Ranked: 5 style icons in the UFC today

UFC fighters exhibit big personalities. They can be cocky, flashy, and express themselves in myriad ways- whether it's inside the octagon with their martial skills or outside the cage with trash talk. Curiously, another way in which UFC fighters express themselves is through fashion.

The charm of their physical appearance becomes part of the appeal of some fighters. Their respective fanbases get eager to replicate their favorite UFC fighters by stylizing themselves after them, be it through getting identical tattoos, hairstyles, or even outrightly dressing like them.

Conor McGregor remains the most well-known style icon in the UFC, his longtime commitment to wearing dapper suits has earned him admiration in the fashion world. However, 'The Notorious' is not the only fighter known for his dressing sense. This list ranks the 5 style icons in the UFC today. Let's get started:

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#5. Kamaru Usman

The reigning UFC welterweight champion is one of the most dominant fighters the sport of mixed martial arts has ever seen. In fact, Kamaru Usman is widely regarded as the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world, with only Alexander Volkanovski challenging his status as the sport's current top fighter.

Inside the octagon, 'The Nigerian Nightmare' is a force of nature who has almost cleaned out the entire welterweight division. True challengers to his throne are few and far in-between. Outside the cage, however, Usman has garnered fame for his unique fashion sense.

The pound-for-poung king typically wears a blend of western garments patterned with African prints. Though at times, he wears traditional African garments embellished by sunglasses, watches, etc., in a manner which is captivating enough that Ariel Helwani once heralded the reigning-welterweight lynchpin as the best-dressed fighter in the UFC.

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#4. Max Holloway

Former featherweight champion Max Holloway is as inimitable inside the octagon as he is outside of it. The future UFC Hall of Famer is the pride of Hawaii, having successfully defended the featherweight title three times before ultimately losing to current champion Alexander Volkanovski.

Outside the cage, 'Blessed' is known for his street-like aura. Whether it's a white jacket draped over a leopard-spotted OVO hoodie or a multi-colored puffer jacket featuring an eclectic blend of Hawaiian imagery and surrealist artwork, Max Holloway has a style that is wholly and uniquely his own.

At press conferences, no fighter dresses like him, just as in the cage no one is mistaken for him in both style and greatness.

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#3. Sean O'Malley

The only fighter on the list yet to capture championship gold, Sean O'Malley is a rising bantamweight contender currently booked in a UFC 280 matchup with former bantamweight champion Petr Yan in what is undoubtedly the greatest challenge of O'Malley's MMA career thus far.

Sean O'Malley at the UFC 269 Pre-fight Press Conference

Known for his flashy and quirky shenanigans, 'Sugar' takes his overall style a step beyond what most fighters do. Most of the promotion's fighters either stylize their hair or their clothes. O'Malley poured his attention into both. His multi-colored rainbow hair, which he has even used to taunt his foes [dyeing it the color of the Ecuadorian flag when scheduled to face Marlon Vera], stand-out even on a stage full of big names.

Whether O'Malley wears a jacket inspired by Michael Jackson or an unbuttoned alabaster suit with no shirt underneath to accentuate his chest tattoos, 'Sugar' is very much the founder of his own style.

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#2. Israel Adesanya

'The Last Stylebender' is more than just an anime-inspired moniker describing Adesanya's in-cage fighting style. While the reigning middleweight champion has adopted a more defensively responsible and conservative striking approach since capturing the championship, his style outside the cage remains as flamboyant as ever.

Adesanya often combines his love of anime with an unapologetic femininity in one of the most recognizable blends of fashion in the entire promotion. The New-Zealander subverts expectations, painting his nails while simultaneously expressing his inherent masculinity through brash confidence. All the while, his love for anime is continuously expressed through his clothing.

At times it is streetwear and other times it is a black buttoned shirt with a red cloud print designed after the Akatsuki, a fictional organization from one of Adesanya's favorite anime series, Naruto. With his polished watch and glinting earrings, the current middleweight champ is a man with no equal when it comes to fashion or pure striking in the UFC.

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#1. Conor McGregor is the most stylish fighter in the UFC

Before Conor McGregor's rise to prominence, very few MMA fighters took any pains over their appearance. However, during his legendary rise through the featherweight division, 'The Notorious' made it a point to distinguish himself from his competitors. He did so not only with his trash talk and highlight-reel knockouts, but also with his fashion sense.

The Irishman's style is varied, including but not limited to form-fitting polo shirts, printed pants and three-piece suits. During the buildup to his historic clash with Floyd Mayweather Jr., McGregor made headlines for sporting an all-white Gucci mink fur coat, lauding its rarity as Gucci discontinued its use of real animal fur for its garments.

Not only is the Irishman the sharpest dresser in the UFC today, but he also sports his own clothing line called "August McGregor." Though whether it's his own brand or the likes of Gucci and Tom Ford, McGregor always makes a concerted effort to dress to impress.