Ryan Hall Record: 9-2-0

UFC career

Hall opened his official UFC run at The Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale in December 2015, taking a unanimous decision over Artem Lobov. He followed it with a measured, technical decision win over former lightweight title challenger Gray Maynard at The Ultimate Fighter 24 Finale in December 2016. His signature moment came at UFC 232 in December 2018, when he submitted Hall-of-Fame legend BJ Penn with a first-round heel hook – a finish that earned widespread acclaim and showcased his leg-lock mastery on the sport's biggest stage.

Later run

Hall continued his unbeaten UFC stretch in July 2019, out-grappling the famously durable Darren Elkins over three rounds for a unanimous decision. The wheels of momentum slowed at UFC 264 in July 2021, where he suffered the only stoppage loss of his career, beaten by ground-and-pound in the first round against rising star Ilia Topuria. He rebounded later that year at UFC 269, taking a unanimous decision over Darrick Minner in December 2021 to move his record to 9-2.

Fighting style

Hall is among the most specialized fighters in UFC history, a grappling savant whose entire approach is engineered to bait opponents into leg entanglements. His record reflects that identity: three submission wins, all built around his elite heel-hook and 50/50 game, with several of his finishes coming via lower-body attacks. He pairs the grappling with oblique kicks and a patient, frustrating style designed to neutralize strikers and force the fight to the floor on his terms. His clearest vulnerability is the striking exchange itself – opponents who can keep the fight standing and stay out of his entries, as Topuria did, present the toughest test for a fighter so committed to his grappling identity.

Career highlights

• The Ultimate Fighter 22 winner — earned his UFC contract by finishing his way through the bracket with his signature leg locks.
• Heel-hook finish of BJ Penn — submitted a UFC Hall of Famer in the first round at UFC 232, the defining win of his career.
• Leg-lock innovator — founder of the 50/50 academy whose grappling system influenced how modern MMA approaches the lower body.