of the UFC middleweight division to become the current champion of the division.

Israel Adesanya is also known for his anime-inspired attires and flashy dance moves during his entrances to the octagon.

Standing at 6 feet 4 inches, 'The Last Stylebender' is unusually tall for his weight division and sports an 80-inch reach. In a division where his peers rely on the sheer power of their strikes, Adesanya has made his way to the throne with technical superiority alone.

Adesanya has beaten the best in his division with relative ease. That includes former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva.

'The Spider,' one of the most legendary technical strikers in UFC history, was defeated by Adesanya in his own game.

1) Stephen Thompson

'Wonderboy' is the only UFC veteran on this list. He had his first fight in the promotion in 2012 against Dan Stittgen at UFC 143. Stephen Thompson knocked his opponent out with a head kick in his very first UFC appearance.

Apart from being a prolific striker, 'Wonderboy' is also known for being a kind and respectful fighter. Ariel Helwani gave him the first of its kind Nicest MoFo(NMF) belt on December 17th 2019. Like his predecessor on this list, Thompson is also a fan of anime.

His unique striking style stands out in MMA. His constant bouncing on his toes allows him to move in and out of the range of his opponents with ease. Thompson is a master of the lead leg side kick. He makes offensive use of it to set up other strikes that almost always help him knock his opponents out. He also uses it defensively to keep his opponents at a distance.

'Wonderboy' has a YouTube channel where he is seen making instructional videos and breaking down UFC fights. His upcoming fight with Gilbert Burns will be the co-main event at UFC 264.