10 UFC Fighters With The Best Double Leg Takedown

Wrestling is often regarded as the best base martial art to have. Being the superior wrestler in a bout essentially means that said person can dictate where the fight takes place. You'll see wrestlers taking down great strikers, and stuffing the takedowns of tricky grapplers.

Along with the physical skills, wrestlers are often some of the toughest and most persistent. Years of exhausting grappling exchanges and earning some pretty ugly ears will make a hard person to beat. One of the most exciting takedowns to witness is the double leg. It's definitely one of the more explosive and hard to read takedowns. Here are the UFC fighters who did it best.

10 Randy Couture

Randy Couture did a lot for the UFC, and putting MMA on the map in general. Randy remains a great ambassador for the sport. Around the era that Couture fought, a good majority of fans were still on the fence with the grappling aspect of fighting. Randy undeniably added some flare to the wrestling aspect, and made many fans in doing so.

Specifically, When Randy ran through Chuck Liddell a minute into their first meeting. A double leg entry followed by a slam made it hard to argue against wrestling's excitement. Randy would have a long career using wrestling getting the better of opponents. His double leg takedown being an absolutely phenomenal one.

9 Kevin Randleman

News of Kevin Randleman's passing shocked the MMA community. He was truly one of the most loved and exciting wrestlers to grace the UFC. Kevin had all the accolades and experience to be a difficult match-up, and that he was.

The explosion on Randelman's entry is what made his double leg incredible. Kevin had serious power in his hands too, putting his opponents in a pick your poison type situation. The hands disguised his takedown entries well. Timing and unpredictability tied into the double leg takedown of Kevin's.

8 Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar or freight train? The only way to tell the difference is the chest tattoo. What Brock lacked in finesse, he made up for two-fold in physical being. With how hard it is to defend the finish or avoid the entry, Lesnar's double leg appears to have its own gravitational pull.

Brock really put a blast into his shots. The physical specimen that is Lesnar has a very successfully wrestling career that segued beautifully into his career as a pro, be it MMA or professional wrestling. Not only the shot, but the talented fighters he was able to bring down make his takedowns heavily respected.

7 Cain Velasquez

Arizona State alumnus Cain Velasquez has known wrestling for a very long time. High school and college wrestling produced a very talented athlete in Velasquez. This translated well when Cain decided to put on the gloves.

Cain trains at American Kickboxing Academy, a team that might produce the best chain wrestlers that the UFC has seen. While the former heavyweight champion would primarily initiate with a single leg, he'd tie together his wrestling sequences beautifully and often did finish with an explosive double leg.

6 Frankie Edgar

Frankie Edgar UFC Busan — Jasmin Frank-USA TODAY Sports

The earlier mentioned toughness and persistence is on full display when watching Frankie Edgar. The E on Frankie's gas tank remains unfound. Edgar has punching combinations into takedown entries that are seamless. His non-stop attacks often accelerate the plunge into deep waters, where the wrestler usually prevails.

Frankie's relied on heart and wrestling for most of his key wins inside the octagon. A great example is the double leg he landed on Gray Maynard in their rematch. After being dropped multiple times in the first round, and already suffering a loss from Gray, Frankie need a way to say, I'm still here, and he did. Frankie has many pivotal double leg takedowns, but this example is one of the best in UFC history.

5 Khabib Nurmagomedov

What's a wrestling list without lightweight GOAT Khabib Nurmagomedov? Another member of the American Kickboxing Academy, Khabib specializes in chain wrestling, especially when he can back his opponents up to the fence. Khabib will often use a double leg entry to set up these sequences.

Footage will show Nurmagomedov finishing double legs moving forward or backward on the shot. The variety in grappling attacks may overshine Khabib's double leg, but it's still one of the best in the game. Plus, not many people other than Khabib can say that they've shot a double on a bear.

4 Jon Jones

Jon Jones has a large arsenal of takedowns under his belt. While Jones is a very complete fighter, most of his early success came from his wrestling based attacks. Jon has a very long frame, giving him a unique form of wrestling and some pretty fun to watch takedowns.

With this long frame, Jones can clasp his hands from the clinch position relatively easily. Jon continues to take advantage of his reach, notably so in his first Daniel Cormier fight. Cormier is one of the highest level wrestlers to enter the UFC, so when Jon repeatedly hit double legs against the fence, it really showed how high-level Jones' wrestling is.

3 Chael Sonnen

Chael Sonnen at the press conference Cropped

Possibly the most transparent fighters in terms of what he wants to do, Chael Sonnen remarkably attacks any and all fighters with the same game plan. Tuck the chin and blast a double. Unpredictability is great for wrestling, but the drive and determination to finish puts Chael's double leg in a place of praise.

Often times, Chael has finished doubles when an opponent has sprawled completely. This drive speaks on the mental fortitude of high-level wrestlers. In the cage or while sporting a nice pair of flip-flops, Chael has shown repeatedly that his double legs are as accurate as they are exciting.

2 Chad Mendes

Chad Mendes Conor McGregor UFC 189 — © Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Chad Mendes has one of the most explosive shots in UFC history. However, what separates Mendes' shot from the rest is doing so in a reactive way. Chad will be pressed on his back foot and change the momentum completely with a blast double.

The level change and the speed at which he transfers from backward to forward is a thing of beauty. Often times, strikers will press forward on wrestlers to avoid the pressure and reduce the ability to shoot a good takedown. Chad almost completely thwarted that game plan in his fights, all thanks to his double leg.

1 Georges St-Pierre

Georges St-Pierre had it all in terms of wrestling in MMA. An astonishing fact is that he doesn't come from a wrestling background, but while the background might not read wrestling, the mindset and work ethic does. Georges is one of the hardest working champions that has been involved with the UFC.

Georges' double leg has often times been unstoppable. Many titles defended thanks to this attack. St-Pierre can read distance very well, rarely compromising himself when engaging the grappling. This double leg has so many great attributes to it, but the level of competition it was hit on time and time again makes it the best that the UFC has seen.