The 10 Best Wrestlers in the UFC Right Now
The evolution of mixed martial arts has birthed a variety of extraordinary disciplines, superlative skill sets and mastered techniques.
But through all the historic finishes, championship upsets and courageous accomplishments displayed inside the Octagon, there's one athletic gift that seems to trump all.
That methodical and tactical facet of the fight game is none other than wrestling.
Wrestling has given top-level athletes the chance to compete beyond expectation. It has fueled heart-defying cardio, colossal takedowns, punishing ground-and-pound and optimal timing.
The discipline has been so efficient over the years that the majority of UFC champions today fall back on wrestling more than any other combative arsenal.
With that said, based on offensive and defensive abilities, here are the 10 best wrestlers in the UFC today.
10. Demetrious Johnson
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As the quickest fighter in the UFC, Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson is able to do things that other fighters simply can't.
Although the flyweight phenom makes a living off quick striking and often unfathomable footwork, his wrestling abilities are remarkable.
Capable of taking the fight to the ground at any point and utilizing a strong base to keep it there, Johnson has efficiently recorded 22 total takedowns over his last three title fights.
He may not possess the same pedigree and accomplished background as many of the other standouts on this list, but his sheer athletic prowess helps fuel a rather potent wrestling game.
9. Chael Sonnen
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With one of the best double leg takedowns in MMA today, the always entertaining Chael Sonnen comes in at No. 9.
While the former top middleweight contender hasn't dominated on the ground at light heavyweight, his overall capability and knowledge of the discipline keep him dangerous at all times.
What makes Sonnen's wrestling game even more formidable is the fact that he never skews from his bread and butter. Opponents know he's going to shoot, but more often than not, they're unable to squander his efforts.
In any case, the aging veteran still gets it done as an elite takedown tactician hellbent on imposing his will.
8. Chris Weidman
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As Chris Weidman evolves into one of the more well-rounded fighters in the UFC, so does his wrestling.
The newly instated middleweight champion has always possessed the ability to stifle opponents with his takedowns, but he's finding new ways to pressure unsuspecting victims and set up different techniques.
His Octagon prowess is the perfect example of how wrestling can shape and form a fighter's ability to polish old skills into new tools.
Look for Weidman to continue his reign atop the middleweight division by implementing strategic game plans highlighted by suffocating ground-and-pound.
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7. Phil Davis
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Phil Davis is as decorated of a wrestler as they come.
He has transformed athletically by taking a transcendent career at Penn State and turning himself into a dynamic force in the UFC 's light heavyweight division.
His ability to attack and defend the takedown is so well respected that other elite contenders, such as Alexander Gustafsson, have trained under his tutelage.
The results have been astonishing, evident by the Swede's performance opposite pound-for-pound king Jon Jones earlier this year.
As long as Davis is able to nurture his striking and naturally evolve, his ground game should forever prolong divisional success.
6. Rashad Evans
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Even though Rashad Evans sports his own impressively clad wrestling resume, the more prominent reason why he commands the No. 6 spot is the fact that he out-hustled Phil Davis back at UFC on FOX 2.
As one of the very best takedown defenders in UFC history, Evans often utilizes raw strength and overwhelming athleticism to hone an already potent ground game.
He has gone toe-to-toe with some of the best Octagon wrestlers of the past decade, such as Jon Jones, Dan Henderson, Chael Sonnen, Tito Ortiz and the aforementioned Davis.
Once Evans gets a hold of an opponent and drags him to the canvas, it's like witnessing a starving lion devour a lifeless gazelle.
5. Jon Jones
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The versatility of UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones is something unseen in the sport before.
With an unimaginable appetite to learn new techniques, the 25-year-old is practically a human sponge.
However, through all of his abilities to implement punishing back fists, flashy front kicks and devastating elbows, the phenom's wrestling expertise occasionally gets masked.
As one of the toughest fighters ever to bring to the ground, Jones often utilizes size and positioning to keep the fight standing.
But when the champ feels like scoring some points and sharpening his elbow on a defenseless forehead, he skillfully dominates fighters by tripping, sweeping, dragging and overpowering them to the mat.
4. Georges St-Pierre
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The progression of Georges St-Pierre's wrestling comprehension is borderline genius.
His accomplishments on the ground mirror any fighter in the history of the sport, yet the UFC welterweight champion lacks any formal wrestling background.
He's able to snack on weaker opponents by perfecting his takedown artistry through natural athleticism and mental fortitude. That's why GSP stays afloat one of the toughest divisions around.
The fact that he has efficiently mastered the footwork, angling and positioning needed to be a good wrestler by feeding into his Karate tool bag, is downright mind blowing.
3. Johny Hendricks
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Even though Georges St-Pierre rivaled Johny Hendricks' wrestling game for five straight rounds at UFC 167, two national championships suggest "Bigg Rigg" is slightly better.
As one of the most decorated collegiate athletes to ever grace the Octagon, Hendricks possesses unreal tenacity and persistence on the ground. It's like he's defending his Oklahoma State title every time he goes for a takedown.
The only problem is that the Texan rarely has to use his wrestling wizardry. His hands are so consistently deadly that he opts to strike.
In any case, Hendricks is the type of athlete that only comes along once in a blue moon and one that fuses superior wrestling with blue-collar American bravado.
2. Cain Velasquez
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With some of the most dominating victories in UFC heavyweight history, titleholder Cain Velasquez can already be considered the best big man to ever grace the Octagon.
Velasquez has commanded such notoriety by incorporating a tumultuous ground game in a division known for simple-minded power punchers.
His wrestling has been so effective that it almost seems unfair to allow it. Combine those skills with a conditioned motor better suited for a Mack Truck and you have potency at its best.
Velasquez is the only fighter in UFC history to post triple-digit strikes (111) and double-digit takedowns (11) in the same fight.
1. Daniel Cormier
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As good as Cain Velasquez is at dragging an opponent to the ground and triggering optimal punishment, his madness had to start somewhere.
That somewhere, or better yet someone, is none other than former Oklahoma State standout and Olympian Daniel Cormier.
Arguably the most decorated wrestler to ever compete in MMA, Cormier's blend of calculated exactness and admirable aggression simply transcends all other ground games.
He is the predecessor to Velasquez's barbarism, a future title threat and one of the more athletically inclined individuals in the sport today.
For more UFC news and coverage, Follow @DHiergesell
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