Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has been a fundamental part of MMA since the inception of the Ultimate Fighting Championship some 30 years ago. This martial art, which emphasizes ground fighting and submission holds, has produced some of the most skilled and respected fighters in the sport’s history. Nowadays, more and more emphasis has been placed on wrestling and pure striking, and the beloved fighting style has fallen down the pecking order somewhat. But in its heyday, it was the foundation for many a champion’s ascent to the top of the Octagon mountaintop.
Here are our picks for the top four BJJ fighters in UFC history.
Royce Gracie
When discussing BJJ in the UFC, it’s impossible not to start with Royce Gracie. A member of the legendary Gracie family, the Ro de Janeiro native put Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu on the map by winning the first-ever UFC tournament way back in 1993, when the organization used to hold one all-in style tournaments with fighters battling it out multiple times in one night. Back at UFC 1, Gracie defeated former WWE Superstar Ken Shamrock en route to the crown, before going on to win the next two tournaments as well. He would then battle it out with Shamrock again in a 36-minute time limit draw back in 1995, in what remains the longest fight in UFC history.
Using his superior grappling skills, Gracie defeated opponents who were often bigger and stronger, showcasing the effectiveness of BJJ in no-holds-barred combat. His victories in the early days of the UFC played a pivotal role in the global popularization of BJJ, but as they say, all good things do indeed come to an end. The Brazilian star lost his first-ever fight at the 12th time of asking in 2000 to Japanese icon Kazushi Sakuraba, with his corner pulling him out of the contest after a vicious affair. Six years on from that defeat, he would lose again after being knocked out by then-welterweight champion Matt Hughes at UFC 60.
Demian Maia
With a career spanning over a decade in the organization, Demian Maia has used his world-class grappling skills to secure victories against some of the welterweight and middleweight divisions’ toughest competitors, such as Chael Sonnen, Jorge Masvidal, and Carlos Condit. However, he never quite managed to reach the levels set by his predecessor Gracie.
The Sao Paolo-born star’s ability to control opponents on the ground and his relentless pursuit of submissions have made him one of the most revered grapplers in MMA history. He has a mighty 14 submission victories throughout his career, with 11 of those coming inside the Octagon, the third most in company history. Unfortunately for him and his adoring fans, he was never quite able to become champion.
Maia has managed to secure two title shots throughout his career. The first of those came against compatriot Anderson Silva at UFC 112, back in 2010 in Abu Dhabi. After a drab affair, the Spider comfortably held onto his championship via a wide unanimous decision after a contest that left UFC head honcho Dana White visibly furious due to the lack of action between the two competitors. Seven years later, victories against the aforementioned Masvidal and Condit put him in line for a welterweight title shot, but he would come up short once again, this time against Tyrone Woodley.
Charles Oliveira
Charles Oliveira represents the new generation of BJJ fighters in the UFC. Known for his dynamic submission game, Do Bronx has set records for the most submission wins in UFC history with a grand total of 16, four clear of second-placed man Jim Miller. His ability to find a submission from virtually any position has made him a constant threat to all opponents, so much so that the likes of Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler were unwilling to follow him to the ground after dropping him in their respective fights, allowing the Brazilian to regain his composure and come out victorious.
The 34-year-old reigned over the UFC’s lightweight division throughout 2021 and 2022, but he would drop his title to Russian wrestling supremo Islam Makhachev in UFC 280, with the Dagestani star giving Oliveira a taste of his own medicine by securing a submission victory of his own. Websites providing online sports betting in Canada had made the Brazilian a +250 betting underdog for that contest, and with the pair expected to rematch later this, he may well find himself as the outsider once again. Lots of eager viewers will have their pocketbooks at the ready, waiting to place their bets on what’s bound to be an intense match.
Fabricio Werdum
Fabricio Werdum has etched his name in the annals of UFC history not just as a top heavyweight but also as a BJJ maestro. Werdum’s grappling credentials are impeccable, and he holds multiple world championships in the discipline. In the UFC, Werdum utilized his grappling prowess to defeat some of the biggest names in the division, including a famous submission win over Fedor Emelianenko, ending the latter’s nearly ten-year unbeaten streak. In 2015, he became the heavyweight champion after choking out Cain Velasquez, but he lost the title in the first round of his first defense, suffering a vicious knockout loss at the hands of Stipe Miocic in his home country of Mexico.
