Top 10 Best UFC Wrestlers of All Time [2025 Updated Rankings]

UFC, the premier combat sports promotion, has talents from all the nooks and corners of fight culture. While it’s MMA and not just one predominant style/bracket, wrestling has found its way in the ranks. The best top 10 wrestlers of all time happen to be some of the most decorated fighters and global names of all time.

Some of the most prominent fighters, including Islam Makhachev, Jon Jones, Daniel Cormier, and Khabib Nurmagomedov, have a strong foundation in wrestling. Some dabbled in collegiate sport and fight camps, while others took it to the next level of competition. Khabib Nurmagomedov holds the record for most takedowns in a single UFC fight with 21

Here’s the 2025 updated list of the top 10 UFC wrestlers of all time based on achievements, stats, and overall dominance.

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Honorable mentions

The youngest US Olympian (competed at —55 kilograms) at the time, Henry Cejudo, won the 2008 Summer Olympics (age 21). The UFC bantamweight also happened to be a 2007 Pan American Games gold medalist.

Cejudo gave ex-UFC flyweight legend Demetrious Johnson his last scrap in the promotion, who himself boasted quite the ground game and BJJ prowess. Valentina Shevchenko also showed quite the wrestling skills. As does Rose Namajunas with quite the wrestling skills.

Aljamain Sterling, the former UFC bantamweight king, used to be an NCAA Division III All-American fame with an 87-27 record. Chris Weidman was a two-time NCAA Division I All-American with quite a reign. Matt Hughes was also quite the phenom who gave all-time greats a run for their money. However, there are other names that merit their spots as top 10 UFC wrestlers.

10. Yoel Romero

Style: Freestyle Wrestling

Accolades: Olympic Silver Medalist (2000), World Champion (1999)

UFC Division: Middleweight

Yoel Romero was a proper genetic beast who deserves his dues as a top 10 talent. Pundits and fans consider him a stylistic nightmare even today.

Romero, a freestyle wrestler, competed in the 85-kilogram weight class. A prominent 1999 World Champion and a five-time medalist at the World Championships, the Cuban was quite a force to be reckoned with. He was also the 2000 Olympic silver medalist/three-time World Cup winner [6]. Additionally, he won the 2003 Pan American Games.

9. Bo Nickal

Style: Folkstyle & Freestyle Wrestling

Accolades: 3x NCAA Division I Champion, Dan Hodge Trophy Winner (2019)

UFC Division: Middleweight

A former freestyle wrestler and graduated folkstyle phenom, Bo Nickal was a hype man and a surging name not that long ago. POTUS Donald Trump’s golf buddy, PSU Alum Nickal, fights for UFC’s middleweight division.

Nickal is a three-time NCAA Division I national champ and 2019 Dan Hodge Trophy honors winner. With a 183–7 wrestling stat [31 pins], Nickal represents the pinnacle of high school/collegiate wrestling and has often wanted to expand NCAA wrestling cultures with proper sponsorships.

8. Randy Couture

Style: Greco-Roman Wrestling

Accolades: 3x NCAA Division I All-American, UFC Hall of Famer

UFC Division: Heavyweight & Light Heavyweight

Randy Couture was one of the first UFC fighters to fully have wrestling as a big part of his arsenal. He was characterized as a full-on clinch-to-ground-and-pound fighter. Couture was a distinguished Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestler, and he was an Olympic alternate in (1988-96).

He is a three-time NCAA Division I All-American and two-time runner-up, and fought in 16 title fights. There is a notable distinction among UFC champions: Couture is the sole title holder to have won back the title multiple times.

7. Amanda Nunes

Style: BJJ + Wrestling Hybrid

Accolades: Former Two-Division UFC Champion

UFC Division: Bantamweight & Featherweight

The great Amanda Nunes logged the most TDs in the WMMA’s bantamweight division [32]. ‘Lioness’ also held the single-fight competition record for the most takedowns, at eight.

While known for her BJJ, North American Grappling Association (NAGA) fame, and capoeira prowess, Nunes had incredible wrestling, and it showed. The former two-weight champ was #1 in the UFC women’s pound-for-pound listings.

6. Tatiana Suarez

Style: Freestyle Wrestling

Accolades: Pan-American Champion, Former #1 U.S. Freestyle Wrestler (55kg)

UFC Division: Strawweight

Tatiana Suarez, an ASICs National High School Wrestler of the Year and Pan-American phenom, has truly made her mark in UFC. In 2011, she was the top-ranked freestyle wrestler in the US in the 55 kg (121 lb) weight class.

A neck disc injury became a burden to her 2012 Summer Olympics aspirations. From there, she started training in BJJ and transitioned to MMA.

She has garnered multiple awards in the women’s freestyle category at the World Championships and World Junior Championships. Suárez really shone in the UFC; her competition record of 25 takedowns in her division is proof of that.

Widely infamous as ‘Female Khabib’ as a wrestler, she deserves her stripes in the Top 10 wrestlers; she’s the No.2-ranked strawweight and #11 in the UFC women’s pound-for-pound rankings as of writing this.

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5. Georges St-Pierre

Style: Karate + Wrestling Hybrid

Accolades: Former 2x UFC Welterweight Champion

UFC Stats: Most takedowns in UFC history (90)Georges St-Pierre isn’t just a top 10 all-time UFC/MMA wrestler. Tapology still ranks him as the #1 wrestler and ground-and-pound fighter.

St-Pierre achieved the distinction of securing the most takedowns in the annals of UFC history back then. He also boasts a 73% TD accuracy rate in the UFC 170lbs division, setting a new record. It is also the fourth-highest accuracy in UFC history, a record that has stood for years.

4. Merab Dvalishvili

Style: Sambo & Wrestling

Accolades: UFC Bantamweight Title Contender

UFC Stats: 92 career takedowns (2nd all-time)

Merab Dvalishvili is true to his ‘Machine’ moniker. His 85 TDs in competition, the second-most in company history behind St-Pierre [90], surpassed and reached 92 in his title fight at UFC 311.

Dvalishvili’s 72 takedowns logged in UFC 135-pound competition were also a record high before that; he is also the only fighter to land 10 or more TDs in four separate fights.

At UFC Fight Night 221, Dvalishvili attempted a record-breaking 49 takedowns, which is a single-fight highest stat. The Serra-Longo (LV) Fight Team standout is well on his way to being on the Mt. Rushmore of fighters due to his ground game, extreme cardio, and sambo prowess.

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3. Khamzat Chimaev

Style: Freestyle Wrestling & Sambo

Accolades: 3x Swedish National Wrestling Champion

UFC Record: 12-0 (as of August 2025)

If one has to look to extreme wrestling pressure, Khamzat Chimaev is the guy for it. While a definite wildcard in the top 10 list, he is a three-time Swedish national champ in freestyle wrestling and has amassed a 12-0 record (—92kg bracket).

‘Borz’ has trained in judo/sambo as well. While characteristically explosive in the early two rounds, Chimaev achieved historic stats and proved otherwise at the UFC 319 PPV return to Chicago. Chimaev spent 21:40 of total control time in the fight [T-2], which is just behind Sean Sherk’s 22:18 over Hermes Franca at UFC 73.

2. Daniel Cormier

Style: Freestyle Wrestling

Accolades: 2x Olympian, Former Two-Division UFC Champion

UFC Division: Light Heavyweight & Heavyweight

Tapology’s #2 all-time best wrestler, Daniel Cormier, is a true veteran of the sport. A 2x US Olympian and flag-bearer in the Beijing Olympics/two-weight UFC champ /StrikeForce HWY Grand Prix Champ, ‘DC’ is known for his wrestling.

An NCAA Division I national finalist, Cormier’s takedowns and wrestling pace were hard to counter despite a significant size advantage. In the non-Olympic phase, Cormier placed in #5 at the Wrestling World Championships in both 2003 and 2007.

1. Khabib Nurmagomedov

Style: Sambo & Freestyle Wrestling

Accolades: Undefeated UFC Lightweight Champion (29-0)

UFC Stats: Most takedowns in a single fight (21 vs. Abel Trujillo)

Khabib wasn’t just a top 10, top 15 wrestler/fighter; he was dominant throughout with his sticky top mount. With a buff natural hydration, despite cutting huge chunks of weight, he used to transition into his wrestle-heavy mounts flawlessly.

‘The Eagle’ and his takedowns were equally dominant, with his single-fight 21 record attempts vs. Abel Trujillo being a marvel. To this day, not even Division I collegiate wrestlers can thwart his takedowns. That, along with his threat to submit, was quite a thing, and he got Best ESPY Submission honors when he retired.

FAQs: UFC’s Best Wrestlers

Q1. Who is the best wrestler in UFC history?
A: Khabib Nurmagomedov is widely regarded as the best wrestler in UFC history. The undefeated 29-0 champion dominated opponents with unmatched grappling, control, and ground-and-pound techniques.

Q2. Which UFC fighter has the most takedowns ever?
A: Georges St-Pierre (GSP) held the UFC record for most career takedowns with 90 successful takedowns, making him the most effective wrestler in UFC history. Now, it’s Merab Dvalishvili at 92.

Q3. Is Daniel Cormier a better wrestler than Jon Jones?
A: As a pure wrestler, Daniel Cormier has superior wrestling credentials, including being a two-time Olympian. However, Jon Jones’ versatility and striking allowed him to neutralize Cormier in their fights.

Q4. Who is the best female wrestler in UFC?
A: Tatiana Suarez is currently considered the best female wrestler in the UFC thanks to her dominant grappling. Amanda Nunes also showcased elite wrestling, but Suarez specializes more in pure wrestling control.

Q5. Which active UFC fighter could break GSP’s takedown record?
A: Merab Dvalishvili is on track to break Georges St-Pierre’s UFC takedown record. With 92 takedowns already, Merab is climbing rapidly and could soon set a new benchmark.