There is a popular belief that wrestling is the best base for MMA. Wrestlers love to set the pace, control the fight, and decide by their own will, where the bout will continue. Even if we look at the UFC champions, many of them are or used to be good wrestlers, or at least had decent wrestling years in the past. Daniel Cormier, the double champ of the UFC, was an Olympic-level wrestler. Jon Jones, arguably the best fighter of all time, had a good wrestling background. George Saint-Pierre, despite being a karateka, developed amazing wrestling skills after transitioning to MMA. As of today, there are many top-level wrestlers in the UFC. In this article, we’re going to take a look at the best wrestlers on the UFC roster.

Islam Makhachev

Khabib Nurmagomedov used to be an unstoppable force in the UFC lightweight division. This was mostly because of his wrestling skills, as he was taking down almost every opponent and walking them through the deep dark waters. Khabib retired in 2020, but the top-level Dagestani wrestling didn’t disappear. Khabib’s student and great friend Islam Makhachev is still fighting for their legacy. Islam, just like Khabib, is an amazing wrestler and takes his opponents down without any problem. We can’t compare him to Khabib, as Islam hasn’t faced yet a top-level competition, but the statistics are speaking for themselves. Islam has a way better takedown accuracy and his takedown defense is even better. Makhachev is very versatile in his wrestling approach as he uses both double and single legs, sometimes even judo trips to take people to the ground from the clinch. People who love UFC and like to make bets should definitely visit the betting platform 22Bet, which provides good betting opportunities.

Colby Covington

Colby Covington is the most hated person in the UFC, but the fact remains the same: Colby is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world and arguably the best wrestler in the whole organization. Colby used to be a phenomenal NCAA division 1 all-American wrestler, with numerous accolades in this sport. After making his debut in 2014, Colby started utilizing his wrestling skills, taking people down and making them tired with the relentless pressure. Colby’s striking has vastly progressed since his debut, but his main asset still remains good old American Wrestling. Colby rapidly got up in rankings and has fought for the title twice against Kamaru Usman. Despite shortcomings in both bouts, Colby was the only person that tested Kamaru’s skills and even won some rounds. Colby has a 45% takedown accuracy and 4 takedowns on average in 15 minutes, which is a pretty decent result. 

Merab Dvalishvili

Georgia is generally known for producing world-class wrestlers and Merab Dvalishvili is no exception. In 2017, Merab made his debut in UFC but fell short for 2 back to back fights. From that point forward, Georgia’s native made adjustments and went on a 7 fight win streak. Dvalishvili is known for his stunning wrestling skills and unlimited cardio. He never gets tired and puts pressure on his opponents they can’t withstand. Merab has a 45% takedown accuracy and lands 7 takedowns in a 15-minute fight on average, which is the best result. Merab is booked to face UFC legend Jose Aldo on August 20^th and in case of winning, he might get a title shot.