5 most accomplished combat sports athletes in the UFC right now

Every UFC fighter has traversed a unique journey en route to the world's premier MMA promotion. Many accrued extensive experience outside the world of MMA before transitioning and earned stellar accomplishments along the way. A select few of these skilled specialists have significantly impacted the sport.

The current roster features many highly credentialled athletes from numerous backgrounds, mainly striking arts like kickboxing and Muay Thai or grappling disciplines like wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

On that note, here are the five most accomplished combat sports athletes in the UFC.

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#5. Israel Adesanya – UFC middleweight champion

Israel Adesanya garnered a cult following long before signing with the UFC and committing to MMA full-time. 'The Last Stylebender' has wowed audiences worldwide across his storied combat sports career, spanning three different sports.

Israel Adesanya has over 100 professional combat sports bouts across kickboxing, boxing, and MMA. The Nigerian-born Kiwi honed his highly complex striking style over many years in the ring before setting his sights on the famed octagon.

While he didn't win any major titles in kickboxing, Adesanya has beaten many big names in the sport. Notably, across his 86-fight boxing and kickboxing career, Adesanya was only knocked out once – at the hands of Brazilian power-puncher Alex Pereira.

Since moving to MMA, 'The Last Stylebender' has emerged as one of the biggest names in the sport. The reigning UFC middleweight champion is already a promotional legend, and he's still in his prime, with many blockbuster fights on the horizon.

Israel Adesanya's storied combat sports career [Image via @primetimetalktv on Twitter]

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#4. Valentina Shevchenko

Our next entry is yet another striking specialist with extensive experience before joining the UFC. Future Hall of Famer Valentina Shevchenko is among the most outstanding female fighters of all time, and her combat sports journey started at a very young age.

Daughter of the president of Kyrgyzstan's national Muay Thai association and a former multi-time Muay Thai champion, Valentina Shevchenko was always destined for great things in combat sports. She started training at 5 and hasn't stopped since, becoming one of the most refined female fighters ever.

Shevchenko has won titles and medals in boxing, kickboxing, judo, and Taekwondo, but most of her experience hails from Muay Thai. Representing Kyrgyzstan and Peru, 'Bullet' has won 10 gold medals in Muay Thai across three weight divisions.

She blossomed into one of the best stand-up fighters in women's MMA history, with her dominant five-year UFC flyweight championship reign being the crown jewel of her career.

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#3. Alex Pereira

As mentioned earlier, only one man on the planet boasts a knockout win over Israel Adesanya – his longtime rival, Alex Pereira. 'Poatan's accomplishments in kickboxing far outweigh Adesanya's, and the Brazilian has a real case for being the greatest combat sports athlete of all time.

After retiring Israel Adesanya from the kickboxing ring, Alex Pereira became a two-division champion in GLORY, winning the middleweight and light heavyweight championships.

Renowned for his infamous KO power, Pereira is among the most accomplished and intimidating kickboxers ever. 'Poatan' has 21 highlight reel knockouts in his kickboxing career and dominant wins over other celebrated kickboxers.

Pereira followed Adesanya to the UFC and defeated him for the third time in a professional setting to claim the UFC middleweight title last year. Adesanya returned the favor earlier this year, and this rivalry looks far from over.

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#2. Henry Cejudo

Henry Cejudo never wastes an opportunity to list his accomplishments, nor should he. The former two-division UFC champion famously won an Olympic Gold Medal at just 21, becoming the youngest ever to do so in American sports history, long before his gold-laden run in MMA.

An Olympic Gold Medal is among the most significant achievements in sports, and Henry Cejudo earned his place in history with his stunning run in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Cejudo came out on top in 55kg freestyle wrestling and used his wrestling base to great effect throughout his MMA career.

Cejudo won the flyweight and bantamweight titles in the UFC before vacating his belts and retiring in 2020. He returned to the octagon earlier this year, losing a razor-close decision to current bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling. 'Triple C' still harbors aspirations of more titles and has even discussed fighting for the promotion's featherweight strap.

Cejudo won't just be remembered for his cringey antics. He will go down as one of the greatest combat sports athletes of all time, and love him or hate him, his accomplishments are undeniable.

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#1. Holly Holm

Except for Holly Holm, we've never seen an athlete reach the upper echelons of both boxing and MMA. Holm, a former UFC champion, not only won titles in the squared circle, she has also been inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame.

Holly Holm began training in boxing and kickboxing as a teenager. After winning a few amateur tournaments in kickboxing, she focused on her boxing career, blossoming into one of the best welterweights ever.

Holm won Ring Magazine's Female Fighter of the Year award twice, accruing 16 title defenses across three weight divisions in her 38-fight boxing career. In 2021, she was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame alongside Roy Jones Jr., Miguel Cotto, and James Toney.

'The Preacher's Daughter' shocked the MMA world at UFC 193 back in 2015, knocking out then-champion and global superstar Ronda Rousey to win the bantamweight title. Holm will always be remembered as combat sports royalty.