5 UFC fighters with the best wrestling, and 1 with the worst

5 UFC fighters with the best wrestling, 1 with the worst

Wrestling will always be one of the most important aspects of MMA so we break down five of the best to do it and one that needs some work.

Feb 8, 2020; Houston, Texas, USA; Jon Jones (red gloves) fights Dominick Reyes (blue gloves) during / Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

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5. Merab Dvalishvili

“The Machine” is a fitting nickname for Merab Dvalishvili. Like the aforementioned Colby Covington, Dvalishvili is another fighter who is able to weaponize his cardio.

Dvalishvili began his training at a young age, practicing wrestling, sambo, and judo before moving to the United States at 21 to begin his MMA career.

In just 11 UFC fights Dvalishvili has completed 74 takedowns. In his victory over Petr Yan, Dvalishvili attempted a UFC record 49 takedowns completing 11 of them. Dvalishvili also completed double-digit takedowns against Gustavo Lopez (13), Casey Kenney (12) and Frankie Saenz (11).

Dvalishvili doesn’t always complete takedowns but his ability to control opponents in the clinch while doing damage and hunting takedowns makes for a miserable night at the office for most opponents. His fight against Jose Aldo is a perfect example. Dvalishvili went 0-16 on takedowns but was able to win the fight with his clinch wrestling.

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