10 Weirdest UFC Fighting Styles
6. Pencak Silat
Pencak Silat - or just Pencak or Silat - is an overriding term for the exotic martial arts that are practised in Indonesia.
The form is predominantly a striking style that can be used with weapons and also focuses on a few throws and sweeps. Weapons obviously have no place in the UFC, but the diverse array of strikes and grappling that the style offers more than makes up for that.
Alberto Cerro Leon brought the art to UFC 2 and did very well for a man who had no other weapons to fall back on than this natural striking technique. He was precise and unorthodox, which helped him take down the larger fighter, Judoka Remco Pardoel, before Leon was eventually submitted.
The style had the sort of grace and entertainment value that Dana White adores in his company, but at the same time you need to be competitive to stay alive in the landscape.
Pencak Silat, though exceptional in its use in films such as The Raid series, doesn't quite have the efficiency and diversity required to cut it in the world of MMA without weapons to fall back on.