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The UFC's roster is one of the most eclectic ones in sporting history. Fighters from all over the world with various backgrounds come in and compete in the talent-conglomerate that is the world leader in MMA.
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Though these fighters all have different fighting backgrounds, most all of them have a similar goal of becoming as well-rounded as possible. To become an elite level striker and hang with the talent that the UFC offers, it's imperative that fighters master the fundamentals, primarily the jab.
The jab is the most important strike in fighting. With as much utility as possible, the punch measures distance, sets up power shots, reads the opponent's reactions, and much more. Some fighters just have jabs that pop out more than others, and we'll delve into those athletes.
Here are 5 current UFC fighters with the best jab:
#5. Kamaru Usman
Kamaru Usman isn't just the welterweight champion, but he's the pound-for-pound best fighter in the UFC. 'The Nigerean Nightmare' has an extensive wrestling background but has really come into his own in terms of striking capabilities as of late.
Usman seems to have a brick wall for a lead hand; when he lands, opponents wear the damage almost immediately. He jabs from both orthodox and south paw and, regardless of the stance, he's incredibly effective with this fundamental strike. Usman almost lands his jab at will, which says a lot considering how often he throws it.
As blistering a shot that fans will see, the welterweight champion's leadhand strike has been a key element in him holding onto the welterweight strap for as long as he has. The wrestling chops have been there and so has the power, but the fine-tuned striking mixed-in with his other abilities really sets him apart from the contenders.
#4. Rob Font
Rob Font is one of the feared strikers coming from the New England Cartel. Along with featherweight contender and elite-level striker Calvin Kattar, Rob Font has been attempting to climb the ranks of his respective division.
On full display against former bantamweight champion, Cody Garbrandt, was the jab of the 34-year-old. Font landed 183 strikes against 'No Love', with most of these being his piercing jab. It wasn't just this bout where his jab looked unbeatable, however. Marlon Moraes, Marlon Vera, Jose Aldo, and many more fighters have shown discomfort in dealing with Font's precise jab.
With a 46% striking accuracy, the Bostonian essentially lands every other strike he throws. Couple that with his incredibly active lead hand that he's pumping from bell to bell and fans will see that Font has one of the most effective jabs in the UFC right now. Fluid but also stiff, heavy but also effortless, long but rarely over-extended, Rob Font has the quintessential jab. Should his defense catch up to his offense, he could very well become champion.
#3. Max Holloway
The aforementioned New England Cartel was present, albeit on the business end, of perhaps the best boxing masterclass seen in the UFC. When Max Holloway took on Calvin Kattar, 'Blessed' was seen as the "Freshman" when it came to boxers in MMA per his opponent.
Holloway cleared up any confusion from the said skill discrepancy as he landed at will on Kattar. What really adds to the lore of Holloway's jab is that, despite his appearance, he rarely has the reach advantage in a fight. He's 5'11 but his reach is 69 inches, a whole two inches shorter than his next opponent's, the 5'6 Alexander Volkanovski who has a 71 inch reach.
The Hawaiian makes it work, though. He lands shots early and often, peppering his opponents with precise boxing technique and shows no sign of slowing down as the fight continues. The jab is utilized often and is a driving factor for the success of Holloway, who is arguably the best featherweight of all time.
#2. Petr Yan
Petr Yan is one of, if not the best, boxers in the UFC. Furthermore, he's most likely the best fighter when it comes to wasting no movement; he only moves when he needs to, and every time he moves, it's for a purpose.
With the fundamentals down pat, 'No Mercy' has an incredible jab. He uses his prodding lead hand to set up his power strikes, but the jab packs quite the punch in and of itself. Yan's lead hand is always a threat, no matter the stance he's taking at the time.
Jose Aldo, Corey Sandhagen, Aljamain Sterling, the division's best have been overwhelmed by the former champion's simplistic but brutally effective approach to his fights. The only knock on the Russian is that he's a slow starter, but once he gets going, his striking is second to none at bantamweight.
#1. Israel Adesanya
'The Last Stylebender' is perhaps the best striker that the UFC has ever seen. the 75-5 professional kickboxer made the move to mixed martial arts in 2009, where he lost his first and only amateur bout. The professional debut in 2012 is what started Adesanya's knack for getting his hand raised in MMA.
An extensive background in striking coupled with the BJJ purple belt's grappling awareness creates quite the problem for anyone hoping to steal the UFC middleweight title. The most impressive aspect of the 32-year-old's game is his striking, particularly his jab.
When the fighter from Nigeria throws his jab, he's making calculations. Zooming out from the moment to tend to the fight as a whole, Adesanya's first jab might be the one that sets up a fifth-round finish. Whatever the reaction is tells what combinations may work. Adesanya really is playing chess when he's in the octagon.
