The 7 best kickers in the UFC today

Lyoto Machida

Lyoto Machida: Are you Karate kidding me?

For starters, Lyoto Machida is called ‘The Dragon’. Once you get to see him in action, you will know why.

Experienced fighters such as Mark Munoz, C B Dollaway and the legendary Randy Couture have been at the receiving ends of Machida’s kicks. His style is unique and complex as he mixes elements of Sumo, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Shotokan Karate and Muay Thai along with his speed and footwork. His unorthodox style makes him even more unpredictable.

His bout with Randy ‘The Natural’ Couture bears testimony of his kicking prowess. All MMA fans are well acquainted with the movie ‘The Karate Kid’ where the protagonist delivers the final knockout kick to his opponent’s face. The kick became famous as the ‘Crane Kick’.

And Machida, the go-to Karate guy in the UFC, knocked out Couture in the same way. And it became one of the most spectacular knockouts ever in UFC history. That, too on a player of Couture’s stature. Machida has been dubbed as ‘The Karate Kid’ ever since.

Machida credits his father and former action movie star Steven Seagal for perfecting his technique. Machida’s close friend and all time UFC great Anderson Silva also enlisted Seagal’s help before his fight against Vitor Belfort. He also knocked out Belfort with a kick to the face at UFC 126.

Machida is a fearsome fighter. And he kicks really hard. His 41% striking ability in his fights prove that. He is deadly accurate.

You can watch the video of Lyoto Machida’s Crane Kick against Randy Couture below: