5 UFC fighters who have adapted a traditional martial art for modern MMA

Despite the very essence of MMA being deeply rooted in traditional martial arts, we rarely see practitioners of such styles compete at the top of the sport in the UFC. More often than not, we see fighters utilize a complete mix of styles, taking the most useful pieces from multiple martial arts.

This is to be expected considering the sport is literally called mixed martial arts. However, there are a select few UFC fighters who remain practitioners of a traditional martial art despite competing in MMA. These fighters have adapted their styles but remain true to their origins.

In the following list we will go over five such UFC fighters, both past and present. The criteria to be on this list is for said fighter to have an extensive background in a traditional martial art such as karate or taekwondo, and to have brought said style over to the UFC. Whilst they may adapt their style, they must still utilize the key principles of what makes that martial art unique.

Early honorable mentions go to Michelle Waterson, Giga Chikadze and Anthony Pettis.

5 UFC fighters who have adapted a traditional martial art for modern MMA

#5 UFC welterweight Georges St-Pierre - Kyokushin Karate

Georges St-Pierre is well known for having one of the most well rounded MMA games in the history of the UFC. However, that was later in GSP's career. When he first came to the UFC, St-Pierre's Kyokushin karate roots were incredibly evident to those watching.

St-Pierre is a black belt in full contact karate, more commonly referred to as Kyokushin. He maintained aspects of this martial art throughout his career as a UFC fighter. In particular, it could be seen in his wide arsenal of kicks. GSP excelled in the lead side kick to the body, as well as a spinning side kick, which could hit either the midsection or the head.

These are both classic staples of karate, as is the explosivity that GSP would burst into from an otherwise static stance. These techniques later became simply weapons in the arsenal of St-Pierre rather than a focal a point of his style. GSP did later become more of a wrestler, which is the only reason he is not higher on this list.

#4 UFC middleweight Cung Le - Taekwondo Kyokushin Karate

Cung Le's run in the UFC may have been relatively short, but the taekwondo black belt still made a huge impression. Having studied martial arts since his early years, Le was able to unleash a variety of brutal spinning attacks that could leave his opponents senseless in the blink of an eye.

The kryptonite of a fighter with a kick-heavy style is often opponents with wrestling backgrounds who can capitlase on the large movements that such kicks require. However, Cung Le combined his taekwondo skills with a solid wrestling base. This allowed him to counteract the typical weakness of a taekwondo fighter in MMA.

#3 UFC light heavyweight Lyoto Machida - Shotokan Karate

Lyoto Machida was arguably the first man to truly bring the spirit of karate into the UFC octagon. He utilized the iconic side on stance to great effect against a variety of opponents. However, he rarely attacked with the typical explosivity of a karate fighter. Instead Machida almost fell into the realms of a counter striker with a karate base.

This adaptation meant that his opponents were unable to capitalize on his openings, instead forcing them to come to him and enter his striking range. That is not to say that Machida wasn't adverse to the odd traditional karate attack - just watch his front kick KO over Vitor Belfort if you believe otherwise. Machida used this style to eventually capture the UFC light heavyweight belt in 2009.

#2 UFC women's bantamweight Ronda Rousey - Judo

Ronda Rousey's martial arts history before she transitioned into the UFC was entirely centered around Judo. She won a bronze medal at the Olympic Games prior to her pro MMA debut, demonstrating just how high level her judo credentials truly were.

When she entered the UFC, women's MMA was still very much in its infancy. Rousey's lengthy judo career saw her already equipped with the skills necessary to dispatch 12 consecutive opponents, including all-time greats such as Miesha Tate and Cat Zingano.

Rousey's run of dominance in women's MMA was all due to her judo background. Her initial adaptation of the traditional martial art into her UFC fights was nothing short of a phenomenon. However, the ever evolving nature of MMA eventually caught up with Rousey as she picked up back-to-back losses against Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes, leading to Rousey's subsequent retirement.

#1 UFC welterweight Stephen Thompson - Kempo Karate

It is hard to make a case for there being any other UFC fighter in history who was able to have such success at transitioning from a traditional martial art to MMA, whilst simultaneously retaining the core fundamentals of their original style, than Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson.

Thompson began training in kempo karate as soon as he was able to walk. His father, Ray Thompson, holds black belts in nine different martial arts styles, and is the head coach of Upstate Karate. It was at Upstate Karate that Stephen Thompson began his journey into martial arts, and it is still the gym that he primarily trains out of to this day.

When 'Wonderboy' competes in the UFC, his karate roots are clear to see. The side-on stance, the in-and-out movement and the rapid side kicks are all key components of Thompson's style. However, he has also merged traditional techniques with those more often attributed to modern MMA.

Out of all the fighters on this list, it is Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson who was able to most effectively adapt a traditional martial art into a style that is able to match the greatest modern UFC fighters in every facet of the sport.