Top 10 Best Karate Fighters In The History of UFC!
MMA is the most versatile combat sport where the following four martial arts have emerged as the most effective ones:
However, what about traditional martial arts? Over the last two decades, many martial arts proved to be not that practical for MMA to say the least. But on the other side, some of these styles are more than present, like karate for instance. If you take a close look at the UFC history, there have been many great fighters who had a strong base in karate. In fact, some of these fighters have reached the pinnacle of the game and are among the best fighters in history.
In this article, you are going to discover the best karate fighters in UFC history, and learn more about their background and careers.
Give it a listen if you don’t want to read:
10. Guy Mezger
Karate belt rank: 6th Dan black belt in Kyokushin Karate
UFC wins: 4
Also known as “The Sandman”, Mezger is one of the early pioneers of UFC. He is the former Pancrase Openweight Champion (Three times) and the 1996 Tournament winner. The most memorable moment of his career came just a year after in 1997 when he beat the great Tito Ortiz at UFC 13 to win the light heavyweight tournament.
Although many fight fans attribute his success to his previous kickboxing career (22–3), Mezger was also a very famous person in the Karate world. He is the 6th Dan black belt in Kyokushin Karate and his official records stands for 42 wins and just 1 loss out of which he scored 40 KOs. In his career, he became the world karate champ two times in 1993 and 1994.
9. Frank Mir
Karate belt rank: black belt in Kempo Karate
Frank Mir might be the most underrated UFC heavyweight champ of all time. Most MMA fans know him as a very skilled grappler who has submitted some of the best grapplers like Antonio Minotauro Nogueira. But, Mir also had very good striking skills and he score more than a few knockouts in his career.
Mir’s parents used to own an American Kenpo school, which is a place where Mir started his martial arts journey. After earning a black belt while he was still a teenager, his fighter would convince him to start wrestling at high school where he managed to win the state championship. Later on, he would start training BJJ where he also holds a black belt rank under Ricardo Pies.
Over the course of his long MMA career, Frank Mir managed to win the UFC heavyweight title and he holds many records like:
- The only fighter to beat three different UFC champions (fought against five)
- Fastest submission in UFC heavyweight history (45 seconds)
8. Gunnar Nelson
Karate belt rank: black belt in Goju-ryu karate
Gunnar Nelson is a UFC veteran known for his very good grappling skills and prominent finishing instincts. However, what most people don’t know about him is that he started his martial arts journey in karate when he was 13 years old. He became the Kumite champion in his native Iceland three years in a row (2003, 2004, and 2005) and was considered to be the most promising karate talent in the country. But for some reason, he would decide to give up karate when he was 16 years old and focus on learning BJJ where he managed to reach a black belt rank under no other than Renzo Gracie.
In MMA, Nelson is known as a person who prefers to take the fight to the ground as fast as possible and get a finish. But by watching him in the standup, you can recognize the wide karate stance, and he tends to keep his hands really low. He does a really good job of using his “awkward” standup game to set up the grappling attacks.
7. Robert Whittaker
Karate belt rank: Black belt in Goju-Ryu karate
Whittaker is a UFC veteran and the former 185 pound champion who has a really unique style of fighting. In his career, he left nothing but carnage in just about every fight he stepped in to compete, which secured him a lot of love and respect from the fans. The most unique thing about him is that he never moved away from his karate base. Inside the octagon, he is always bouncing in a wide bladed stance, keeping his hands low, and prefers to attack in a blitz. His kicking game is, perhaps, the best in the business, and he does a really good job of using his feet to create angles.
Whittaker got into karate when his father enrolled him and his brother in the Goju-Ryu school in Australia. He would receive a black belt after eight years of training before moving to train in Hapkido, and later in MMA. Apart from karate, he also holds black belts in Hapkido and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
6. Kyoji Horiguchi
Karate belt rank: 2nd-degree black belt rank in Shotokan karate
Horiguchi is a former Shooto and RIZIN FF champion who is known as, perhaps, the most aggressive flyweight fighter. He also had a rather interesting stint with the UFC where he manage to win 7 fights and suffer just one loss in a title fight against Demetrious Johnson. For some reason, he left the UFC in 2017 while being on a three fight winning streak and in a title contender position.
Horiguchi set off on his martial arts journey at the age of 5 by enrolling in Shotokan Karate. He used to compete in various full-contact tournaments and managed to become a regional champion. After watching one PRIDE event back in the 2000s, he would decide to switch over to MMA at the age of 16, and the rest is history.
5. Bas Rutten
Karate belt rank: 5th-degree black belt in Kyokushin; 2nd-degree black belt in Shintai karate
Bas Rutten is an MMA legend and one of the pioneers of the sport and one of the very first all around fighters in MMA. Many fans across the world are well aware of all of his records. Due to his charming persona and very technical fighting style, Rutten didn’t need much time to become a global superstar back in the 90s. But one thing that made him really famous is the infamous liver shot. A technique Rutten was a master in executing.
Against the will of his conservative parents, Rutten started his martial arts career as a taekwondo practitioner. After completely dedicating himself to the sport, Bas would receive a 2nd-degree black belt and make a transition to Kyokushin Karate where he holds the 5th-degree black belt as well. In his career, he won the UFC heavyweight title and was a three-time “King of Pancrase” champion.
He also fough as a pro kickboxer where he holds a record of 14 wins and 2 losses.
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4. Chuck Liddell
Karate belt rank: Black belt in Koei-Kan karate
Liddell is not the first name that comes to your mind when someone mentions karate in MMA. In the end, he is one of the most violent and famous fighters in UFC history. In fact, Liddell might be the first UFC global superstar who deserves a lot of credit for elevating the entire sport to another level.
At the age of 12, Liddell started studying Koei-Kan karate and he actually never left it. After earning a black belt rank, he would start training in Kajukenbo where he also holds an 8th dan black belt. If you take a closer look at his scalp tattoo, you may spot the words “Koei-Kan” dedicated to his beloved sport.
Like many karatekas before him, Liddell also fought in kickboxing where he managed to compile a record of 22 wins and 0 losses. Later on, he would switch over to MMA where he made his pro debut at UFC 17 event. Over the course of 10 years, he would score 10 vicious knockouts, win the 205 lbs title and defend it 4 times.
3. Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson
Karate belt rank: 5th degree black belt in Tetsushin-ryu Kempo
Thompson might be the greatest UFC fighter to never win the title. He is also one of the most technical strikers in history and a great representation of how practical karate is in MMA. Just looking at his stance and the way he moves inside the octagon around tells you a lot about his background.
Thompson grew up in a martial arts family, and it is fair to say that he made his first footsteps in the Karate gym. He started training at the age of three under the close eye of his father Ray who was an owner of the school. After earning a black belt, he moved to pro-kickboxing where he holds an undefeated record of 57–0.
Inside the octagon, Thompson is like a cat. He is always on the move and it is very hard to cut him off and land a clean strike on his chin. He never hangs in one place for more than 2 seconds, and once he decides to attack, it all happens in a blink of an eye. He has very fast kicks, very accurate boxing skills, and cardio to push a high pace for 10 rounds if needed. Or in other words, he is a nightmare matchup for anyone.
2. George St. Pierre
Karate belt rank: 3rd dan black belt in Kyokushin karate
The popular GSP is a man who does not need an introduction here. He is the former champ in two separate weight classes and a fighter who always entered the octagon wearing a Gi uniform and a headband with karate symbols.
GSP got into Kyokushin karate at a very young age and, in his own words, he did this to learn how to defend against the bullies at school. When his karate teacher died, GSP was 16 years old and he started training in other arts like wrestling, BJJ, and boxing. All of this would end up with him developing all-around skills, and naturally, start fighting in pro MMA matches.
In total, GSP holds black belt ranks in:
- Kyokushin karate (3rd dan)
- 1st-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu
- Gaidojutsu
- Shidokan (mix of karate, Muay Thai and judo)
As far as his MMA career is concerned, GSP is often seen as the greatest 170-pound fighter, and there is a strong argument that he might be the best in MMA history. In his career, he managed to achieve the following:
- UFC Middleweight Championship
- UFC Welterweight Championship
- Third most consecutive title defenses in UFC history (9)
- Most wins in UFC title fights (13) (tied with Jon Jones)
1. Lyoto Machida
Karate belt rank: 3rd dan black belt in Shotokan karate
Lyoto Machida is a fighter who deserves a lot of credit for putting karate on the map in MMA. He is, perhaps, the first fighter who showed the power of karate skills in cage fighting and paved the road for other karatekas to come in and test their skills against other styles.
Machida is the son of the Shotokan karate master Yoshizo Machida. His father was also a highly ranked official in the “Japanese Karate Association”. Under the guidance of his father, he started training in karate at the age of three. Lyoto would achieve a black belt rank just a decade later before moving to train in BJJ.
In his MMA career, he managed to win the UFC light heavyweight title in 2009 at the UFC 98 and score many memorable knockouts.
If this article amped you up, definitely check out our Best beginner karate moves and techniques article.
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