The UFC was born of the idea of testing individual martial arts against each other to which was the best. With most combatants knowing only a single martial art, the Gracie jiu-jitsu style dominated wrestling, karate, kempo, taekwondo, and all other styles of martial arts.
That was over twenty three years ago. The sport of mixed martial arts has evolved leaps and bounds. It is no longer one style versus another, but athletes from various disciplines who have also trained the other aspects of MMA to compete against each other.
Taekwondo is one of the most popular martial arts for young kids to participate in, but it was seen as ineffective in a mixed martial arts fight until recently. Traditional styles such a Taekwondo and karate have seen a reemergence of sorts in mixed martial arts thanks to a handful of UFC fighters who have displayed their techniques in the Octagon.
5) Daron Cruickshank
Daron ‘Detroit’ Superstar Cruickshank is a light weight featured on the Ultimate Fighter Live season and has since had success inside the Octagon. Cruickshank is 6-6-1 in the Octagon and is one of the division’s most dynamic strikers.
Cruickshank comes from a family of taekwondo fighter’s; his parents are both fourth degree black belts in the martilal arts and run their own gyms. Cruickshank himself is a second degree black belt in Taekwondo.
4) John Makdessi
John Makdessi begin his MMA career in 2008 and after reeling off eight straight wins, debuted in the UFC in 2010. Makdessi is 6-5 overall in the UFC and also one of the top strikers in the division.
Makdessi started training taekwondo at the age of six, but stopped training at the age of fourteen when his dojo closed. Later he began training in Shotokan karate and kickboxing and was 22-0 in kickboxing before transition to mixed martial arts.
3) Edson Barboza
Edson Barboza might be the lightweight division’s most fear strikers and is currently ranked in the top five of the official division rankings. Barboza made his UFC debut in only his seventh professional fight and has amassed a 10-4 record inside the Octagon.
Barboza started training in the striking arts at the age of eight. He started with Muay Thai but also earned a black belt in Taekwondo.
2) Anderson Silva
Anderson Silva is considered by many to be the best striker in the history of the UFC middleweight division. After winning the title in 2006, he would dominate the division, remaining undefeated as champion until 2013. Silva mixes his traditional muay thai background with taekwondo, which he started training in at the age of thirteen. He didn’t start muay thai until three years later.
Silva also recently expressed in an interest in returning to taekwondo competition and wanted to represent Brazil at the Olympics in the sport.
1) Anthony Pettis
Anthony ‘Showtime’ Pettis is the man responsible for the most famous kick every thrown in MMA competition. In the fifth round of his main event title fight against Benson Henderson, Pettis propelled himself off the cage wall and through a round house kick to Henderson that dropped him to the mat. The kick helped him win the round and ultimately the fight to be the last man to ever hold the WEC lightweight title.
Pettis began training taekwondo and boxing at the early age of five. When he began training for mixed martial arts at the age of eighteen he had already attained a third degree black belt in taekwondo.
