10 MMA Fighters Who Use Kungfu Techniques

The MMA world is not as thin as it seems at the surface, it is not just about southpaws and dirty roundhouse kicks. This art needs special expertise in any of the martial arts or any fighting style that originates from the traditional martial arts such as Kung Fu.

These MMA fighters time and again have proved their mettle in their respective martial art styles. Keep reading for the 5 great MMA fighters who integrate Kung Fu as part of their core fighting style.

1) Cung Le

SOURCE = "Decepticon"

Cung Le is a Vietnamese-born American actor, retired mixed martial artist and Sanshou kickboxer.

Le is undefeated in his Sanshou career (17–0). He has won three US Open International Martial Arts Championships (1994, 1995, 1996). In 1998 he won the Shidokan tournament championship.(12.1)

2) Roy Nelson

SOURCE = "VICE Sports"

Roy Nelson is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Heavyweight division of Bellator MMA.

Nelson trained in Ark Wong's Ng Ga Kuen Shaolin Kung Fu when he was around 16 years old. (12.2)

3) Dan Hardy

SOURCE = "PavelGaborik"

Daniel Mark "Dan" Hardy is an English former mixed martial artist who fought in the welterweight division.

Hardy's initial education was in Taekwondo, and he later began competing at the age of 7. He then practised other martial arts as a teenager, which included Karate, Jujutsu, Judo and eventually wushu, for which he travelled to China to train with Shaolin monks for several months.(12.3)

4) Julia Berezikova

SOURCE = "XFC MMA"

Julia Berezikova is a Russian female mixed martial artist and boxer. She is currently the #7-ranked 125-pound female fighter in the world according to the Unified Women's MMA Rankings.

Julia is a Medalist of Russia in Wushu Sanda 2003. Berezikova's brother was an acquaintance of Roman Zentsov, who recommended that Berezikova begin training in boxing to combine it with her knowledge of judo. (12.4)

5) Bao Li Gao

SOURCE = "artofwarfc"

Li Gao Bao is a MMA fighter with a professional fight record of 5 wins, 0 losses and 0 draws

Due to his stiff blows originating from the traditional chinese Kung Fu he is famously known as Muay Thai Killer.

6) Pat Barry

Source = Ufc

Patrick Joseph Barry is an American kickboxer and former mixed martial artist who competed in the heavyweight division. He is known particularly for his low kicks.

Barry began practicing Sanshou while a college student and won numerous titles at domestic and international level before joining K-1 in 2005 where he competed for two years, mostly as a participant on the promotion's North American events.

7) Zhang Tiequan

Source = Wordpress

Zhang Tiequan, often anglicized to Tiequan Zhang, is a Mongol mixed martial artist from China, who fights as a Lightweight in the UFC. He spent most of the beginning of his career fighting in the Art of War Fighting Championship in his native China, until he signed with WEC in the United States.

8) Jason Delucia

SOURCE = "pancrase_mma"

DeLucia practiced the Five Animals style of Kung Fu, Taekwondo, Aikido and, later in his MMA career, Gracie Jiu Jitsu. He is remembered by UFC enthusiasts for being among the first fighters to perform in early UFC tournaments.(12.5)

9) Marcelo Giudici

Source = Blogspot

Marcelo Giudici, a 4th Degree Black belt under the late Ryan Gracie, who is based in Lappeeranta (Finland). Marcelo started Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in the 80’s when Jiu Jitsu was not yet mainstream and where many fighters used to train Jiu Jtisu as a base to fight in Vale Tudo bouts.

Today, Marcelo is established in Lappeeranta (Finland) where he teaches MMA and flies around his network of academies to give seminars.

10) Nicholas Dominic Osipczak

SOURCE ="Raised Spirit"

Nicholas Dominic Osipczak is an English professional mixed martial artist, most famous for his fights and wins in the welterweight division of the UFC.

Osipczak joined a kung fu school on a Whim. After only a few years of training, Osipczak won the UK’s National Shaolin Kung Fu Championship. Feeling confident, he visited a local MMA gym and got his ass kicked. By everyone. He promptly dropped kung fu and dedicated himself to becoming an MMA fighter.