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The UFC has always been a star-driven promotion, but with the likes of Ronda Rousey and Conor McGregor now gone or on their way down, which fighters should it build around going forward?
Right now, the UFC has a number of younger fighters who could step forward to become the biggest stars in the promotion, with the only question being how far they can climb.
Naturally, there are no guarantees, and we’ve seen plenty of potential stars go the wrong way over the years. However, it definitely feels like some of the current crop have the potential to follow the likes of McGregor.
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Here are five younger fighters that the UFC should build its future around.
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#5. Bo Nickal – UFC middleweight
It sounds crazy to name a fighter who has yet to make his official octagon debut as someone that the UFC ought to build their future around. The fact is, though, that top-class amateur wrestlers rarely fail to make their mark in the promotion.
The likes of Cain Velasquez, Johny Hendricks and Josh Koscheck were all tipped to go to the top of the mountain and did so. With that in mind, it’s hard to imagine Bo Nickal failing to follow in their footsteps.
Put simply, ‘The Allen Assassin’ is one of the most highly credentialed collegiate wrestlers to ever set foot in MMA. A three-time NCAA Division I National Champion, Nickal was unfortunate not to make the US Olympic team in 2021.
Since turning his head to MMA, though, he’s looked fantastic. Sure, all three of his opponents – including the two he faced on Dana White’s Contender Series – were of a low level, but Nickal still finished them easily.
Given his wrestling skills, natural athleticism and the fact that he’s 26 years old, it’s easy to imagine Nickal easily climbing into the top 10 at middleweight.
Whether he can become a genuine title contender is another thing, but he’s got everything that a fighter needs to become a superstar, including confidence and charisma.
Dana White and company, then, would do well to view him as a very special prospect indeed.
#4. Raul Rosas Jr. – UFC bantamweight
UFC history was made in December, as 18-year old Raul Rosas Jr. became the youngest fighter to ever claim a victory in the octagon. He submitted opponent Jay Perrin in just under three minutes with a choke variant, living up to all of the hype around him.
So, can ‘El Nino Problema’ go onto true stardom? It’s a fair question.
It’s true that other very young fighters to make their mark in the promotion ended up struggling. Both Sage Northcutt and Chase Hooper came into their octagon debuts with plenty of fanfare, but just didn’t develop in the way that Dana White and company might’ve hoped.
However, Rosas Jr. looks more polished and well-rounded, even at 18, than either of those two fighters did. He’s also clearly full of confidence, as he’s already claimed to be able to beat current bantamweight kingpin Aljamain Sterling.
The promotion would do well to help ‘El Nino Problema’ keep his feet on the ground as he’s still got years before he reaches his athletic peak. Simply put, there’s no reason to rush him.
If they can build him up using careful and smart matchmaking, though, there’s no reason why this massively charismatic fighter can’t become one of the major stars that the promotion can build around in the near future.
#3. Jamahal Hill – UFC light heavyweight
For years now, the UFC’s light heavyweight division has been a country for old men, with the likes of Jan Blachowicz, Glover Teixeira and Anthony Smith – all aging fighters – tending to dominate.
That seems to be changing now, with a number of younger fighters beginning to break through. With question marks over the future health of Jiri Prochazka and the fighting style of Magomed Ankalaev, though, the 205-pound fighter most likely to reach superstardom seems to be Jamahal Hill.
‘Sweet Dreams’ was pegged as a potential star right from his octagon debut in early 2020, and it’s hard to say he hasn’t lived up to the hype. He’s won six of his seven fights with the promotion, finishing four opponents via KO or TKO.
Is it too early for him to be fighting Teixeira for the vacant light heavyweight title later this month? Only time will tell. It’s definitely true that he hasn’t been tested on the ground since being dominated by Paul Craig there in 2021.
However, Hill possesses tremendous striking skills and can call upon violent knockout power as well as an excellent grasp of range and timing. More to the point, he should be substantially faster than Teixeira.
The light heavyweight division hasn’t had a true superstar since Jon Jones, with Dominick Reyes, who was expected to take the baton, faltering badly. If ‘Sweet Dreams’ can claim gold this month, it could be his spot to fill.
#2. Sean O’Malley – UFC bantamweight
Given that he’s now ranked No.1 in the bantamweight division behind only current champion Aljamain Sterling, it might be fair to state that Sean O’Malley is already one of the UFC’s top stars.
However, ‘Sugar’ is still only 28 years old and the fact is that we may not have seen him reach the heights that he seems capable of just yet.
O’Malley has been considered a future star for what feels like ages now. He was pegged as a prospect to watch in his octagon debut back in 2017, and hasn’t failed to live up to the hype.
Since returning from a PED-based suspension in 2020, he’s looked truly phenomenal, dispatching more established fighters like Eddie Wineland and Thomas Almeida in violent fashion. His only loss came to top contender Marlon Vera, and most recently, he defeated former champion Petr Yan.
Did ‘Sugar’ deserve the nod from the judges against the Russian? That’s debatable, and it could also be argued that a fight with Sterling might still be a step too far for him right now.
However, based on his showing against ‘No Mercy’, it’s easy to imagine him finding a way to claim bantamweight gold in the near future. With some people, Dana White included, already comparing him to Conor McGregor, superstardom in the very near future definitely beckons.
#1. Khamzat Chimaev – UFC welterweight
If there’s one fighter capable of filling Conor McGregor’s spot as the UFC’s most bankable star in the near future, it’s definitely Khamzat Chimaev. Put simply, no fighter since the Irishman has made the kind of impact that ‘Borz’ has done in his early days with the promotion.
After setting a new UFC record by winning two fights in just 10 days in 2020, Chimaev hasn’t really looked back.
He made moving up in weight look easy when he switched off the lights on gritty middleweight veteran Gerald Meerschaert just weeks later. And after battling through a bad bout of COVID-19, he’s returned without missing a beat, taking out top welterweights Li Jingliang and Gilbert Burns.
Most recently, he dismantled Kevin Holland in another fight at 185 pounds, submitting ‘Trailblazer’ without even absorbing a single strike.
Right now, the only question around Chimaev is which division he’ll choose to fight in going forward. He’s already shown that he has all of the fighting skills in all areas – including durability – and his charisma levels are absolutely off the charts.
Basically, it’s easy to imagine him claiming at least one title as early as 2023, and if he can do that, there’s no reason why he can’t become the promotion’s new poster-boy. Dana White and company would absolutely be smart to build around him going forward.
