UFC 112: Penn and Silva Among the Top Counterstrikers In MMA

Any old school boxing coach will tell you that a good defense is your best offense. While MMA and boxing are two entirely different sports, the importance of counterstriking rings true for both outlets.

Although with four-ounce gloves on some MMA fighters can find success by swinging wildly at their opponents (ala Chris Leben), but the ones who truly excel in the Octagon are the fighters who are able to pick their foes apart with superb technique.

With that said, let’s take a look at the top five counterstrikers in MMA today.

5. Kenny Florian

At UFC Fight Night 21 Florian countered former PRIDE superstar Takanori Gomi with crafty feints and effective jabs before choking him out in the third round.

The win was arguably the best performance of Florian’s career, but it was not the first time we’ve seen the Boston native pick apart an opponent with superior striking.

Other than his unfortunate loss to lightweight champion B.J Penn, Florian’s elusive yet vicious Muay Thai has led him to victories over some of the toughest fighters in the division.

Florian’s counterstriking ability seems better than ever now under the tutelage of standup guru Firas Zahabi so it is only a matter of time before we see “KenFlo” with UFC gold around his waist.

4. Fedor Emelianenko

Emelianenko is arguably the top pound-for-pound fighter in the sport and that is due in part to his impeccable timing on the feet.

“The Last Emperor” is flawless in his ability to establish distance, wait for his opponent to make a mistake, and capitalize with a thunderous hook.

A perfect example of this would be his knockout victory over former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski.

Arlovski made the mistake of throwing a flying knee without properly setting it up, and Emelianenko timed it perfectly, dropping Arlovski with a massive right hand.

3. BJ Penn

If there was ever a fighter who utilized the sweet science of boxing fluidly in MMA, it would be Penn.

Penn’s pinpoint accuracy is second to none in the UFC’s lightweight division, and any fighter willing to stand and trade with “The Prodigy” usually ends up bleeding quite profusely throughout the duration of the fight.

Ever since returning to the 155-pound division in 2007, Penn has battered everyone in his path, from Joe Stevenson to Diego Sanchez, with a vicious display of counterstriking.

Most notably in his UFC 84 bout with Sean Sherk, Penn constantly countered Sherk with the jab before eventually finishing him with a flying knee in the third round.

2. Lyoto Machida

Machida is living, breathing proof that—if used correctly—karate can be extremely efficient in the Octagon. “The Dragon” is unbeaten through 13 professional fights and none of his opponents, except for maybe Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, have been able to figure his style out.

UFC color commentator Joe Rogan often praises Machida for having the most intelligent approach to fighting in the sense that he receives very little damage whilst inflicting the most.

Most modern-day MMA fighters will throw looping strikes hoping to catch their opponent but Machida picks his shots well and only attacks when the opening presents itself.

In Machida’s last bout, his counterstriking led him to a unanimous decision victory over “Shogun” Rua at UFC 104.

Although several pundits would argue that Rua won the fight due to his thunderous kicks, Machida countered every leg kick with a straight left hand to Rua’s face.

1. Anderson Silva

Silva is considered by many to be the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet and for good reason.

The UFC middleweight champion has picked apart every challenger thrown his way since knocking out Chris Leben in his Octagon debut four years ago.

The beautiful thing about Silva is that he can strike his opponents from any angle at any given time yet receive very little damage in return.

Silva’s flawless defensive tactics were put on full display in his most recent fight against Forrest Griffin at UFC 101.

Every time Griffin would throw a punch, Silva would dodge the strike with a Matrix-style bob and weave before damaging Griffin with a deadly counterattack.

Perhaps the reason Silva’s counter striking is so effective is because of his outstanding timing.

Silva uses the first few minutes of his fights to garner his opponent’s movements, and once he has their timing down, he can predict their next move like an MMA psychic.