Who Hit Me? The Five Most Confusing Strikers In The UFC Today

The art of striking is one of many different offensive disciplines and offensive weapons.

With countless maneuvers, the need for perfected timing, and limited room for mistakes, it takes a special kind of fighter to master the standup game. That’s why fans are enamored with quick knockouts, bloody brawls, and anything that involves flying leather.

But even among the best strikers in mixed martial arts (MMA) today, few fighters possess the skill, athleticism, and cage wherewithal to execute perplexing offensive onslaughts that often leave an opponent swinging at the air or staring up at the rafters.

In appreciation of these tricky tacticians, here are the five most confusing strikers in the UFC today.

Dominick Cruz

Based on technique, fluidity, and execution, Dominick Cruz may offer the most unorthodox standup in the history of the UFC.

While his perfected distancing, relentless gas tank, and intelligent attacks play a major role in his puzzling offense, it is his herky-jerky movement that leaves opposing bantamweights chasing something that isn’t there. Like a frog’s tongue in pursuit of a grasshopper, the 135-pound champion is in and out of distance at the speed of light.

Cruz’s ability to hit and not get hit has not only led to one of the most defensively-clad arsenals in the sport, but it has allowed him to land in extremely high clips.

 

Demetrious Johnson

Compared to every other fighter on this list, UFC flyweight champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson offers the most conventional offensive approach.

But what the pound-for-pound great lacks in weird stances and high-flying techniques, he more than makes up for in quickness, elusiveness, precision, and distance control. As a matter of fact, he’s the most difficult fighter to hit in MMA today.

Much of Johnson’s success can be attributed to his ability to maintain versatility at all points in a fight. Whether it’s leg kicks, body punches, leaping combinations, level changes, clinch work, in-and-out precision, elite footwork and head movement, or the ability to land in volume on the move, “Mighty Mouse” turns the most offensively skilled strikers into counter punchers in the blink of an eye.

 

Conor McGregor

At this point, it’s evident that UFC featherweight king Conor McGregor commands one of the very best striking games in the sport today.

People may not respect his outlook on fighting or they may even doubt his abilities on the ground, but the Irishman has fused a background in boxing, karate, and movement training to create magic inside of the cage. This includes his 13-second knockout of longtime former champion Jose Aldo at UFC 194 and his knack for picking which round he’ll finish an opponent in.

Besides his confident demeanor and brash microphone antics, McGregor is a handful for anyone. With a long stance, creative footwork, wild spinning strikes, excellent range, a powerful left hand, and unpredictable technique, “The Notorious” has made some of the best strikers in the featherweight division look like mere amateurs.

We’ll see how his speed, power, and diversity adjusts to life as a lightweight title contender when he takes on champion Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 196 next month.

 

Stephen Thompson

Top-ranked welterweight contender Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson has taken the MMA world by storm, and for good reason. The former undefeated kickboxing wizard is currently dominating some of the best welterweights in the world.

A throwback to when Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida initially broke onto the UFC scene and used his karate background as a means of countering elite light heavyweight strikers, Thompson has produced similar results with an even more developed karate pallet. This includes swooping spinning kicks, body shots, combinations while moving backward, and a unique stance that has confused the likes of UFC veterans Johny Hendricks, Jake Ellenberger, and Patrick Cote.

The fact of the matter is that Thompson is the best karate specialist the UFC has ever seen. Unlike Machida, “Wonderboy” uses his technique and skill to strike first, as well as counter. And when someone like Thompson possesses such a bewildering fighting style, it’s extremely difficult for opposing welterweights to bring in guys who can mirror his effective distancing, movement, and unorthodox combinations.

Justin Scoggins

Not too many people are aware of how unorthodox and effective Justin Scoggins’ striking has become.

At just 23 years of age, the emerging flyweight contender has truly transformed his game by allowing movement to dictate his ongoing evolution. As a result, Scoggins has become one of the most offensive skilled strikers in the 125-pound division.

What makes “Skywalker” even more unique is the fact that he changes up his discipline depending on which side he’s striking from. When he fights southpaw, he incorporates a karate stance that offers consistent movement, utilization of his lead foot, and exceedingly wild attacks. When he fights in orthodox, his stance is more dependent on a classic kickboxing/Muay Thai approach, offering conventional, yet versatile, offensive outbursts.

It’s quite the combo to handle, especially considering Scoggins likes to strike first and prohibit opponents from settling in.