Any fan of MMA knows that there is more to MMA fights than just random brute force. It is an art form, and each fighter is skilled in their own right, able to fight in different ways using different skills, able to compete with different specialties.
Any UFC betting enthusiast knows this. Out of all the different ways a fighter can attack their opponent, the strike is known to be one of the most effective techniques there are in the world of MMA.
This way of hitting your opponent is a great way to knock out your opponent and take home the match. However, there is a lot of debate around whether it is the most effective of attacks.
Many believe that kickboxing is the most effective style of fighting in MMA, with boxing as a runner-up, which is not too great a surprise. So, it is not all that surprising that many fighters have taken on the strike, which is one of the most powerful moves a fighter can make in these styles.
A great strike can floor an opponent only seconds into a fight, and our number 1 most lethal striker in MMA history, has shown us just how effective this move can actually be!
So, let’s take a look at the most lethal strikers in the history of MMA.
Starting off, we have the MMA striking queen!
#1. Amanda Nunes: The Women’s Bantamweight
Sure you have other good strikers like Cat Zingano, Raquel Pennington, Sarah Kaufman, Germaine de Randemie, Jessica Eye, Liz Carmouche, and so on, but Amanda Nunes is the one to beat. She rules the roost when it comes to lethal strikes.
Granted, she is not exactly the best female MMA fighter for no reason, she has literally perfected pretty much every single part of her style over her years as a fighter. But, her strike was deadly from day one.
8 out of her first 9 wins were the result of a strike knockout. She has then continued to knock out another 5 women with her striking. A crazy total of half her wins have been via a strike.
She is more than just brutal strikes though, her feet are quick, and her legs are powerful, allowing her to get in real close with her opponents, hit, and back up before they have a chance to counter.
Amanda Nunes is a UFC double champion at the moment, holding and defending both bantamweight and featherweight women’s titles.
#2. Conor McGregor: The Featherweight Division
Conor McGregor is a must when discussing legendary striking fighters. He might be a lightweight and welterweight now, but he started off in featherweight, and so we are keeping him here because it is here where he belongs, and where we first witnessed his power.
He has an incredible ability to straight up knock people out, and this helped him to break countless records last year (2021), he became a household name all over the place, and he really got quite the reputation from his epic fighting abilities.
A total of 12 out of his 22 wins came from a knockout, and most of these epic knockouts happened within 5 minutes of the fight starting.
#3. Michael McDonald: The Men’s Bantamweight Division
Then there is Michael McDonald. If you watched UFC fights back in the 90s and 00s, then you will remember this wonder boy.
He came into the arena with fists of a god, he seemed crazy strong and fast, like Thor’s Hammer embodied in a fist. His impact did not take long, and he was even challenging for the Bantamweight title when he was 22 years old.
Before he retired his fists, there was no single person in his division quite as tough as he was, which made him a terrifying name to see in the competition if you were facing him. All he needed was one decent hit, and you’d be out.
#4. Vitor Belfort: The Middleweight Division
Belfort’s strike is something of a legend, he got the 2nd most knockouts ever recorded in UFC history. He did jump from weight category to weight category, to weight category, and amazingly, he would knock out anyone in any weight division.
He also took part in an event against Evander Holyfield in boxing, and he even knocked out this pro boxer as well.
Amazingly Belfort is in his later years, but he is still knocking people out, left, right, and center. When he ended his career, he had 19 wins by knockout.
#5. Junior Dos Santos: The Heavyweight Division
Finally, we have Dos Santos. He was the best boxer in heavyweight, ever. When he was in the fights there was no person who was able to compete with his striking, and even when he left, no one else had his power.
He won half his fights by knockout but retired to wrestling in 2021.