The 5 best UFC fighters from Europe
As the UFC exploded worldwide shortly after the TUF boom of 2005 began, fighters from all around the world have flocked to the Octagon to attempt to make their name against the best. Since then, Europe – well-known for producing some great fighters in other combat sports including kickboxing, judo and sambo – has contributed tons of fighters onto the UFC roster.
Despite MMA still being outlawed in some countries such as France, and rival promotions springing up in Eastern Europe – particularly in Poland and Russia – the UFC has seen a handful of true greats emerge from Europe to take their place on the pantheon of legends. For this list, I’ll be looking past fighters from the UK – as they already had a top five – and around the remainder of Europe for who to call the best of the best.
#5 Alistair Overeem
A divisive fighter due to his entire aura, most fans either love or hate ‘The Reem’, but no matter which side you fall on, you have to respect him.
One of the most experienced fighters on the UFC roster with almost 60 professional bouts to his name, Overeem entered the UFC in 2011 after moving to Heavyweight some four years beforehand.
Although rumours that his huge growth in muscle mass was down to PEDs persisted, he was put into a Heavyweight title eliminator against Brock Lesnar in his promotional debut, and won the fight violently in the first round with a kick to the body.
Overeem was then booked against Junior Dos Santos in a match for the Heavyweight crown, but about a month before, he tested positive for elevated testosterone levels and was banned for a year.
Upon his return, knockout losses to Antonio Silva, Travis Browne and Ben Rothwell seemed to signal an end to his run, but he rebounded by beating Stefan Struve, Roy Nelson, Dos Santos in a re-booking of that fight, and Andrei Arlovski.
A title shot against Stipe Miocic saw him fall short, but he’s since beaten Mark Hunt and Fabricio Werdum, and a win over Francis Ngannou could net him another title shot.
A genuinely brilliant kickboxer who won 2010’s K-1 Grand Prix, Overeem has developed his skills to the point where he is both deadly from range and from inside the clinch, preferring the use of his knees and a looping left hook, as well as kicks to the legs and body. But he’s also a very dangerous grappler, and his guillotine is as potent as any on the UFC roster.
At 37 years old he’s fighting as well as he ever has despite years of damage, and his longevity and success earned him a spot here.