Best UFC Grapplers Ranked: 2026

Who Are the Best Grapplers in the UFC?

These fighters don't just use grappling — they dominate opponents with it. Every scramble ends on their terms, and their ground games create finishing threats that the market never fully prices in.

Islam Makhachev is Tapology's number one grappler and it's not a close call. His Dagestani wrestling base is legendary, his sambo is elite, and he holds what many consider the best d'arce choke in UFC history. He has never been submitted and has rarely been taken down cleanly across 29 professional fights. Every scramble — whether he initiates it or the opponent does — ends in his favor. Two-division champion whose grappling is the most complete package in the sport.

Ilia Topuria sits at number two on Tapology and his grappling case is genuinely underrated because of how dominant his striking has become. He's an elite Greco-Roman wrestler who has conceded zero takedowns in multiple title fights. His ground-and-pound finishing ability from top position is a secondary weapon that opponents almost never get to address because they can't get him to the mat in the first place.

Khamzat Chimaev is Tapology's number four and appears on the 2026 YouTube ranking as well. His 90% finish rate, smothering top pressure, and elite wrestling from his Dagestani and Swedish background has never been cleanly stopped by any welterweight or middleweight he's faced. His rear-naked choke and submission variety are specifically praised in ranking breakdowns as underappreciated weapons on a fighter most people think of primarily as a pressure wrestler.

Charles Oliveira sits at Tapology's number three with the most submission wins in UFC history — 17 — and the most submission attempts ever recorded at 47. His submission variety is unmatched: rear-naked chokes, d'arce chokes, triangles, guillotines, armbars — he uses them all, and he gets into scrambles on purpose because he wins them almost every time. His ground game is the single most dangerous grappling threat in the sport when he gets the fight there.

Read more: The Best Grapplers in the UFC Ranked for 2026

Who Rounds Out the Top Ten?

• Merab Dvalishvili: Elite freestyle wrestler with the highest takedown volume in the UFC. Relentless pace and has taken down everyone he has faced including former champion Aljamain Sterling. His takedown volume creates specific prop value — takedown attempts and successful takedowns props in his fights are consistently underpriced.
• Arman Tsarukyan: On the 2026 YouTube ranking and an elite wrestler who nearly beat Makhachev. Combines takedown aggression with top control that smothers opponents and makes fights genuinely difficult for anyone who wants to keep them standing.
• Sean Brady: On the YouTube top-10 submission list with elite wrestling at welterweight. Rarely loses the grappling exchange and creates consistent takedown and top control value in fights against strikers who struggle with his pace.
• Alexandre Pantoja: Flyweight champion who uses relentless takedowns and top pressure to neutralize strikers. Consistent submission threats from top position make him a reliable grappling-based favorite against most of the flyweight division.
• Anthony Hernandez: YouTube top-10 submission list number seven with five UFC submission wins across diverse techniques. Deceptively dangerous from back position in ways that his moneyline doesn't always reflect.
• Caio Borralho: Fast-rising middleweight with elite BJJ and a grappling-heavy game. Beat Reinier de Ridder at UFC 326 and has submission ability that complements his wrestling in ways that create finishing threats at every position.

How to Bet Fights Involving Elite Grapplers

The practical application of grappling rankings shows up in specific bet types every card.

• Method of victory props: Elite submission grapplers like Oliveira and Makhachev have submission rates that make submission props at plus money worth exploring in every fight. The market often prices KO/TKO as the primary finish method even for fighters with extensive submission histories.
• Round betting: Grapplers who smother opponents tend to produce slower fights with less finishing pace. When Chimaev or Dvalishvili is fighting, the over on rounds is often worth considering because their top pressure creates a grinding pace rather than explosive finishes.
• Takedown props: Dvalishvili's takedown volume makes takedown attempt props one of the most reliable in the sport. When his total takedowns prop is available, the over is almost always the correct side.
• Striker vs. grappler handicapping: When an elite grappler faces a pure striker with below-average takedown defense, the method of victory prop on submission or ground-and-pound TKO at plus money is almost always better value than the straight moneyline.

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Read more: The Complete Guide to UFC Fighter Matchups and Tape Study