5 current UFC fighters who remind us of  legends from the past

#2: Khamzat Chimaev – the new Khabib Nurmagomedov (former UFC lightweight champion)

Khamzat Chimaev's style makes him easily comparable to former lightweight king Khabib Nurmagomedov

Fans have been quick to label current lightweight contender Islam Makhachev as the new Khabib Nurmagomedov, and it's easy to understand why. Not only does Makhachev fight in the same weight class as his fellow Dagestani, but he is also a training partner and friend of ‘The Eagle’.

In truth, the two men do not fight alike. Sure, Makhachev is as fond of takedowns as Khabib was, but he tends to hunt for submissions on the ground, while Nurmagomedov preferred to beat his foes up.

A closer comparison to Khabib would be surging welterweight prospect Khamzat Chimaev, who is arguably the UFC’s fastest-rising star right now.

After Chimaev’s octagon debut in 2020 – a one-sided beatdown of John Phillips – he promised to “smash” every opponent put in front of him." ‘Borz’ is currently 4-0 in the octagon and recently whitewashed longtime contender Li Jingliang. While that victory did come by submission, it’s clear that, like Khabib, Chimaev’s favored attack comes with his fists.

Just like ‘The Eagle’ – who famously poked fun at the UFC’s Brazilian contingent with a t-shirt that insulted jiu-jitsu, Chimaev is not a quiet, stoic type. He’s already established himself as a fighter unafraid to be outspoken on the microphone. His outspokeness has reached a point where fans talk about him getting a title shot after his second bout in the octagon.

So, while Chimaev hasn’t come from Dagestan’s seemingly never-ending supply line of fighters, he seems like the closest thing to the new Khabib in the UFC right now.

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#1: Israel Adesanya – the new Anderson Silva (former UFC middleweight champion)

Israel Adesanya's striking skills mean he's always been compared to middleweight legend Anderson Silva

When Israel Adesanya outpointed Anderson Silva in the headline bout at UFC 234 back in February 2019, it didn’t just feel like a regular passing-of-the-torch moment.

Instead, Adesanya’s win seemed to signal the middleweight division was still going to be ruled over by a flashy, pinpoint-accurate striker. Only that the striker was from New Zealand, not Brazil.

Silva ruled over the 185lbs division with an iron fist from the moment he claimed the middleweight title from Rich Franklin in October 2006. His title reign finally ended at the hands of Chris Weidman in July 2013.

During his near-seven-year reign, The Spider bamboozled every opponent he faced, using his incredible speed, reflexes and accuracy to deliver performances.

So when Adesanya debuted in the octagon in February 2019 with a Silva-esque knockout over an overmatched Rob Wilkinson, it was easy to make comparisons between the two. In the years that have followed, though, Adesanya has more than shown that he’s the worthy heir to Silva’s throne.

Just like ‘The Spider’, he’s used his incredible striking skills to pick apart top-level foes like Paulo Costa, Derek Brunson and Robert Whittaker.

He’s shown he’s capable of unexpected victories over the likes of Kelvin Gastelum and Whittaker in their 2022 rematch, just as Silva did in his famous clash with Chael Sonnen. Sure, Adesanya hasn’t been able to succeed at 205lbs like Silva did in his best years, but he still has time for that.

There’s a reason that the middleweight title moved around like a hot potato from the moment that Silva lost it until Adesanya claimed it. That’s because the division is meant to have an imperious striker sitting at the top of the mountain.