When the UFC was initially born in 1993 in 1993, the concept was simple.
The promotion would place various martial arts styles against each other to see what the most effective wax and from there, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu soon became a core pillar of mixed martial arts.
Since then we have seen entry wizards such as Charles Oliveira and Demian Maia in the knots in the buttons while they pay tribute to their teachers and BJJ forefathers.
Many consider struggling as the dominant skills in modern MMA, but for every double leg removal, there is a guillotine choke attached to it.
Whether it is about the incredible highlights they have given us in the Octagon or their performance in the Submission Grappling World, here are the top 10 BJJ specialists who participated in the UFC.
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Best BJJ -Job in UFC History arranged
1. Royce Gracie
Royce Gracie is responsible for more people who know what the initials are for than anyone else.
The winner of UFC 1, 2 and 4 brought Jiu-Jitsu in a completely new spotlight by showing how he could use his technique on the ground to defeat larger and stronger opponents.
Without what Gracie did in the early years of the UFC and the impact that his family as a whole would have on the sport, chances are that many of the names among him on this list will never get in the Achthoek.
Photo by Louis Grasse/Pximages
2. Charles Oliveira
Charles Oliveira is one of the entries on this list where his performance in MMA enormously outweighs what he has achieved in Submission Wrappling.
The statistics speak for themselves when it comes to “Do Bronx” with Oliveira who holds the record for most entries in UFC history at the age of 16.
His incredible finish would eventually lead him to the UFC light weight title in 2021 with him to submit Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje in successive fights.
3. Demian Maia
Demian Maia is one of the greatest specialists we have ever seen in the UFC and although it never leads him to UFC Gold, he has achieved a great career.
The ADCC World Champion 2007 produced 11 submissions in the Octagon, despite the fact that every opponent of his new one that he would try to get, get their backs and suffocate.
4. Fabricio Werdum
By the time Fabricio Werdum won his second ADCC world championship, the Brazilian heavyweight had already achieved every success at the top of the MMA world.
Werum in one way or another succeeded in doing both at the same time, which led him to four World Jiu-Jitsu championships, 11 UFC entries, including his title winning finish on Cain Velasquez on UFC 188 to unite the heavyweight titles .
5. Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza
Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza is a legendary grappler with several ADCC and IBJJF world championships under his belt before making the switch to MMA.
Although in the age of eight he was unable to win the UFC title with the promotion as a former champion of the StrikeForce middle weight, he still achieved 10 submissions in the Octagon.
6. Rodolfo Vieira
Rodolfo Vieira is perhaps only 5-2 in his UFC career so far, but the 35-year-old has an excellent inheritance in submitting wrestling before moving to MMA.
With 17 gold medals in large tournaments under his belt, including an ADCC and IBJJF Absolutely World Championship, the middleweight candidate has already included four wins in the Octagon via Arm-Triangle Choke.
7. Mackenzie Dern
As a former ADCC and for several time Ibjjf world champion, Mackenzie Dern arrived in the UFC with a Pro MMA record of 5-0.
With 15 UFC attacks under her belt, the 31-year-old is still evolved into a well-completed mixed martial artist, but her submission was the last time-out against Amanda Ribas.
8. Frank Mir
Frank Mir may only have the One Pan American Championship to his name, but the heavyweight competition, together with Fabricio Werdum, brought a different level of submission for the division.
The most important thing is that MIR techniques used that you did not often see in the UFC, let alone in the higher weight classes, as proven by two of his characteristic victories, a Knebar against Brock Lesnar and a Kimura versus Antonio Nogueira.
9. BJ Penn
BJ Penn may have only two victories due to entry into the UFC, but it is not to be denied that his Jiu-Jitsu let him distinguish from the rest of the peloton in the lightweight division.
As the first American to win an Ibjjf world championship in Black, the Hawaiian is another great example of using grab to control larger and physically intimidating opponents.
10. Nate Diaz
Nate Diaz may not be the most accomplished grappler in fight for the list and he does not have as many entries as other names such as Jim Miller, but what he misses in these categories that he makes good with style points.
The Diaz brothers are best known for their boxing, but what made them both so effective was their ability to serve opponents after they overwhelmed them on the feet.
Not to mention the fact that Nate may have the most iconic entry in MMA history when he choked Conor McGregor at UFC 196 to shock the world … He was not surprised.
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