When the UFC was initially born into existence back in 1993, the concept was simple.
The promotion would put different martial arts styles against one another to see which was the most effective and from there, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu quickly became a core pillar of mixed martial arts.
Since then, we have seen submission wizards like Charles Oliveira and Demian Maia wrap opponents up in knots whilst paying homage to their teachers and BJJ forefathers.
Many consider wrestling to be the dominant skillset in modern MMA but for every double leg takedown, there’s a guillotine choke attached to it.
Whether it’s down to the incredible highlights that they have given us inside the Octagon or their accomplishments in the submission grappling world, here are the top 10 BJJ specialists to have competed in the UFC.
Best BJJ grapplers in UFC history ranked
1. Royce Gracie
Royce Gracie is responsible for more people knowing what the initials BJJ stand for than anyone else.
The winner of UFC 1, 2 and 4 brought Jiu-Jitsu into a whole new spotlight by demonstrating how he could use his technique on the ground to beat bigger 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, there’s a good chance that many of the names below him on this list never step foot inside the Octagon.
2. Charles Oliveira
Charles Oliveira is one of the entries on this list where his accomplishments in MMA vastly outweigh what he accomplished in submission grappling.
The stats speak for themselves when it comes to “Do Bronx” with Oliveira holding the record for the most submission wins in UFC history at 16.
His incredible finishing ability would eventually lead him to the UFC lightweight title in 2021 with him going on to submit Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje in consecutive fights.
3. Demian Maia
Demian Maia is one of the greatest specialists that we have ever seen in the UFC and though it never lead him to UFC gold, he achieved a great career.
The 2007 ADCC World Champion produced 11 submissions inside the Octagon despite the fact that every opponent of his new that he was going to try and take them down, get their back and choke them out.
4. Fabricio Werdum
By the time that Fabricio Werdum won his second ADCC World Championship, the Brazilian heavyweight had already achieved a lot of success at the top of the MMA world.
Werdum somehow managed to do both at the same time which led him to four World Jiu-Jitsu Championships, 11 UFC submissions including his title winning finish over Cain Velasquez at UFC 188 to unify the heavyweight titles.
5. Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza
Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza is a legendary grappler with multiple ADCC and IBJJF World Championships under his belt before he made the switch to MMA.
Whilst he was unable to win the UFC title in his eight years with the promotion as a former Strikeforce middleweight champion, he still racked up 10 submission wins inside the Octagon.
6. Rodolfo Vieira
Rodolfo Vieira may only be 5-2 in his UFC career so far but the 35-year-old has an outstanding legacy in submission grappling before he transitioned to MMA.
With 17 gold medals at major tournaments under his belt including an ADCC and IBJJF absolute World Championship, the middleweight contender has already recorded four wins inside the Octagon via arm-triangle choke.
7. Mackenzie Dern
As a former ADCC and multiple time IBJJF World Champion, Mackenzie Dern arrived in the UFC with a pro MMA record of 5-0.
With 15 UFC bouts under her belt, the 31-year-old is still getting evolving into a well-rounded mixed martial artist but her submission ability was on show 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 contender, along with Fabricio Werdum, brought a different level of submission threat to the division.
Most significantly, Mir utilized techniques that you didn’t frequently see in the UFC let alone in the higher weight classes as proven by two of his signature wins, a kneebar against Brock Lesnar and a kimura versus Antonio Nogueira.
9. BJ Penn
BJ Penn may only have two wins by submission in the UFC but there’s no denying that his jiu-jitsu made him stand out from the rest of the pack in the lightweight division.
As the first American to win an IBJJF World Championship at black belt, the Hawaiian is another great example of using grappling to control larger and more physically intimidating opponents.
10. Nate Diaz
Nate Diaz may not be the most accomplished grappler in contention for the list and he doesn’t have as many submissions as other names like Jim Miller but what he lacks in these categories he makes up for with style points.
The Diaz brothers are best known for their boxing but what made them both so effective was their ability to submit opponents after overwhelming them on the feet.
Not to mention the fact that Nate holds possibly the most iconic submission win in MMA history when he choked out Conor McGregor at UFC 196 to shock the world… he wasn’t surprised though.