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Knockout artists such as Israel Adesanya, Dustin Poirier, and Francis Ngannou count themselves amongst the most popular fighters in the UFC right now. However, although knockouts are always popular, the art of submission grappling remains key to UFC success.
Who is the best grappler in the UFC right now? It’s a tricky question to answer, as both wrestlers and submission artists need to be in the consideration.
However, with Khabib Nurmagomedov now retired and BJJ wizards Demian Maia and Jacare Souza on the downswing of their UFC careers, you probably can’t look past the following fighters.
In no particular order, here are the five best grapplers in the UFC right now.
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#1 Charles Oliveira - UFC Lightweight division
While he isn’t as credentialed in the world of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as the likes of Maia and Jacare, it’s hard to argue that Charles Oliveira isn’t one of – if not the – best grapplers in the UFC right now.
Do Bronx has been with the UFC since 2010, and even back then, as a raw 20-year-old, it was clear that he was a remarkably dangerous submission artist.
Oliveira opened his UFC career with two submission wins, and in the 10 years that have followed, he’s stunningly added to that total.
The Brazilian now holds the record for the most submission wins in UFC history with 14. He remains the only UFC fighter to submit an opponent in the Octagon with an ultra-rare calf slicer.
However, in recent years Oliveira has developed into an even more dangerous grappler, largely thanks to the addition of a strong wrestling game.
Now capable of taking down even excellent wrestlers like his most recent victim Tony Ferguson, Do Bronx may well be the next man to take the UFC Lightweight title once Khabib Nurmagomedov officially vacates.
When it comes to grappling in the UFC, there are few better.
#2 Kamaru Usman - UFC Welterweight division
While he isn’t a submission expert by any means – he’s only ever submitted one opponent in the UFC – current UFC Welterweight champion Kamaru Usman is undoubtedly one of the promotion’s greatest grapplers.
A UFC fighter since 2015, Usman has reeled off a total of 12 straight wins inside the Octagon. And while he does have a couple of standing knockouts to his name, those wins have largely come due to his incredible wrestling.
There have been more credentialed wrestlers in the UFC than Usman, even in recent years. His NCAA Division II national championship pales in comparison to the accomplishments of Ben Askren, for instance.
However, The Nigerian Nightmare has used his wrestling to absolutely dominate anyone who has set foot into the Octagon with him.
Usman averages 3.38 takedowns per 15 minutes of fighting, but more impressive is the fact that no opponent has ever been able to take him down in return.
And it’s not like he’s been fighting one-dimensional strikers, either. The likes of Colby Covington, Tyron Woodley, and Maia are amongst the best grapplers that the UFC Welterweight division has to offer.
Set to defend his title at UFC 258 against another excellent grappler in Gilbert Burns, we can expect to see Usman display his phenomenal mat skills once again when that fight comes around.
#3 Mackenzie Dern - UFC Strawweight division
The UFC’s female divisions are full of excellent grapplers like Amanda Nunes and Tatiana Suarez. But standing above them is definitely Strawweight prospect Mackenzie Dern.
Currently holding a UFC record of 5-1, Dern is still developing in her overall MMA game. But when it comes to her skills on the mat, there’s absolutely no questioning her.
The daughter of decorated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champion Wellington Megaton Dias, Dern has been practicing grappling since her early childhood. She began competing against adults at the age of just 14.
In the years that have followed, her accomplishments have become second to none.
Once ranked as world number one by the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation, she’s won multiple gold medals in countless grappling tournaments, including the World Cup, World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, and the prestigious Abu Dhabi Combat Club World Championship.
And in the UFC, she’s shown off those submission skills by tapping out three opponents, each falling to a different submission hold.
Whether Dern can claim the UFC Strawweight title is another matter entirely, but right now, there are no better female grapplers fighting in the UFC.
#4 Rodolfo Vieira - UFC Middleweight division
Highly credentialed grapplers have traditionally seen mixed results in the UFC. For every Maia and Jacare who reached the top, there are the likes of Roger Gracie and Marcio Cruz who simply couldn’t succeed in the Octagon.
The latest grappling ace to try his hand in the UFC is Rodolfo Vieira, and thus far, at least, the four-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion has done well for himself.
A gold medallist and champion in numerous grappling competitions – including the Abu Dhabi Combat Club Championship – Vieira became known as The Black Belt Hunter for his ability to defeat some of the world’s best on the mat.
And his grappling record of 100 wins and nine losses – with victories over greats such as Braulio Estima and Keenan Cornelius – is second to none.
Thus far, in his UFC career, he’s also impressed, submitting both Oskar Piechota and Saparbek Safarov in relatively comfortable fashion.
Vieira’s UFC career is only just beginning. Still, with his incredible grappling skills and athleticism, there’s every chance that he emulates his predecessors and makes it all the way to the top.
#5 Islam Makhachev - UFC Lightweight division
Despite the retirement of UFC Lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, Russian-based grapplers' influence in the promotion doesn’t appear to be showing any signs of slowing down.
But while Chechnyan native Khamzat Chimaev might make his way onto a list like this in the near future, right now, the best Russian grappler in the post-Khabib UFC has to be fellow Lightweight Islam Makhachev.
A UFC fighter since 2015, Makhachev has put together an impressive record of 7-1 inside the Octagon, with his only loss being a quick knockout at the hands of Adriano Martins.
And it's Makhachev’s fantastic grappling that has led him to this success. Not only has he handled fellow grappling aces like Arman Tsarukyan and Nik Lentz on the mat, but his statistical record is also fantastic.
Makhachev has only ever been taken down once in his UFC career – by Tsarukyan – and his takedown defense currently stands at an impressive 93%. He also averages 3.4 takedowns per 15 minutes of fighting – meaning that if he takes an opponent down, they’re not likely to get back up.
Add in his two submission victories, and it’s pretty clear that Makhachev is a remarkably dangerous grappler – and one we can expect to rise to the top of the UFC’s Lightweight division in the near future.
