5 championship caliber prospects in the UFC bantamweight division

#2. Jack Shore – No.15 in the UFC bantamweight division

Purely based on skill, rather than résumé, Jack Shore is among the most well-rounded fighters in the UFC bantamweight division. The unbeaten Welshman has slowly but surely built a name for himself over the last few years and has emerged as an ominous presence at 135 pounds.

Shore's professional record stands at 16-0, comprising four knockouts and eight submissions. In his most recent appearance in the octagon, he secured a unanimous decision victory over Timur Valiev at UFC London to finally break into the bantamweight ranks.

Jack Shore is a nightmare stylistic matchup for anyone he goes up against, which bodes well for him going forward in a division seemingly brimming with somewhat one-dimensional fighters.

The former Cage Warriors champion boasts ever-improving stand-up skills, which is evident in his last fight where he dropped his opponent multiple times. While British fighters of the past have struggled against high-level wrestlers, 'Tank' boasts stellar offensive and defensive wrestling, coupled with lethal submission skills.

Still just 27, this Welsh star's ceiling is still unknown. If he continues to improve, which is a scary thought considering how mature his skillset is already, Shore will be among the elite at 135 pounds for a long time to come.

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#1. Umar Nurmagomedov

The next entry on our list is considered by a large section of the MMA community to be a future bantamweight champion. Umar Nurmagomedov signed with the UFC in 2020 and made his promotional debut on Fight Island, Abu Dhabi, where he defeated Sergey Morozov via second-round submission.

You might have guessed who this talented bantamweight trains with already. He is the cousin of Khabib Nurmagomedov, the former UFC lightweight champion and pound-for-pound king.

Umar Nurmagomedov is an Eagles MMA product. Under the tutelage of Khabib Nurmagomedov and renowned American Kickboxing Academy head coach Javier Mendez, he is part of a new wave of Dagestani fighters. This new generation looks set to take over the sport in the coming years.

His teammates Islam Makhachev, Zubaira Tukhugov and Abubakar Nurmagomedov have been fighting in the UFC for quite some time now. Their experience will be hugely beneficial to his growth in the promotion. The Russian is looking to follow in the footsteps of his cousins and compatriots, who will be guiding his career in the world’s premier MMA organization.

In his most recent outing, he submitted Brian Kelleher in the first round to extend his unblemished professional record to 14-0.

Umar Nurmagomedov has a real chance of breaking into the top 15 of the bantamweight rankings if he stays active in 2022. Khabib Nurmagomedov has instilled a championship mentality into the team of fighters under him and Umar could emerge as the divisional dark horse in the coming years.

Astonishingly, he is just 26 and one can only imagine how good he'll be when he's in his prime. Don't be surprised if this young Russian emulates his legendary cousin and becomes a dominant UFC champion.