5 of the best Muay Thai kickboxers in MMA

#2. MMA heavyweight Alain Ngalani

MMA heavyweight Alain Ngalani is known for a lot of things, most notably, his ridiculously shredded physique. At 46-years-old, ‘The Panther’ looks like he’s a newly sculpted statue.

However, even with the body of a Greek god, Ngalani has struggled in MMA, winning just four of his first ten bouts, which has skewed fans' perception of the veteran martial artist.

Prior to transitioning to MMA, Ngalai earned his stripes in the world of kickboxing and Muay Thai. He became a World Muay Thai Council heavyweight champion (2002), a World Professional Muay Thai Federation champion (2004) and the Hong Kong Muay Thai heavyweight champion (2004). Additionally, he is Kru, meaning a teacher of Muay Thai.

Ngalani’s MMA career has undoubtedly been a mixed bag. However, he has the accolades in Muay Thai and kickboxing to hang with the best, and a resume perfectly suited for this list.

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#1. MMA veteran Alistair Overeem

There has arguably never been a Muay Thai kickboxer as successful in MMA competition as Alistair Overeem.

Overeem is a former Strikeforce heavyweight champion, DREAM heavyweight champion and K-1 world Grand Prix champion. He is the first fighter to hold world titles in MMA and K-1 kickboxing simultaneously.

Born in Hounslow, England, to a Jamaican father and a Dutch mother, Overeem started training in martial arts when he was a child to deal with bullying. He then pursued a competitive sports career, beginning with judo and later in track and field and basketball. At the age of 15, he became a professional fighter after being influenced by legends Bas Rutten and Joop Kasteel.

Overeem made his professional MMA debut at age 19, defeating Ricardo Fyeet by submission in 1999. He then moved on to the defunct PRIDE FC and then Strikeforce before signing with the UFC in 2011. Overeem even has a submission wrestling title under ADCC.

It's safe to say that Alistair Overeem is one of the most versatile athletes combat sports has ever seen.