The UFC has suffered the same fate many sports have with southpaw athletes. MMA technique is fundamentally taught in a right-handed way, with most basic sparring preparing you for opponents who would primarily be orthodox fighters. But the southpaw fighters the UFC has seen over its history have proven that orientation is not the be-all-end-all in the sport.

RELATED: 10 Best UFC Fighters Of All Time (& Their Biggest Weakness)

From the few fighters that have been southpaws in the UFC, some rise to the top and prove that they are amidst the best the sport has ever seen. Let's check out some of these left-handed fighting machines today.

10 Chael Sonnen

One of the greatest talkers in UFC history, Chael Sonnen is always put in the category of the best fighters to never hold UFC gold. Sonnen has had a long MMA career across promotions, but his best moment came under the UFC in his title fight against Anderson Silva at UFC 112.

Sonnen is a wrestler that uses his unconventional stance to keep opponents guessing between looping strikes or a takedown. While he would always go for the takedowns, opponents had to respect his ability to strike and be prepared for either due to his clever stance.

9 Lyoto Machida

A former Light Heavyweight Champion, Lyoto Machida fought in an era where the 205-pound division was filled to the brim with talent. It is hard to call Machida a true southpaw, as he would constantly switch stances during a fight to aid his array of offensive tools. However, he was naturally left-handed and would rely on his southpaw stance more.

Machida has his own brand of karate known as Machida Karate espoused in MMA. His wizardry on the feet with his stance switches, range building, and being a submission threat helped him dominate whenever called upon.

8 Anthony Pettis

One of the most gifted strikers the UFC has ever seen, Anthony Pettis is a Lightweight legend in MMA. From his explosive performances in the WEC to his run as UFC Champion, Pettis has shown tremendous offensive versatility in his career.

Pettis uses his stance extremely cleverly, creating enough distance between him and his opponent to hit them with quick strikes. From his showtime kick to his highlight reel KO of Stephen Thompson, Pettis has used his southpaw-heavy style to great success within the sport of MMA.

7 Robbie Lawler

Former UFC Welterweight Champion Robbie Lawler is one of the most evergreen fighters in the UFC. He has been fighting since the early days of the promotion and is still going strong. While his success isn't attributed to his style, it is hard to say that his southpaw stance didn't help in his path to becoming one of the most violent fighters in UFC history.

Lawler can control all aspects of the Octagon, from striking to wrestling. He allows his movement to take advantage of orthodox fighters in finding openings and making the most of it. His success has shown through his career and he undoubtedly is one of the best southpaw fighters ever.

6 Stephen Thompson

While Stephen Thompson isn't a higher stature fighter than some of the names we have already listed out, he is a southpaw fighter that exploits his stance to give him an advantage in fights. Thompson is one of the best strikers the sport has ever seen, using Machida's karate style to an even greater effect.

RELATED: 10 Nicest Fighters In UFC History

Thompson has a wide southpaw stance that makes him defend takedowns while also giving him enough room to unfurl a barrage of kicks that are incredibly hard to stop or predict. His accolades may not say he is one of the greatest southpaw fighters in MMA history, but his fighting style does.

5 Nick Diaz

Nick Diaz is one of the most beloved fighters in MMA history. His striking ingenuity along with his incredible submission ability once made people question whether Georges St-Pierre was as good as him. We know the answer to that question now, but that doesn't mean Nick Diaz was a slouch.

He used his southpaw stance to great effect, always pushing opponents back with his dirty boxing style. His career in the UFC may not have shone as bright as his career in Strikeforce, but Nick is arguably one of the bets southpaw fighters ever to step inside a cage.

4 Nate Diaz

One can argue the merits of which Diaz brother is better, but Nate edges Nick on this one due to his more established UFC resume. Nate and Nick fight extremely similar styles and Nate Diaz has enjoyed a lot of success as a result. He is one of the biggest names in the sport and is seemingly immune to wins and losses affecting his perception.

His fighting style is really similar to his brother, but Nate's longer arms can allow him to create separation for his dirty boxing even better. Nick's peak outside the UFC beats Nate's within the company, but Nate has had a better UFC career than his brother. Both are sensational fighters and a blueprint for southpaw fighters coming up right now.

3 Dustin Poirier

Dustin Poirier wouldn't normally be expected to be on a list like this. But his rise through the sport of MMA has fast-forwarded exponentially since his wins over Conor McGregor. Dustin is one of the best all-around fighters in the UFC today and is soon going to get another crack at the undisputed title at Lightweight.

Poirier took a while to find his groove in the sport, but he has been knocking it out of the park ever since he made a switch to Lightweight. Outside Khabib Nurmagomedov, Poirier has beaten a hit-list of 155 contenders. Hopefully he can win a undisputed title and make his case for being one of the best southpaw fighters in MMA history even stronger.

2 Conor McGregor

Even though Conor McGregor hasn't been the same fighter he was prior to 2016 recently, it doesn't mean he doesn't have one of the most impressive resumes in the sport. McGregor leveraged his southpaw stance into one of the fastest knockouts in UFC history over Jose Aldo, and that alone counts for a lot.

McGregor isn't only an elite talker - he is as pure a striker can get, using his stance to great effect. Not only does he have incredible power, he uses a variety of tricks and feints to trick his opponents before he can connect with a firm shot. His knockout rate speaks for itself, and his status as an all-time southpaw great was secured both inside and outside the cage.

1 Anderson Silva

Topping Anderson Silva on any all-time list is a tall order for anyone. Silva is arguably one of the greatest fighters ever, period. His late-career failures cannot be ignored, but they don't hold a candle to his years of dominating the UFC Middleweight division.

RELATED: Every UFC Middleweight Champion Ever, Ranked Worst To Best

The longest-reigning champion in UFC history, Silva brought attacking fluidity that hadn't been seen before in MMA. Not only was he one of the greatest strikers ever, Silva was no slouch on the ground with his tremendous BJJ expertise. His run of 16 consecutive wins is incredible and may soon be broken by Kamaru Usman, but it doesn't take away from his position as arguably the greatest southpaw fighter in the history of the sport.