British UFC legend names top-five wrestlers in UFC history, ranks Khamzat Chimaev ahead of Olympian

British MMA pioneer and former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping recently gave his top five best wrestlers in UFC history - and Khamzat Chimaev is surprisingly low on the list. He did, however, outrank an Olympian.

No. 5 on Bisping's list was former two-division UFC champion and former Olympic wrestler Daniel Cormier. If you look at Cormier's achievements in wrestling, it would take up this entire article. In addition to being an Olympian and freestyle wrestling world championship medalist, the UFC Hall of Famer is also a Pan-American Games bronze medalist.

No. 4 is Khamzat Chimaev. The Chechen-born fighter won the Swedish freestyle wrestling title multiple times. While his achievements aren't as lofty-looking as Cormier's, Chimaev's romp of violence in the UFC speaks for itself. The undefeated fighter stopped all but two of his opponents in his 14-0 record.

Speaking in a YouTube video, Bisping said:

"If you look at Khamzat Chimaev, it's just a combination of a lot of things. Of course, hours on the mat, determination, work ethic, and strength. This man is strong...It doesn't matter how good you are technically, if you can take everybody down and control them, then you are successful."

Check out Michael Bisping's comments below(3:43):

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Ahead of Bo Nickal and Khamzat Chimaev, Michael Bisping names his top three best wrestlers in UFC history

Bisping's No. 3 would be UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. The Dagestani champion is the finest product of wrestling in their region, which produces some of the best wrestling programs in the world. Together with his chain wrestling, Makhachev utilizes his world champion-level sambo techniques to ground and control his opponents. He currently sits at no.1 in the UFC pound-for-pound list.

At No.2 is the only Olympic gold medalist to win UFC gold, former two-division UFC champ Henry Cejudo. 'Triple C' is considered to be one of the most accomplished combat athletes of all time, achieving top honors in both MMA and wrestling. In 2008, he became the youngest American Olympic gold medalist by topping the Summer Olympics freestyle wrestling bracket at the age of 21.

For his No. 1, it's best for Bisping to say it himself (7:04):

"Khabib Nurmagomedov. Obvious choice. You probably already knew I was going to say that but, come on, let's be honest. How did he beat everybody? He did it with the wrestling. And they all knew it was coming and they drilled takedown defense and they got hold of the best wrestlers they could but they still couldn't stop [him]."

Bisping added:

"Some people wonder whether or not he even lost a round. That's debatable. However, his career and the impact on the sport, that is not debatable. One of the most legendary careers."