15 Male UFC Fighters With Long Hair (Crazy Lengths)

Are you wondering if there have been any male UFC fighters with long hair?

While the overwhelming majority of UFC fighters have short hair, here are 15 male UFC fighters with long hair that went against the norm.

15 UFC Fighters With Long Hair

In alphabetical order, here are 15 UFC fighters with long hair.

Benson Henderson – “Smooth”

Benson Henderson was another original UFC fighter who sported long hair. Benson fought with the promotion from 2011 through to 2016 and has competed in Bellator for the past 7 years. Benson is a former UFC and WEC lightweight champion.

Benson’s hair was so long and curly that he’d often have to pull it back away from his eyes and face. In most fights, he’d tie it up and back with a hairband, but this would sometimes fall out and cause his hair to fly around.

Even with the band staying in place, Benson’s hair was fond of bouncing around. Many fans have joked that Benson Henderson couldn’t finish fights because his hair was always blocking his vision – which sounds quite accurate when you consider he’s only had 5 knockouts in 30 wins.

Brian Ortega – “T-City”

Brian Ortega is a former RFA featherweight champion and UFC featherweight title challenger, best known for his elite Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills and long hair.

Always one to fight with his long hair braided in the octagon, on the outside Brian Ortega has long brown hair that he wraps into a man bun or leaves to fall past his shoulders.

In 2020, Ortega cut off his long hair and was completely bald. He donated his hair to the children’s charity, Locks of Love, which help children suffering from hair loss by utilizing donated ponytails.

Although not missing the hassle of long hair, Brian Ortega also expressed at the UFC on ESPN+ 38 post-fight news conference how he misses the way he looks with it; which is why he’s going to grow it back.

Chris Gruetzemacher – “Gritz”

Chris Gruetzemacher has been active in the UFC for 8 years from 2015 to 2023. He’s always had long hair but he only ever fights with it braided so that it’s out of his and his opponent’s way. Not only long hair, but Chris also loves to sport a beard to complete the dwarven Middle-earth look. 

To the surprise of many, Chris Gruetzemacher cut his long hair in 2017 and donated it to a cancer charity for children, Wigs for Kids. In no time, Chris had grown his hair back to its original length below the shoulders.

Clay Guida – “The Carpenter”

One of the original long-haired UFC fighters, Clay Guida has been with the UFC since 2006 and is still fighting in 2023.

He has a carefree attitude, loves a scrap, and his long hair is perfectly fitting for his rock and roll persona.

For the majority of his UFC fights, Clay Guida has been able to fight with his long hair flailing around the UFC octagon, however, he was once required to braid his hair by the New Jersey State Athletic Commission after Gray Maynard put in a complaint before their upcoming fight.

Cody McKenzie – “The AK Kid”

Cody McKenzie entered the UFC after appearing on TUF: Team GSP vs Team Koscheck. He fought in the UFC for three years between 2010 and 2013 and is well-known for his excellent Bjj skills. In 17 MMA wins, 15 are by submission, his favorite being a modified guillotine choke nicknamed the McKenzietine.

Cody McKenzie is also remembered by UFC fans for having very long hair and a beard. He always looked scruffy and if you saw him in the street, it’s unlikely you’d have thought he was a UFC fighter.

When fighting, he mostly tied it back into a man bun but the back would still fall down to his shoulders.

Elias Theodorou – “The Spartan”

Canadian Elias Theodorou fought in the UFC for 5 years from 2014 to 2019 before his strange release following a loss to Derek Brunson, which put him at a very respectable 8-3 UFC record.

Elias had very long hair, which he let loose in a couple of fights but mostly he had it braided or wrapped into a man bun.

Elias was also the first MMA fighter and professional athlete in Canada and America to get a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) for cannabis use; meaning he could smoke up to the day before a fight. He remains the only fighter to have been granted one (September 2022) and was a proud cannabis activist.

Unfortunately, Elias Theodorou passed away in September 2022 at the age of 34 after a battle with colon cancer.

Evan Tanner

Evan Tanner is a former UFC middleweight champion who fought with the promotion for 8 years from 2000 until his death in 2008.

Evan Tanner is remembered for his title win, his unique eccentric personality, and how he didn’t care what others thought of him – which is likely why he often had such long hair, a scruffy beard, and generally looked homeless.

At times he looked better when he bunched it together in a man ban and shaved his beard, but most of the time his hair and beard gave him the appearance of someone who wasn’t doing so well.

Josh Samman – “Anqa”

Josh Samman is a former UFC fighter who sadly passed away at the age of 28 while still active in the middleweight division.

Josh fought in the UFC for three years between 2013 and 2016 and had bouts of very long hair; earning him the nickname, the ‘FLoridian Jesus’. While fighting, Josh mostly braided his hair but would turn up to UFC weigh-ins and press conferences looking like Aquaman.

Jorge Masvidal – “Gamebred”

Jorge Masvidal is well-known for rocking long hair in a man bun during his Kimbo Slice backyard fight days. He changed to short hair during his lightweight run in the UFC, and after a break from MMA in late 2017 and 2018, Masvidal returned to the UFC in 2019 with long hair.

This new look earned him the nickname ‘Street Jesus’, due to how his long hair made him look like Jesus Christ and because of his background in unregulated backyard brawls.

However, to avoid the nuisance of having long hair on his face while fighting, the BMF title winner prefers to have his hair braided for a fight.

Matt Riddle – “Deep Waters”

Matt Riddle was quite the personality when he burst into the UFC in 2008, getting there by appearing on The Ultimate Fighter: Season 7.

He had long blonde hair and more or less looked like Paddy Pimblett’s American twin. Despite spending 5 years fighting in the UFC, Matt Riddle was unluckily released by the UFC for testing positive for marijuana after his win against Chris Clements at UFC 149.

Not only was he released, but his win against Chris Clements was overturned to a no-contest. 

It’s an unlucky release because the UFC now allow UFC fighters to smoke marijuana, but when, where, and how much depends on the State Athletic Commission regulating an upcoming UFC event as they have different rules.

Matthew Semelsberger – “Semi The Jedi”

Matthew Semelsberger joined the UFC in 2020 and has proven himself quite a handful; racking up a 5-2 UFC record and beating Jake Matthews in his last outing.

Semelsberger has fought with his long hair unrestricted on a few occasions and it’s surprising that he can see with the hair completely covering his eyes. He’s also fought with a braided top after realizing his hair was an issue and has also sported a shaved head too.

Michael Chiesa – “Maverick”

Michael Chiesa is a very popular welterweight UFC fighter who’s been with the promotion for 11 years since 2012.

Michael Chiesa isn’t someone who’s remembered for having long hair, but he definitely rocked it for a while. However, it’s no wonder that his long hair lasted a short period of time, as he looked like Bradley Pierce in the film Jumanji when he turns into a monkey.

Michael Graves

Michael Graves spent only 1 year in the UFC between 2015 and 2016 before he was released following a domestic violence arrest.

In his short time in the UFC, Michael Graves earned a reputation as a brilliant talent after beating the likes of Vicente Luque and Randy Brown. He was also very well-known for his long light brown hair which he’d braid for a fight and tie the back into a ponytail.

Sean O’Malley – “Sugar”

One of the top upcoming UFC featherweights, Sean O’Malley is well-known for his striking talent and for having long hair with several different colors that change often.

While he now only fights with braided hair, the Contender Series graduate has fought in the past with a puffed-out curly mop-top that looks like clown hair; and prefers this as his press conference hairstyle.

Urijah Faber – “The California Kid”

Uriah Faber is a former WEC featherweight champion and four-time UFC title challenger, losing twice to Dominick Cruz and twice to Renan Barao. 

He’s remembered for being one of the best UFC fighters to never win a title despite fighting there for 8 years between 2011 and 2019, being the founder of Team Alpha Male, and his signature look of long blonde curly hair.

In most of his UFC fights, Urijah Faber braided his hair so that it was away from his face.