MMA
The Best Jiu-jitsu Fighters in UFC History
This article ranks and analyses the best Jiu-jitsu fighters in UFC history, featuring legends such as Royce Gracie, Rickson Gracie and Demian Maia.
Royce Gracie//Getty Images
Since the introduction of the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 1993, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has been one of the most effective and most popular styles of fighting in MMA.
With global icons such as Rickson Gracie and Royce Gracie dominating MMA with BJJ in the 1980s and 1990s, this provided people a chance to witness the discipline thus increasing its popularity.
Since then, there have been many elite BJJ fighters who have entered the UFC and been successful. In this article, we rank and analyse who the best Jiu-jitsu fighters in UFC history truly are.
Methodology
The rankings were determined based on the following criteria:
Career Record (40%): Overall MMA record with emphasis on wins, losses, and notable opponents.
Submissions (30%): Total number of submission wins and submission accuracy in the UFC.
Championships (20%): UFC titles won and defended using BJJ dominance.
BJJ Achievements (10%): Grappling tournament victories and BJJ belt status outside the UFC.
Sources Used:
- Tapology: For verified MMA records and fight history.
- Elite Sports: For contextual analysis and rankings of BJJ fighters.
Critical Consensus: Ranking the Best Jiu-Jitsu Fighters in the UFC
The Critical Consensus Table lists Tapology rankings and Elite Sports rankings as well as the fighters notable achievements.
Critical Consensus Table
| Rank | Fighter | Tapology Rank | Elite Sports Rank | Notable Achievements |
| 1 | Demian Maia | 1 | 5 | 28-11-0; Most submission wins at UFC Welterweight; 2x ADCC Champion |
| 2 | Royce Gracie | NR | 1 | 15-2-3; Winner of 3 UFC Tournaments; Pioneer of BJJ in MMA |
| 3 | Ronaldo Souza | 2 | NR | 26-10-0, 1 NC; Former Strikeforce Champion; ADCC Champion |
| 4 | Fabrício Werdum | 3 | NR | 24-9-1, 1 NC; Former UFC Heavyweight Champion; ADCC Champion |
| 5 | Charles Oliveira | NR | 8 | 34-10-0, 1 NC; Most submission wins in UFC history; Former UFC Lightweight Champion |
| 6 | Nate Diaz | NR | 3 | 21-13-0; TUF Season 5 Winner; Known for triangle chokes and guillotine wins |
| 7 | BJ Penn | NR | 6 | 16-14-2; Former UFC Lightweight and Welterweight Champion; BJJ World Champion |
| 8 | Rickson Gracie | NR | 2 | 9-0-0; Undefeated record; Legendary BJJ fighter |
| 9 | Frank Mir | 5 | NR | 19-13-0; Former UFC Heavyweight Champion; Most submission wins in UFC Heavyweight history |
| 10 | Rodolfo Vieira | NR | 7 | 9-2-0; BJJ World Champion; 5x IBJJF Champion |
SportsBoom MetaScale: Ranking the Best UFC BJJ Fighters
The SportsBoom MetaScale takes into consideration a fighters record, submission wins, championships won, and their BJJ achievements.
SportsBoom MetaScale Table
| Rank | Fighter | Career Record (40%) | Submissions (30%) | Championships (20%) | BJJ Achievements (10%) | MetaScale Score |
| 1 | Demian Maia | 38 | 30 | 15 | 8 | 91 |
| 2 | Royce Gracie | 35 | 28 | 18 | 10 | 91 |
| 3 | Fabrício Werdum | 32 | 24 | 20 | 10 | 86 |
| 4 | Charles Oliveira | 36 | 35 | 15 | 5 | 85 |
| 5 | Ronaldo Souza | 33 | 25 | 15 | 8 | 81 |
| 6 | Nate Diaz | 25 | 27 | 10 | 5 | 67 |
| 7 | BJ Penn | 20 | 15 | 15 | 10 | 60 |
| 8 | Rickson Gracie | 30 | 20 | 0 | 10 | 60 |
| 9 | Frank Mir | 30 | 25 | 5 | 0 | 60 |
| 10 | Rodolfo Vieira | 18 | 18 | 0 | 8 | 44 |
Here is a breakdown of the best Jiu-jitsu fighters in UFC history and why they make the top ten on this list.
1. Demian Maia
Demian Maia's resumé speaks for itself. He has the most submission wins in UFC welterweight history, which comes as no surprise due to his outstanding BJJ skills, which led to him being a two-time ADCC champion. For much of Maia's MMA career, he relied purely on grappling to win fights, and despite being one dimensional, he was a consistent top contender in the UFC's 170-pounds division.
A prime Demian Maia was a difficult man to beat; the Brazilian had exceptional Jiu-jitsu skills and would most often find his way latching onto his opponents back and trying to lock in a rear naked choke. 14 of his pro MMA victories have come via submission.
2. Royce Gracie
Royce Gracie practically owned the UFC in its early years, winning three UFC tournaments and showcasing the effectiveness of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in the 90s. After making his pro MMA debut in 1993, he tasted his first defeat in 2000, signifying his remarkable dominance.
For many, Gracie is one of the most iconic figures to ever grace the sport because he shined the light on the discipline of BJJ on a global scale.
3. Fabrício Werdum
Fabrício Werdum holds what is possibly the biggest upset in MMA history when he submitted one of the greatest fighters of all time Fedor Emelianenko, via a triangle armbar in 2010.
Werdum is regarded as one of the best heavyweight grapplers in history having won six medals in the ADCC World Championships, including two gold medals. He used his excellent submission skills to win the UFC heavyweight title against Cain Velasquez in 2015 via guillotine.
4. Charles Oliveira
Charles Oliveira and Tony Ferguson//Getty Images
Charles Oliveira is undoubtedly one of the best Jiu-jitsu artists to ever grace the UFC octagon. Oliveira's outstanding submission skills has seen him rise to the top of the lightweight division, winning the title in 2021 and defending it once before being stripped of the title after failing to make weight for his second defence.
“Do Bronx” has 21 submission wins in his career, he holds the record for the most submissions in UFC history (17).
5. Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza
Brazil dominates the top five on this list. Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza was a scary individual in his peak years. He had exceptional BJJ skills to go with his powerhouse style of grappling. Once the Brazilian secured a takedown, you knew it was night night for his opponent; he was so strong at passing his opponents’ guard, he would either ground-and-pound you or submit you.
Although Jacare never won a title in the UFC, he claimed ADCC gold medals and IBJJF medals. He also managed to win the Strikeforce middleweight title in 2010.
6. Nate Diaz
Nate Diaz was known for three things: insane toughness, great cardio, and an elite ground game. And all of these things play into each other. Diaz often weathered onslaughts and wore his opponents down before bringing the fight to the mat and choking his opponent out.
He has the fifth-most submission victories in UFC history (10), tied with the legendary Royce Gracie.
7. BJ Penn
Penn punches Clay Guida//Getty Images
BJ Penn was the first American to win a gold medal at the BJJ World Championships before transitioning into a decorated MMA career. The Hawaiian native is the only fighter to win the UFC lightweight title as well as the UFC welterweight title.
Penn became the second multi-divisional UFC champion in history when he defeated Joe Stevenson via rear naked choke in 2008.
8. Rickson Gracie
Despite having limited MMA experience, and a patchy career (having a four-year absence and a ten-year absence between his fights), Rickson Gracie posted an undefeated record of 11-0, with nine of those wins coming by submission.
Gracie is very much a father figure for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu which is why his legacy and reputation in MMA and BJJ is unmatched.
9. Frank Mir
Frank Mir was a monster in the 2000s going 12-3, winning the UFC heavyweight title in 2004 and the interim title in 2009. Mir was known for breaking arms and finishing fights, Mir’s submissions were devastatingly effective in the heavyweight division, and it comes as no surprise that his two UFC title fight wins ended with submissions.
Mir still holds the record for the fastest submission win in UFC heavyweight history (45 seconds). He also holds the record for the most submission wins in the UFC heavyweight division with eight.
10. Rodolfo Vieira
Rodolfo Vieira has shown signs of promise in his MMA career, earning a record of 10-2 with nine of those wins coming via submission. Before transitioning to MMA, Vieira had a ridiculous BJJ career which saw him win the IBJJF World Championships four times, the ADCC Championship once, and the UAEJJF three times.
Now, the Brazilian is looking strong in the UFC middleweight division with back-to-back arm triangle chokes earning him the performance of the night in both of them.
SportsBoom Suggests
Demian Maia and Royce Gracie represent the pinnacle of UFC BJJ dominance with both earning a MetaScale score of 91. Meanwhile, rising stars like Rodolfo Vieira bring excitement to the future of BJJ in MMA.
Fighters like Charles Oliveira have redefined submission artistry with record-breaking performances. “Do Bronx” is regarded as the the best modern day submission artist in the UFC because of his excellent use of pulling guard and setting submissions up off of his back.
BJJ has shaped the foundation of UFC and continues to evolve with fighters mastering the art. This list honors the legends who brought grappling excellence to the forefront of MMA.
Jake Staniland is a sports writer who excels in covering a wide range of sports: football, combat sports and the NFL - All three subjects are his lifelong passions.
Jake is a boyhood Sheffield United fan, which is often a curse that he thanks his family for. His favourite Blades player ever is Billy Sharp