5 fighters who could become superstars with a big win at UFC 264

#4 Dricus du Plessis – fights Trevin Giles at UFC 264

Could Dricus du Plessis be the UFC's next African superstar?

The UFC has seen several successful African fighters make their way onto its roster over the past few years. Right now, three of the UFC’s titleholders hail from the continent, with Francis Ngannou, Israel Adesanya and Kamaru Usman claiming UFC gold.

So could the UFC’s next African superstar be in action at UFC 264? It’s quite possible. South Africa’s Dricus du Plessis faces Trevin Giles at the event, and judging by his impressive UFC debut, du Plessis could well be something special.

Du Plessis demolished tough veteran Markus Perez in his first octagon appearance last October, needing just over three minutes to knock the Brazilian out with a vicious combination.

FIGHT ISLAND HITS DIFFERENT!!!What a debut for @DricusDuPlessis 🙌[ Main card is rolling on #ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/7QPTNwRLj3

— UFC (@ufc) October 11, 2020

The victory took du Plessis' overall record to a solid 15-2, but it's his finishing rate that's been most astonishing. 'Stillknocks' has never been the distance in his eight-year MMA career, finishing nine of his opponents by submission and six by knockout.

Trevin Giles should provide a sterner test for the South African than Perez did. His UFC record of 5-2 is solid, and he's 14-2 overall, meaning he could be one of the UFC's more underrated fighters.

However, he has been submitted twice in the promotion and doesn't seem immune to strikes either. So based on du Plessis' hard-hitting debut, the South African should probably be favored here.

Given UFC President Dana White's suggestions of pushing into the African market, if 'Stillknocks' can beat Giles under the great spotlight of UFC 264, expect him to be given a major push by the promotion going forward.

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#5 Irene Aldana – fights Yana Kunitskaya at UFC 264

Irene Aldana could earn herself a title shot with a win at UFC 264

The UFC is forever short on potential contenders for bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes. So any fighter in the division who can put together a strong run has a chance of claiming a title shot.

With a big and impressive win at UFC 264, Irene Aldana could also become a big star for the promotion.

The Mexican striker is one of the more entertaining fighters in the 135lbs division. Her boxing-heavy style usually guarantees some fireworks, even if she doesn’t finish her opponent. Her win over Ketlen Vieira at UFC 245, for instance, was one of the most memorable in the division in some time.

OHHHHHHHHH! 😱Picture perfect left hook from @IreneAldana_! #UFC245📺 Watch LIVE on ESPN 2 NOW! pic.twitter.com/bcp4I5x7Vu

— UFC (@ufc) December 15, 2019

Aldana is coming off a disappointing loss to Holly Holm. Had she won that fight, there’s a chance it’d be her and not Julianna Pena preparing to fight Nunes in August.

But despite that, with a big win over Yana Kunitskaya at UFC 264, there’s every chance that Aldana could quickly find herself in line for Nunes later in 2021.

And with extra eyeballs almost guaranteed to be on UFC 264, if Aldana can unleash the kind of finish that she used to knock out Vieira, then there’s a chance that she catches on with fans as a potential star, too.