Martial arts is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world. Exciting and exhilarating, it’s also one of Scotland’s fastest-growing sports.

Indeed, Scotland is home to some of the best MMA fighters right now. From Dundee to Edinburgh, Scottish gyms are filled on the daily with combatants who are grinding, getting stronger, getting tougher - and getting ready to entertain crowds on the world stage. 

In this article, we’ll be taking a look at the top 10 Scottish MMA fighters (in no particular order). 

Reece McEwan

Reece McEwan is the 23rd ranked of 155 active UK/Ireland Pro Bantamweights. McEwan's latest triumph against Italian martial artist Teodoro Scolieri at Cage Warriors 146 means ended 2022 with three victories from his first three fights at Europe's biggest promotion.

The rapidly rising martial artist has revealed that he will be on the card at Cage Warriors 156, which is set to be held in Cardiff on July 1.

Details of who Reece will face are yet to be confirmed.

The 28-year-old was set to face Dutchman Daan Duijs at the premier European competition in April, but was forced to pull out due to injury.

 

Chris Duncan 

 

Chris Duncan turned professional in 2014 and currently holds an 10-1-0 record that was recently capped by a unanimous decision victory over Brazil’s Jonathan Carlos.

Nicknamed “The Problem,” Duncan is currently on a three-fight winning streak after getting into the UFC after his sensational KO against Charlie Campbell on Dana White's Contender Series. His most recent W came against Omar Morales on a well fought win on the 18th of March at UFC 286.

Paul Craig 

 

Paul Craig went 9-0 as a pro over the span of four years as a BAMMA champion, his victory by submission over Marcin Lazardz proving to be the icing on the cake. 

Since arriving in the UFC, the Airdrie lad has continued his sharp form, racking up a 16-6-1 record as things stand. Craig is a feared submission artist in the UFC.

Nicknamed “BearJew,” Craig Craig faced Johnny Walker on January 21, 2023, at UFC 283. He lost the fight via technical knockout in the first round.

Paul McBain 

One of Scotland’s most popular fighters, Paul McBain was notable for winning all eight of his amateur fights before turning professional.

The Aberdeen-based fighter took up MMA at the age of 20 and achieved a bit of infamy for his Cage Warriors post-fight video. 

As things stand, McBain holds a 7-3-0 MMA record in a career that has spanned seven-and-a-half years. Known as “The Locomotive,” the Scotsmen fell to a TKO in his last match against Federico Pasquali in April 2022. However, that won’t deter McBain, who’s notched up victories against tough opponents like Lloyd Manning, Sam Spencer and Steve Amiable in the past.

JoJo Calderwood 

 

Joanne “JoJo” Calderwood is a Scottish mixed martial artist who fights in the Women’s Flyweight division of the UFC. She is currently ranked number 10 and possesses a 15-8-0 record. She is known for being Scotland’s first-ever pro female mixed martial artist

A former Muay Thai Champion, Calderwood has chalked up some impressive wins over the years, including defeating Cortney Case and Brazil’s formidable Ariane Lipski. 

Interestingly, 36-year-old Calderwood only got into MMA by accident when her mother asked her to go along to keep her company after her brother - who had arranged to meet up with her - never showed up. 

Calderwood is currently on a three-match losing streak and will be hoping to turn things around soon. 

Ross Houston

Ross “The Hitman” Houston has been taking out opponents since arriving on the MMA scene in 2012. And while he hasn’t racked up as many fights as some of his fellow Scots, his eight-game winning streak was only recently halted by the first ever defeat of his career. 

Going into the summer of 2022, Houston’s record stands at 8-1-0, and he’ll be looking to quickly turn around his current one-game losing streak and get back on track. 

Perhaps best known for winning the 2018 Fight of the Year for Cage Warriors, where Houston overcame Stefano Paterono via a split decision, he achieved a further bit of notoriety when his nasty brawl against Nicolas Dalby was declared No Contest after the pair painted the canvas in blood. 

Stevie Ray 

 

It seems almost ludicrous to think there’d be a roster of tub-thumping Scottish fighters without a single Braveheart. Fortunately, Stevie “Braveheart” Ray had the same line of thinking. 

Having trained at Braveheart MMA in Fife, which he also runs, Ray has been fighting professionally since 2010. Formerly the Cage Warriors Lightweight Champion, he headed into the UFC with a 16-5 record. 

At the time of writing, Ray has a 25-11-0 record. Ray rematched Anthony Pettis in the Semifinals of the Lightweight tournament on August 5, 2022 at PFL 7. Once again, Ray won the bout, this time via unanimous decision.

Ray faced Olivier Aubin-Mercier in the finals of the Lightweight tournament on November 25, 2022 at PFL 10. He lost the bout after being knocked out in the second round.

Aidan Stephen 

Aidan Stephen turned professional in 2016 and took up the moniker “The Phenomenal.” It was a truly epic name to adopt, with Stephen currently on a 9-4-0. His last fight came in December 2021, where he took a unanimous victory over Edward Walls.

Still fighting for Cage Warriors, Stephen has recorded a number of eye-catching victories over the years, including against seasoned pro Kingsley Crawford and Kris Edwards. 

His winning record includes two KOs and two submissions.

Scott Malone 

Scott “Boom Boom” Malone is another highly-rated Scottish fighter with a solid 9-5-0 record. Fighting out of Dundee, Malone is currently ranked 143 in the MMA flyweight division but has seen three of his last four planned bouts canceled. 

His last fight ended in a split decision defeat to Dylan Hazan, and before that Malone had put together a three-game winning streak to end a three-game streak of L’s. 

Chris Bungard 

 

Chris Bungard was the first Scotsman to sign for Bellator and he’s since gone on to extend his record to a respectable 15-9-0.

Now on the cusp of his ninth year as a pro fighter, Bungard is a highly experienced pro who’s KO’d three fighters in his career so far. 

Known as “The Bad Guy,” the bearded Bellator fighter’s last fight was a victory over the dangerous Artaz Garmendia, which ended a two-game losing streak.