Lyoto Machida and the 5 Most Awkward Styles in the UFC Right Now

If variety is the spice of life, then these fighters are very, very spicy.

And we should be thankful for these guys (spoiler: and gal). If we just had a bunch of wrestle-boxers and jiu-jitsu and muay thai, then, well, things would become a little blander. It would be a mashed-potato sandwich on white, hold the mayo.

Nobody wants that. So here's our salute to the awkward and unorthodox among the UFC ranks. As you'll see, many of these fighters have reached very high levels of success with their inimitable approaches. They made it to the top, did it their way and put the "mix" in mixed martial arts. 

Fighters are ranked based on awkwardness and overall prominence within the sport.

Honorable Mentions

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Brian Ebersole (right)

- Clay Guida

- Anthony Pettis

- Jon Jones

- Brian Ebersole

- Nate Diaz

- Nick Diaz

- Cole Miller

- Isaac Vallie-Flagg

- "Korean Zombie" Chan Sung Jung

5. Katsunori Kikuno

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Katsunori Kikuno (right)

Division: Featherweight
Record: 23-6-2

Fans of international MMA scenes went a little nuts when the UFC announced that Katsunori Kikuno would finally fight in the UFC Octagon.

And that's understandable. The longtime lightweight champion in Japan's DEEP promotion, Kikuno is a master of kyokushin karate and balances out a strange striking style with a judo-based grappling game. 

What makes Kikuno so strange to watch are two things. First, he uses a strange tactic to bait opponents into attacking so that he can counterstrike. It's sometimes called "the zombie walk," per Nate Wilcox of SB Nation, because it makes him look like a zombie who is walking. Second, when on the offensive, he'll uncork some pretty wild moves in there. Those aforementioned fans won't soon forget Kikuno's use of the crescent kick or a standing neck crucifix.

So far, so good for Kikuno in the UFC. He's 2-1 in three fights so far, all of which came this year.

4. Aisling Daly

Division: Strawweight
Record: 15-5

During her time on The Ultimate Fighter 20, Aisling Daly showed a maturity beyond her 26 years by keeping a low profile and staying out of the in-house drama that dogged much of the show and its cast.

And on the TUF 20 finale last weekend, Daly also showed that she doesn't need much hype to make a name for herself when she submitted Alex Chambers in the first round.

But Daly (pictured here in the yellow shorts and facing castmate Jessica Penne) has one hell of an awkward style. It's easy to compare any awkward fighter to Dean of Awkward Keith Jardine, but the comparison is apt here. The Irish strawweight, who trains with Conor McGregor and others at SBG Ireland, likes to go for the herky-jerky standup, weird angles and some strong—but scrambled—grappling.

It may not always be graceful, but it gets the job done.

3. Dominick Cruz

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Division: Bantamweight
Record: 20-1

Dominick Cruz is one of the archetypes of awkward for the UFC. His head and foot movement are as unpredictable as they are quick. He chips away at opponents, looking for points instead of knockouts, which in itself is a little unusual for someone who brings a heavily boxing-oriented style.

Cruz is definitely a thinking-man's fighter. (That's probably what makes him almost as good an analyst as he is a fighter.) So his return from a two-year-plus layoff was good news for thinking men everywhere, who have to be interested to see whether Cruz can reclaim his division championship.

Given that some of Cruz's biggest influences are NFL running backs, per Luke Thomas of SB Nation, it should be a fun journey.

2. Tim Elliott

Gregory Payan/Associated Press

Division: Flyweight
Record: 10-5-1

When asked what his style is, Tim Elliott actually says, "awkward."

Switching stances seemingly every second, and with a crouching stalk slightly reminiscent of Gargamel, Elliott hunts down opponents and works for a brawl. That brawl can come on the feet or the ground, where his whirling dervish, scramble-seeking mat game causes plenty of confusion.

Elliott himself credits Cruz for helping him with his style. But he'll stay ahead of Cruz for now for having a longer recent string of UFC fights and, well, just for being so darn strange.

1. Lyoto Machida

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Division: Middleweight
Record: 21-5

Plenty has been written about Lyoto Machida's karate-based, highly defensive style. If he were a basketball team, he'd be the New York Knicks of the early 1990s, via ESPN. The Pat Riley ones, who set the game back 15 years. No layups, player.

But those teams had style and swagger, if not offensive firepower. It's the same for Machida. You can't hit him, can't take him down unless you're an all-American wrestler. He just sits back in the cut and waits to strike. And when he strikes, it's pretty emphatic.

Fans will have a chance to see Machida do his thing again at UFC Fight Night 58, when he takes on former college wrestler C.B. Dollaway. Only philistines aren't interested in the way Machida does his business. Some combat may be awkward, but that doesn't mean it can't be beautiful, too.

Scott Harris writes about the serious and not-so-serious aspects of MMA for Bleacher Report. Follow Scott on Twitter if you feel so inclined.