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There are plenty of fighters in the UFC whose effective head movement enables them to sustain less and inflict more damage. After all, nothing can bug your opponents more than the ability to slip punches swiftly, duck under them, and set up counters.
Elite boxers with excellent head movement have consistently graced the UFC for almost three decades now. In this article, we'll take a look at five such fighters who display amazing head movement inside the octagon.
Note: Only fighters currently signed with the promotion are considered. Their recent performances will also be taken into account.
Honorable mentions: Frankie Edgar, Stipe Miocic, Conor McGregor, and Max Holloway.
#5 Sean O'Malley - UFC bantamweight
Sean O'Malley's rapid rise to UFC stardom could be attributed to his entertaining fighting style. The 26-year-old is quick on his feet and is well known for executing pull-back counter punches with perfection.
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He will blitz his opponents with stinging punches, evade the shots thrown at him and move to a different position extremely quickly before gearing up for a lethal counter. O'Malley's head movement was displayed well on Dana White's Contender Series against Alfred Khashakyan.
In his last outing opposite Thomas Almeida, 'Sugar' steered clear of the Brazilian's powerful punches and showed exactly why his head movement is top-notch.
He is probably the only fighter on this list who uses the look-away jab/cross most efficiently. While the move may not necessarily help O'Malley avoid getting hit, it is still a characteristic of superb head movement.
O'Malley is set to make his return to the octagon at UFC 264, where he will challenge Louis Smolka. The event is scheduled to take place on July 10.
#4 Rafael Fiziev - UFC lightweight
They say Rafael Fiziev lives in the matrix - a claim that cannot be disputed if you've seen the Kyrgyzstani fight.
Fiziev's extraordinary head movement stemmed from his highly-decorated kickboxing and Muay Thai career. The 28-year-old entered the world of combat sports aged just 10, and he hasn't looked back since.
Except for Magomed Mustafaev, no other MMA fighter has had Fiziev on the back foot. The Kyrgyzstani rarely gets hit, thanks to the smooth movement of his head. Fiziev usually snipes at his opponents with devastating leg kicks and waits for them to strike back in desperation. When they do, he will dodge the attack and fire back with brutal punches. In his fight against Marc Diakiese, Fiziev reflected on exactly that.
#3 Jose Aldo - UFC bantamweight
A fighter has to be incredibly smooth with their head movement in order to avoid punches from an elite striker like Petr Yan. The Russian was almost embarrassed during his encounter with Jose Aldo last year when the former featherweight champ evaded roughly ten of his punches in a few seconds.
Although Yan convincingly won the fight, Aldo proved why he possesses some of the best head movement in the fight game.
Aldo is well known for his striking defense. He constantly moves his head left and right, backward and forward, and reads his opponents' striking patterns. During his prime years, Aldo's head movement was far faster and more advanced.
#2 Dominick Cruz - UFC bantamweight
For years Dominick Cruz has been hailed as an "unorthodox" fighter. However, that shouldn't take anything away from his skill and effective technique, and in particular his head movement pedigree.
Cruz fights with a strange stance and uses his superlative footwork to catch his opponents from the weirdest of angles. Plus, his ability to duck and pivot while going backwards speaks volumes of his fantastic head movement.
Although he is 36-years-old, Cruz's head movement was on point in his last fight against Casey Kenney at UFC 260.
#1 Israel Adesanya - UFC middleweight
Israel Adesanya is arguably the best striker in the UFC right now. While the middleweight champ's striking capabilities are widely acclaimed, his defense, unfortunately, isn't talked about enough.
Time and again, Adesanya has showcased his impressive head movement, most recently against Marvin Vettori at UFC 263.
He bobs and weaves, then slips and counters, which has proven effective enough to send someone like Robert Whittaker crashing to the canvas.
