5 best Russian fighters in the UFC right now

#4. Umar Nurmagomedov (14-0 overall, 2-0 in the UFC)

Umar Nurmagomedov is a future UFC bantamweight champion in the making. You may have already guessed who this supremely talented bantamweight trains with – none other than former lightweight kingpin Khabib Nurmagomedov. Umar is Khabib's cousin and looks set to follow in the all-time great's footsteps.

Presently undefeated, the Dagestani phenom is an ominous presence in the bantamweight division. At the recently concluded UFC 272 pay-per-view, he picked up his second win in the octagon with a dominant first-round submission victory over Brian Kelleher.

Still unranked, Nurmagomedov will be eyeing a ranked opponent in his next outing. He currently boasts an impeccable professional record of 14-0, with six of his career wins coming by way of submission. At just 26, he has already displayed a very mature skillset and will undoubtedly break into the top tier of the 135-pound division in the coming years.

Moreover, with someone as experienced as Khabib Nurmagomedov in his corner, the young Russian will be well aware of what it takes to become a world champion. The former 155-pound titleholder also has a good relationship with Dana White and could push for higher-ranked opponents for his cousin down the line.

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#3. Magomed Ankalaev (17-1 overall, 8-1 in the UFC)

Magomed Ankalaev's UFC career got off to a rocky start, to say the least. The towering Russian light heavyweight joined the America-based promotion with a perfect professional record of 9-0. With his combat sambo background, Ankalaev was touted as a real threat to the 205-pound division.

In his promotional debut, he dominated Scottish light heavyweight Paul Craig for almost 15 minutes straight, only to get caught in a perfectly executed triangle choke with just one second left on the clock. Since that loss, Ankalaev has put together an eight-fight win streak to launch himself into the top five of the division.

In his most recent outing, Ankalaev cruised to a comfortable unanimous decision win over former title challenger Thiago Santos. He currently occupies the No.4 spot in the rankings and is likely one win away from a title shot. With his wrestling pedigree and legitimate one-punch knockout power, this light heavyweight contender is a force to be reckoned with.

The 205-pound title is set to be contested later this year between divisional champion Glover Teixeira and No.2-ranked Jiri Prochazka. Whoever emerges victorious, the champion will have an extremely tough task ahead of him when he eventually locks horns with Ankalaev.