Who is the greatest judoka to ever step foot inside UFC octagon? Assessing Kayla Harrison's position post stellar UFC 300 debut

Since the inaugural UFC event, there have been several elite-level Judokas that have competed inside the octagon, with Kayla Harrison being the most recent.

Fans have witnessed the strength of martial arts in terms of the size discrepancy between two fighters and the effectiveness in taking a fight to the ground. There have been many Judokas that have also had a seamless transition to MMA and have their skills propelled them up the rankings before eventually winning a UFC championship.

This list will take a closer look and assess where Harrison ranks among the top judo practitioners to compete in the UFC following her stellar win over former bantamweight champion and boxing Hall of Famer Holly Holm.

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#5. Valentina Shevchenko - Former UFC women's flyweight champion

Former women's flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko

Valentina Shevchenko, who holds a black belt in judo, has achieved a great deal of success throughout her combat sports career. The former UFC women's flyweight champion is regarded by many as being in the mix for being one of the greatest female MMA fighters of all time.

Shevchenko boasts a 23-4 (1) MMA record and has been known for her grappling and piled up plenty of submission wins earlier in her career before becoming a knockout artist. Among the fighters she has submitted in her career include Priscila Cachoeira and former women's bantamweight champion Julianna Pena.

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#4. Karo Parisyan - Former UFC welterweight

Despite never winning a UFC championship, former welterweight Karo Parisyan showcased Judo and was an excellent representative of the martial arts throughout his 18-year MMA career.

Parisyan competed against the best 170-pounders in the sport during his prime, which was a very competitive division at the time with plenty of notable names. The former Judo world champion was effective in using his skillset to secure takedowns before submitting his opponents, which was the method of victory he was most known for.

Some of his most notable wins include Chris Lytle, former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz, and former UFC welterweight champion Matt Serra.

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#3. Fabricio Werdum - Former UFC heavyweight champion

Former heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum [Image courtesy: Getty Images]

Fabricio Werdum proved that Judo was effective in the heavier-weight divisions as he utilized his background in martial arts en route to a UFC heavyweight championship.

For a heavyweight, the Brazilian was very mobile and would use his pace and strength to his advantage. He would take his opponents down and overwhelm them with his ground-and-pound before submitting them.

Werdum earned 12 of his 24 wins via submission and submitted some of the greatest heavyweight fighters of all time including Cain Velasquez, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and Fedor Emelianenko.

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#2. Ronda Rousey - Former UFC Hall of Famer

Former women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey

Ronda Rousey was one of the biggest name Judo practitioners to transition into MMA.

'Rowdy' had an Olympic bronze medal under her belt and took MMA by storm when she debuted in 2011. She was a dominant fighter at the time and quickly became one of the biggest stars in the sport and made history by competing in the first-ever female UFC main event.

The former women's bantamweight champion was known for her armbar, which submitted a number of eventual champions including Julia Budd, Miesha Tate, Liz Carmouche. In 2018, Rousey took her rightful place in the UFC Hall of Fame as she was inducted into the Modern Wing.

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#1. Kayla Harrison - UFC women's bantamweight contender

Women's bantamweight contender Kayla Harrison

Kayla Harrison is undoubtedly the most decorated Judo practitioner to transition into MMA. She competed at the highest level of martial arts and reached the pinnacle by winning back-to-back Olympic Gold medals in 2012 and 2016.

Following her Olympic success, Harrison transitioned to MMA with the PFL and dominated her competition. She made her fights look easy and won two women's lightweight tournaments, which had a $1 million grand prize.

Harrison's lone career loss came against Larissa Pacheco, but it's important to note that she had already defeated in both their previous bouts. After departing the PFL, she joined the UFC and made her octagon debut at 135 pounds by earning a dominant submission win over former women's bantamweight champion Holly Holm.