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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Nolan King

Great lengths: The 12 longest reaches in UFC history

As much as skill and technique play into how MMA fights unfold, intangibles can present insurmountable obstacles for even the most well-equipped combatant.

Long reaches, and how a fighter utilizes them, can pose a myriad of problems for opponents when they struggled to get inside. In UFC history, few fighters’ biological builds have surpassed 80 inches – and fewer have creeped toward 90 inches. But it’s happened.

At Saturday’s UFC 299, the all-time record for the longest reach will be broken – by 2.5 inches.

The 12 fighters have a combined professional MMA record of 210-74-2, including a combined UFC record of 85-47.

Check out the dozen fighters listed below who were able to touch up their opponents with punches from a farther distance than any others in history, using data from database Tapology.

8
Maurice Greene, Antonio Silva - 82"

Maurice Greene

  • Record: 11-9 MMA, 4-4 UFC
  • Height: 6’7″
  • Years in UFC: 2018-2021

Antonio Silva

  • Record: 19-5 MMA, 3-7 UFC
  • Height: 6’4″
  • Years in UFC: 2012-2016

7
10. Johnny Walker - 82.3"

Johnny Walker

Johnny Walker

  • Record: 21-8 MMA, 7-5 UFC
  • Height: 6’6″
  • Years in UFC: 2018-present

6
9. Mike Rodriguez - 82.5"

Mike Rodriguez

  • Record: 12-9 MMA, 2-5 UFC
  • Height: 6’4″
  • Years in UFC: 2018-2021

5
7. Francis Ngannou, Kennedy Nzechukwu - 83"

Francis Ngannou

  • Record: 17-3 MMA, 12-2 UFC
  • Height: 6’4″
  • Years in UFC: 2015-2022

Kennedy Nzechukwu

  • Record: 12-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC
  • Height: 6’5″
  • Years in UFC: 2019-2023

4
6. Oumar Sy* - 83.9"

Oumar Sy

  • Record: 9-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC
  • Height: 6’5″
  • Years in UFC*: Yet to debut

3
4. Cheick Kongo, Sergei Pavlovich - 84"

Cheick Kongo

  • Record: 31-12-2 MMA, 13-4 UFC
  • Height: 6’4″
  • Years in UFC: 2006-2013

Sergei Pavlovich

  • Record: 18-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC
  • Height: 6’3″
  • Years in UFC: 2018-present

2
2. Jon Jones, Stefan Struve - 84.5"

Jon Jones

  • Record: 27-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC
  • Height: 6’4″
  • Years in UFC: 2008-present

Stefan Struve

  • Record: 29-13 MMA, 13-11 UFC
  • Height: 7’0″
  • Years in UFC: 2009-2020

1
1. Robelis Despaigne* - 87"

Robelis Despaigne

  • Record: 4-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC
  • Height: 6’7″
  • Years in UFC*: yet to debut
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