Takedowns can be the key factor that determines whether a fighter wins or loses. While knockouts may steal the spotlight, it’s actually wrestling and grappling that dictate who has the upper hand in the match. Merab Dvalishvili holds the record for the most takedowns landed in UFC history with 119 successful takedowns across his relentless career.
Photo Credit: Margo Martin, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped for layout
Top 5 UFC Fighters with the Most Takedowns Landed
Here are the top 5 fighters with the most takedowns landed in UFC history, showcasing relentless grappling dominance and nonstop action in the octagon.
| Rank | Fighter | Takedowns Landed |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Merab Dvalishvili | 119 |
| 2 | Georges St-Pierre | 90 |
| 3 | Gleison Tibau | 84 |
| 4 | Clay Guida | 78 |
| 5 | Demetrious Johnson | 74 |
Merab Dvalishvili – 119 Takedowns Landed
Weight Class: Bantamweight, Featherweight
Merab Dvalishvili is known as the cardio king of the UFC and wrapped up his career with a total of 119 successful takedowns. His fighting style is straightforward yet fierce as he continuously goes for takedowns without pause. At UFC 320, he broke records by achieving 20 takedowns against Cory Sandhagen. Moreover, in three-round fights he typically attempts around 15 takedowns.
Georges St-Pierre – 90 Takedowns Landed
Weight Class: Welterweight, Middleweight
Georges St-Pierre is considered one of the best UFC fighters of all time. He ruled the welterweight division with his precise striking and exceptional wrestling skills. GSP holds the second spot with 90 career takedowns landed and an impressive accuracy rate of 74%. His wrestling ability allowed him to dominate fights and deliver a lot of ground strikes.
Gleison Tibau – 84 Takedowns Landed
Weight Class: Lightweight
Gleison Tibau was a veteran UFC lightweight who subtly established himself as one of the top wrestlers in the division. He achieved 84 career takedowns ranking him third on the UFC’s all-time and averaged roughly 4 takedowns per fight. His most notable performance occurred at UFC 104 when he successfully took down Josh Neer 10 times.
Clay Guida – 78 Takedowns Landed
Weight Class: Lightweight, Featherweight
Clay Guida thrills fans with his wild energy and crazy hair. He mainly fought in the lightweight division and achieved 78 takedowns throughout his UFC career. Although his accuracy wasn’t the best, he kept going for takedowns averaging 3 per fight. Guida’s relentless pace and chain wrestling wore opponents down.
Demetrious Johnson – 74 Takedowns Landed
Weight Class: Flyweight, Bantamweight
Demetrious Johnson is the best flyweight of all time. He achieved 74 career takedowns in the UFC with an accuracy of 56% averaging around 3 takedowns per fight. By the time of UFC 186, he had already set the record for the most takedowns in flyweight history. His relentless wrestling and impressive submissions led to 11 consecutive title defenses.
