5 exciting up-and-comers who could break out in the UFC in 2018

With the level of fighter in the UFC now higher than ever, it’s becoming harder than ever for top prospects to succeed and make it to the top and into title contention, regardless of which division they’re fighting in.

Last year saw some fall (Misha Cirkunov and Yair Rodriguez, for instance), while others – such as Colby Covington, Kamaru Usman, and Volkan Oezdemir – certainly succeeded and rose right into the top ten of their divisions.

Who will make it through to the top this year? It’s always a tricky thing to predict, but here are five fighters I suspect we should be keeping an eye on.

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#1 Mirsad Bektic

Mirsad Bektic remains a dangerous prospect at 145lbs

Bosnian ground-and-pound machine Bektic was already recognized as a top prospect going into 2017, and with a record of 11-0 – 4-0 in the UFC – it was expected that he’d rise into the top ten. It wasn’t to be though, courtesy of one of the greatest comebacks in UFC history from a true master of them in Darren Elkins. Bektic hasn’t fought since, but he’s scheduled to take on Godofredo Pepey this weekend in a key match for him.

If Bektic can get back on the horse and defeat Pepey – and really, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t, given the Brazilian’s defensive liabilities and tendency to leave himself wide open – then he should regain a lot of the ground he lost when he was stopped by Elkins. After all, Elkins is currently on one of the best winning streaks in the UFC and looks like a genuine contender.

And Bektic could still be a genuine contender, too, assuming he can stay injury-free. He’s got the kind of explosive physicality that can apparently ground any opponent, and when he gets on top of a foe he’s absolutely relentless with his strikes from the top. With 145lbs being a division in flux right now, Bektic could easily find himself in contention with two or three wins in 2018. Forget him at your peril.

#2 Curtis Blaydes

Curtis Blaydes is a top up-and-comer to watch at Heavyweight

Blaydes has the frame of a true Heavyweight – standing at 6’4” and weighing in at almost 260lbs – and he’s seemingly gotten into far better shape since his UFC debut too, probably due to being able to train full-time now he’s a UFC contender. At 26 he’s young for a Heavyweight too, and yet his skills belie his age – he’s already one of the best wrestlers in the division and his striking is quickly improving, too.

Matched against Mark Hunt at UFC 221, Blaydes has quite the test ahead of him, but Hunt is in the twilight of his career, his once iron chin is now weaker than before and he’s always been vulnerable to the takedown. That means Blaydes has an excellent chance of winning and if he pulls it out, then we could be looking at a title contender before 2018 is out.

#3 Islam Makhachev

Islam Makhachev finished Gleison Tibau violently at UFC 220

A friend and teammate of Khabib Nurmagomedov, the hype on Islam Makhachev was off the charts when he debuted in the UFC in 2015 by throwing around and submitting Leo Kuntz. That hype train was derailed somewhat in his next fight, though – his wild striking got him into trouble and eventually got him knocked out in a tough fight against Adriano Martins. After this, Makhachev took almost a year away from the Octagon.

Since returning, he’s largely gone back to his grappling-based routes – combat sambo, the same as all the monstrous fighters emerging from Dagestan recently – and those skills allowed him to comfortably outgrapple and outpoint both Chris Wade and Nik Lentz. But this past weekend he demonstrated massively improved striking too by turning the lights out on longtime veteran Gleison Tibau in less than a minute.

If Makhachev’s striking is indeed catching up to that dangerous grappling game – full of submissions, brutal ground-and-pound, and wild throws – then we could be looking at a fighter to watch, even in the UFC’s most loaded division. Grapplers like Kevin Lee and Michael Chiesa have risen to the top of the division with similar games, but with his natural athleticism, Makhachev could well eclipse all of them. Could he be the next Khabib? Quite possibly.

#4 Tai Tuivasa

Tai Tuivasa has been labeled as the next Mark Hunt by some fans

The brother-in-law of fellow Australian prospect Tyson Pedro, Tai Tuivasa came into the UFC in late 2017 with a record of 5-0, including a win over UFC veteran James McSweeney. Standing at 6’2” but needing to cut weight to make the 265lbs Heavyweight limit, Tuivasa immediately reminded fans of another Australian Heavyweight legend in Mark Hunt, at least visually – his father is Samoan, the same as Hunt’s.

It turned out that Tuivasa was similar to Hunt in more than just looks. Debuting in the UFC against Rashad Coulter – who had taken a crazy amount of punishment in his previous fight – Tuivasa demonstrated tremendously heavy strikes, as he took Coulter apart with body shots and low kicks before turning his lights out with a flying knee – showing shocking athleticism – right before the opening round ended.

At the age of just 24, Tuivasa stands out as one of the youngest prospects in the Heavyweight division, and whether he’s quite ready for the elite level remains a total question mark. But with Heavyweight being a thin and aging division, it looks like he’ll be shoved to the top sooner rather than later. If he takes out Cyril Asker at UFC 221 expect him to be pushed into a fight with a top ten contender before the year is out.

#5 Dominick Reyes

Dominick Reyes is a bright up-and-comer at 205lbs

A natural born athlete – Reyes wrestled and played football at New York’s Stony Brook University, where he was a two-time All-Conference selection on the gridiron. He almost made it all the way to the NFL but failed to be drafted and so turned his hand to MMA instead. And thus far it’s been a worthy move, as he’s currently unbeaten at 8-0 and is one of the few bright spots in a relatively thin 205lbs division.

After garnering some hype on the regional scene following a flashy head kick knockout last summer, ‘The Devastator’ was signed by the UFC and immediately lived up to the lofty expectations of his supporters, knocking out Joachim Christensen in a matter of seconds. Next up was Jeremy Kimball, but the veteran was easily dispatched with a rear naked choke from Reyes in under a round.

Standing at 6’4”, Reyes is a long, lanky Light-Heavyweight and while he’s already 28 years old, when compared to the likes of Mauricio Rua, Jimi Manuwa, and Glover Teixeira – practically dinosaurs in the MMA since – he’s the new hot thing on the block. Reyes has claimed he’s ready for top competition and 2018 should be the time for him to prove it – a step up is needed for sure.