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TechRadar

Jay Castello

The best fighting type Pokémon in Pokémon Go

Niantic Team Rocket

Machoke, Hitmonlee, and Hitmonchan from Pokemon Go, against a multicolored background.

The best fighting type Pokémon are a great option for the martial arts masters of Pokémon Go. This guide will detail the type’s unique strengths and weaknesses, which will serve you well to remember before heading into battle.

When it comes to the best Pokémon in Pokémon Go, fighting type Pokémon pack a punch. They come in many forms, from the heavy-footed stomper Hitmonlee to the deceptively cute Pancham, but each has its own particular effectiveness and vulnerabilities to consider when matched up against Pokémon of other types.

You should take a look at our Pokémon Go type chart, as you’ll need to keep these in mind when taking any Pokémon into a battle, no matter whether you want to beat a gym, a Team Rocket member, or a friend or stranger in the game’s PvP mode. Once you know, though, you’ll be winning matches in no time.

With so many creatures out there and only so many hours in the day, which should you be focusing on? This guide will help you consider your options, and explain where you can find them or how to evolve them in the game, as well as let you know the strengths and weaknesses of the fighting type.

The best fighting type Pokémon: Machamp

Machamp is a powerful option in Pokémon Go. Machamp also comes in a shadow form, which boosts its attack at the expense of its defense. This can be a strong option if you don’t mind taking a little extra damage.

It can be evolved from Machamp via Machoke using Candy. Walk with a Machamp or Machoke as your buddy, feed them berries in gyms, or catch additional copies to get enough candy for a Machamp.

Machamp is a pure fighting type Pokémon, so it is resistant to rock, bug and some of the best dark type Pokémon attacks. However, it is vulnerable to flying, fairy, and psychic type attacks.

The best fighting type Pokémon: Lucario

Lucario is another strong option, especially in the attack stat department. It's a particularly fast Pokemon too, with strong moves like Counter and Aura Sphere being great options for battles.

To get Lucario, your best bet is to hatch plenty of Eggs, hoping to get yourself a Riolu. This can then be evolved into Lucario, with the help of 50 Riolu Candies.

Lucario is a dual-type with Fighting and Steel moves, a fairly unique mix in Pokemon Go. It is resistant to Bug, Dark, Dragon, Grass, Ice, Normal, Poison, Rock, and Steel moves. However, it is vulnerable to Fighting, Fire and Ground.

The best fighting type Pokémon: Poliwrath

Poliwrath is a good all-rounder to have on your team in Pokémon Go. Thanks to its bulky HP and defence stats, it’s not going to be knocked down too easily by your opponents’ Pokémon when you send it into battle.

Poliwrath can be evolved from Poliwag via Poliwhirl simply using candy. Do not use a King’s rock, otherwise Poliwhirl will instead become Politoad, which is not a fighting type.

Poliwrath is one of the best water type Pokémon as well as being a top-tier fighting type Pokémon. It is resistant to rock, bug, steel, fire, water, ice, and dark-type attacks. However, it is vulnerable to flying, grass, electric, psychic, and fairy-type attacks.

The best fighting type Pokémon: Lopunny

Although it does not normally have it, Lopunny gains the fighting type when it Mega Evolves. You can do this by using Mega Energy, and it will raise the stats as well as give it this powerful typing.

Lopunny itself can be evolved from the common Buneary for just 50 Candy, so it is a very common pokémon to obtain.

With its normal and fighting type, Mega Lopunny becomes resistant to rock, bug, dark, and especially the best ghost type Pokémon. However, it is vulnerable to fighting, flying, psychic, and fairy-type moves.