Top 10 UFC Fighters Who Are BJJ Black Belts

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Mike Jones

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The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is a unique platform where athletes from different disciplines of martial arts including BJJ, karate, wrestling, sumo, and kickboxing confront each other and display their unique and lethal fighting skills.

Most elite athletes participating in UFC are experts in their foundational fighting style and own a specific distinction.

For BJJ fighters that distinction is a black belt. Among all BJJ black belts, Royce Gracie was the first black belt to set foot in the UFC Octagon. He easily dominated fighters of other martial arts disciplines and opened floodgates of opportunity for BJJ black belts aspiring to debut on the mainstream MMA platforms such as the UFC.

Many BJJ fighters have tried their luck in UFC but they are neither all black belts nor as successful as Royce Gracie. In this article, we bring you the top ten UFC fighters who are also BJJ black belts.

1.  B.J. Penn

The first American to win a gold medal at the IBJJF World Championship, B.J. Penn, is a 5th-degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Andre Pederneiras and the brightest MMA star. Penn graced the UFC Octagon for the first time in 2001. He fought his debut at UFC 31 against Joey Gilbert and never looked back after defeating his opponent. He maintained his physical fitness by doing different types of workouts that help him to rule the fighting cage for many years. B.J Penn is the former UFC Lightweight and Welterweight Champion and one of the seven fighters to win titles in different weight classes in the history of UFC. In 2015, B.J Penn had the honor to become the inaugural inductee in the modern-era wing of the UFC Hall of Fame.

2.  Tony Ferguson

The former one-time UFC Lightweight Champion, Tony Ferguson – also called “El Cucuy” – received his BJJ black in 2017, at the UFC 216 from Eddie Bravo,- founder of 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu gym. In May 2022, UFC ranked Tony Ferguson #9 Best UFC Lightweight fighter. He is the most versatile UFC fighter and has the most consecutive wins in the Lightweight division. Ferguson has the longest winning streak in the UFC, and he also won three “UFC Fight of the Night Awards” and one “UFC Submission of the Night Award” award during his brilliant career in mixed martial arts (MMA).

3.  Anderson Silva

Anderson Silva is a 3rd-degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. He touched the heights of popularity by winning the UFC Middleweight Championship 16 times and successfully defended his UFC title 10 times. The title’s defenses allowed him to be the UFC champion for the longest time.  Silva also made a UFC record by winning 16 consecutive fights in seven years. Other than being a BJJ black belt, Silva is considered one of the best strikers in the history of MMA. Owing to his dazzling striking abilities, Silva won the “UFC Fight of the Night Award” five times, “Knockout of the Night Award” seven times, and “Submission of the Night Award” twice.

4.  Charles Oliviera

Charles Oliviera is the 3rd degree- BJJ black belt under Jorge “Macaco” Patino and Ericson Cardoso. He is the current UFC Lightweight Champion. Oliviera is ranked #1 best UFC Lightweight Fighter and # 4 best UFC men’s pound-for-pound fighter.

Charles Oliveira has made a record for most submission wins and most finishes in the history of UFC. All of these impressive achievements of Charles Oliviera in the Octagon prove that he has a bright future in MMA.

5.  Kamaru Usman

Kamarudeen Usman or Kamaru is the current and first Nigerian UFC Welterweight Champion and a BJJ black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Jorge Santiago. Kamaru successfully defended his UFC title five times. In 2021, he ranked #1 best UFC men’s pound-for-pound fighter. He won the UFC “Performance of the Night Award” four times and the “Fight of the Night Award” once.

6.  Dustin Poirier

Dustin Glenn Poirier nicknamed “The Diamond” is a BJJ black belt under Tim Credeur. Poirer trained for 11 long years and received his black belt in 2017. One of the best strikers, Poirier became the interim UFC Lightweight Champion in 2019. An outstanding fighter, Porier bested many big names in the MMA including Conor McGregor, Max Holloway, Dan Hooker, and Eddie Alvarez. Poirier has the most knockout victories in the history of UFC under his belt. Moreover, he won the “UFC Fight of the Night Award” seven times, the “Performance of the Night Award” four times, and the “Submission of the Night Award” once.

7.  Tyron Woodley

Tyron Woodley became a BJJ black belt after submitting Darren Till at UFC 228. Besides being a black belt, Woodley holds many achievements in mixed martial arts. He is the former UFC Welterweight Champion and successfully defended his title four times. He has demonstrated unparalleled striking and grappling skills in the Octagon and has won the “UFC Performance of the Night Award” thrice, the “UFC Fight of the Night Award” twice and the “UFC Knockout of the Night Award” once. Tyron Woodley has an MMA professional record of (19-7-1)

8.  Nick Diaz

Under the tutelage of the legendary Cesar Gracie, Nick Diaz received his BJJ black belt in 2007. He is an accomplished Gi and No-Gi jiu-jitsu fighter who has gained much success in the Octagon. Diaz earned his first “UFC Fight of the Night Award” at UFC 137 by defeating B.J Penn – the former UFC Lightweight and Welterweight Champion.” In 2006, Nick Diaz defeated Josh Neer via lethal kimura lock at UFC 62. Consequently, Diaz won the fight and the “UFC Submission of the Night Award.”

9.  Mackenzie Dern

Mackenzie Lynne Dern is a huge BJJ and MMA success and therefore she made it to this top ten list of UFC fighters. Dern earned a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from Wellington “Megaton” Dias at the age of 19. After reaching the pinnacle of BJJ success, Dern tried her luck in the Octagon. In 2022, she has ranked #4 best UFC strawweight fighter. Dern has the second-most UFC submission wins in the women’s category and most submissions UFC wins in the strawweight division. Dern won the “UFC Performance of the Night Award” three times. In 2017, she bagged the “UFC Fight of the Night Award” against Marina Rodriguez.

10. Paulo Costa

Paulo Costa is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu under Wallid Ismail and is currently one of the best UFC contenders in the middleweight bracket. Costa made his outstanding UFC debut in 2017 at the UFC Fight Night 106 and won his first Fight of the Night Award ” by defeating Garreth McLellan via TKO (punches). By 2021, Costa had also won the UFC “Performance of the Night Award” twice. Still, in the nascent stage of his MMA success, Paulo Costa has a promising future in the UFC.

Conclusion:

UFC is a unique platform that allows fighters practicing different forms of martial arts to compete and outdo each other. Some of the most popular UFC fighters belong to the jiu-jitsu world and are black belts. With the growth of No-Gi BJJ techniques, more and more BJJ fighters are acing at the UFC fighting format and proving the relevance of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in mainstream promotional martial arts.