25 Unranked UFC Fighters that will make an impact in 2020 Rhys Webb Follow Jan 18 · 34 min read

2019 was an amazing year for MMA, new champions crowned, new stars created, and most of all many new contenders rose through the ranks. And with the first event of 2020 coming in a few days, I decided to look at the current UFC roster and predict the fighters who I believe are most likely to break through the glass barrier in this calendar year. For this list, I am looking at current UFC signed fighters, who are yet to be ranked in the organization so unfortunately, guys like Santiago Ponzinibbio and Chris Weidman fall out of consideration.

Honorable Mentions

The UFC’s roster is so deep that 25 spots are still not enough to rank every single fighter I would’ve liked to include on this list so here are a few honorable mentions.

Belal Muhammad: Welterweight, 16–3 (7–3 UFC)

With a 7–3 record inside the octagon, which includes a 6–1 run in his last 7, Belal Muhammad currently rides a 2 fight win streak and looks to break through the glass ceiling in 2020 and claim what he has been unable to claim as of yet, a number next to his name.

Anthony Rocco Martin: Welterweight, 17–5 (10–5 UFC)

After starting his UFC run with a 4–4 record, Rocco decided to make his return to his former home at 170 a decision that would pay ultimate dividends. Since returning to welterweight Martin has gone on a 5–1 run with his only loss being an incredibly close majority decision to the certified Hall of Famer Demian Maia. Currently, on the rebound following the Maia loss, Rocco looks to enter the new decade and pick up where he left off, on the winning trail.

Yorgan de Castro: Heavyweight, 6–0 (1–0 UFC)

Yorgan entered 2019 with less than 2 years of experience, and a 3–0 professional record. He left 2019 6–0, and a certified UFC fighter. Picking up a UFC contract on Dana Whites Contender Series in the summer, Yorgan was able to follow that up with the starching of Justin Tafa in front of over 50000 people at UFC 243. Yorgan is currently scheduled to fight the controversial Greg Hardy in March. If Yorgan can dispatch of the much valued Hardy, then rankings, money, and name opponents will be on the horizon for the Cape Verde fighter.

David Teymur: Lightweight, 8–2 (5–1 UFC)

Teymur is the only fighter mentioned on this list currently coming off of a loss. Following a flawless 5–0 start to his UFC career, Teymur ran into the always dangerous Charles Oliveira in February of last year. Unfortunately for Teymur, the fight did not go his way, getting submitted in the second round. Since then Teymur has been silently working on his skills in preparation for his much-anticipated return to the octagon. I am personally still incredibly excited to see what the Swede can bring to the cage, and I am sure by the end of 2020 fans will once again be talking of the Underwears Man.

James Krause: Welterweight, 27–7 (8–3 UFC)

James Krause is an interesting fighter to look at. Krause made his company debut all the way back in 2013, picking up a FOTN and SOTN with his 3rd round finish of veteran Sam Stout. Since then there have been some ups and downs for the Virginia native, including a low blow KO loss at the hands of Bobby Green and famed Bellator Commentator Big John McCarthy. However, since 2015 and the introduction of the USADA testing program, Krause has been able to quietly rack up a 6 fight win streak, which includes finishes of Sergio Moraes, Warlley Alves, and Daron Cruikshank. Unfortunately for fight fans, Krause has been relatively inactive as of late, only fighting once in the past 16 months. As we head into a new decade, Krause looks to continue his current natty streak of wins, a streak that he hopes breaks him into that all-important top 15.

Leonardo Santos: Lightweight, 17–3–1 (6–0–1 UFC)

Beginning his UFC career with his win in the TUF Brazil Season 2 final, Santos has been able to rack up an undefeated UFC record with finishes over fellow honorable mention Rocco Martin, as well as famed top 10 lightweight Kevin Lee. However, to the chagrin of MMA Fans everywhere, Leonardo Santos is one of the fighters that has been struck with the injury bug over and over again. Only being able to compete twice in the second half of the decade, the 39 year old Brazilian made his return in mid-2019 scoring one of the highlight KOs of the year over Scottish Stevie Ray. I speak for most MMA fans everywhere when I say I hope the injury bug has had his fun with Santos and decided to move on to its next victim, as Santos is one of the most interesting fighters to watch in the sport when he is at his best.

Hunter Azure: Bantamweight, 8–0 (1–0 UFC)

Fighting out of the famed MMA Lab, Azure has only been a professional fighter for a little over 2 years. Compiling an impressive 6–0 record before being invited to compete on Dana Whites Contender Series where he impressed with a 3 round decision win over Chris Ocon. Azure followed this up by defeating Ultimate Fighter winner Brad Katona in September. Azure looks to continue his winning ways heading into 2020, and bring back the MMA lab to its former glory days.

Randy Brown: Welterweight, 12–3 Overall (6–3 UFC)

Brown made his UFC debut in 2016, after impressing Dana and Co on an episode of Looking for a Fight. Since his debut, Brown has gathered a UFC record of 6–3, recently impressing with 2 straight finishes during his 2019 campaign over Warlley Alves and Bryan Barberena. Currently riding a 2 fight winstreak, Brown looks to continue that streak heading into the decade in one of the sports hardest divisions.

25Mike Davis: Featherweight, 8–2 (1–1 UFC)

Mike Davis may only have a 1–1 record in the company, but that doesn’t tell the entire story. Davis made his UFC debut against current streaking ranked welterweight Gilbert Burns, a fight that took place at 155 (a division above 145, the division Davis regularly finds himself competing in), and a fight that Davis took on barely a weeks notice. Davis gave a good account of himself but eventually succumbed to the beast that is Durinho. Davis returned later in the year against Thomas Gifford, this time at his more natural weight class, featherweight. What followed was one of the most horrific beatdowns in the history of the sport. Davis beat the ever-loving hell out of Gifford, dropping him twice. The beating was so bad that the focus shifted away from how impressive Davis looked to criticizing the referee, and Giffords corner (which included Giffords father) for not stopping the fight sooner and causing the young fighter to suffer from insurmountable damage that he may never recover from. However, with the win and late knockout, Davis proved he was a step above that level of competition, and for better or for worse delivered something memorable that got fans talking. Davis gets another chance to prove his worth when he battles credentialed Giga Chikadze next month at Fight Night: Benavidez vs Figueiredo.

24Marc Diakiase: Lightweight, 14–3 (5–3 UFC)

Marc Diakase began his UFC career, a flawless 3–0 including 2 destructive finishes against Łukasz Sajewski and Teemu Packalén. Following the great start to his UFC career, Diakiase hit a rough patch, suffering his first defeat to Drakkar Klose. He followed this loss with another loss, a third-round submission to current top 10 fighter Dan Hooker. Following the first losses of his career, Marc suffered a third straight loss, this time to a man who may feature later on this list, Nasrat Haqparast. After 3 straight defeats, many fans predicted a release for the Brit. Fortunately for Marc, the UFC decided to give him one final shot, against Joe Duffy a man with wins over fighters such as Conor McGregor. Fans once again started presuming, this was expected to be a walkover for Duffy who needed a rebound fight of his own. But, with his back against the wall, and his career more than likely on the rocks Diakiase decided to move back to the team that got him to the big leagues in the first place, AVT with UFC veteran Danny Mitchell. With the help from this team, Diakiase was able to put on one of the most impressive showings of his career, completely shutting down the game of the veteran Duffy. The “Bonecrusher” was able to show fans his full potential, and save his job and possibly his entire career in the process. Diakiase followed this win up with another to close out 2019, traveling to Denmark to defeat formerly hyped prospect, Lando Vanatta. With these 2 wins, Diakiase was able to prove to both fans and himself that he was in fact UFC caliber and that the 3 loss streak and his run with ATT didn’t allow him to showcase his true potential. Moving into 2020, Diakiase attempts to continue this reignite of his career as he battles Stevie Ray in London.

23 Muslim Salikhov: Welterweight, 16–2, (3–1 UFC)

Salikhov began 2019 with a somewhat mediocre 1–1 UFC record, a record that included a submission loss in his adopted home country of China followed by a second-round starching of Ricky Rainey. Salikhov walks out of 2019 with a more impressive 3–1 UFC record, adding two impressive wins to his resume. The first was a POTN starching of 11 fight UFC veteran Nordine Taleb in one of the most beautiful knockouts of the calendar year. Following this win, Salikhov traveled to Singapore to battle hyped Argentinian prospect Laureano Staropoli. Salikhov dominated, forcing scores of 30–26 from 2 of the 3 judges. As the events continue to roll on, the 35-year-old Dagestani looks to continue showcasing his unique blend of wushu sanda as he rises through the ranks of the stacked welterweight division.

22 Montel Jackson: Bantamweight, 8–1 (2–1 UFC)

Montel Jackson’s hands aren’t the only impressive things about him. The owner of Bantamweight division’s biggest pair of gloves was unfortunately only able to enter the UFC’s octagon once in 2019, but in that showing, he was able to completely dominate Andre Soukamthath, famous for his amazing Fight IQ. Earning a lopsided judge's decision, Jackson was able to pick up his second straight UFC victory. Making a name for yourself at 135 is becoming more and more difficult as the division continues to transform into one of the hottest in the sport, but Jackson has been able to do just that, becoming one of the most talked-about prospects at bantamweight alongside guys like Marlon Vera. The ultra-impressive grappler will attempt to continue his rise up the ranks later this month when he battles the Brazilian, Felipe Colares at Fight Night: Blaydes vs dos Santos. If all goes to plan for Jackson a number may appear next to his name before year-end.

21 Mike Grundy: Featherweight, 12–1 (1–0 UFC)

Grundy may only have a sole appearance inside the octagon, but the Brits accolades speak for themself. A former long-time freestyle wrestler, Grundy represented England in the commonwealth games twice, walking away with a bronze medal after the 2014 games. Following these games, Grundy decided it was time to walk away from the sport, and transition into another. He began his MMA career with 3 consecutive D’Arce chokes, all of which would impress even the likes of Tony Ferguson. Following these wins Grundy would suffer the only loss of his career to date, a submission loss to future UFC veteran Damian Stasiak. Grundy followed this lone loss up with 8 straight victories, including 5 submissions stoppages. This streak of victories led Grundy to be picked up by the UFC to appear on their early 2019 London card. In front of his home fans, Grundy put on a show, landing on his opponent (former Cage Warriors Featherweight Champion Nad Narimani) at will, whilst avoiding a large majority of Nad’s shots himself. Late in the second round, Grundy hurt Narimani badly with a left hook which Nad was never able to recover from, allowing Grundy to get the finish just moments later, earning Grundy his first win from strikes. Unfortunately, since that fight, Grundy has had to sit out due to some injuries but is currently scheduled to return to the cage in March, almost a year to the day that he made his debut. He battles UFC tested Makwan Amirkhani, with a win Grundy could see himself rocket strapped into the top 15.

20 Marvin Vettori: Middleweight, 14–4–1 (4–2–1 UFC)

In April 2018 Marvin Vettori went to battle with a somewhat hyped up prospect named Israel Adesanya. Adesanya was 12–0 and recently had made his UFC debut. Vettori was 12–3–1 and had already made 4 UFC appearances, compiling a 2–1–1 octagon record. This fight was expected to be a showcase matchup for Israel, as he continued to make his way up the proverbial ladder. However, the fight was everything but easy for Israel. Vettori was able to go blow for blow with the hyped prospect for all 15 minutes of the fight. And once the judge’s scorecards were read Izzy was able to escape with a razor-thin Split Decision victory. Vettori proved in this fight that he wasn’t just a stepping stone. Unfortunately for Marvin, he wasn’t able to follow up on this impressive loss, as he was suspended for a failed drug test following. This suspension forced the Italian Stallion to sit out for 14 months. During those 14 months, Marvin watched Adesanya continue to climb the ranks, and eventually become the interim middleweight champion. On the screen in front of him, Vettori saw the man who he (as well as one of the three official judges) thought he had defeated in his very last fight. And that man was holding a section of the world title. This infuriated Vettori who had been forced to sit at home for over a year, but it also ignited a fire under the ass of the Südtirolian Psychopath. Once Vettori was cleared to return he jumped on the opportunity quickly, first battling UFC veteran and former TUF winner Cezar Ferreira. Vettori quickly reproved his worth, dominating the world-class grappler over the course of the 15-minute contest, outlanding him 106 to 41. Vettori followed up this victory with another just 3 months later. Once again walking into battle with a credentialed grappler, Vettori was able to deny the efforts of Andrew Sanchez and expertly enforced his game on the outgunned American. This time outlanding his opponent 86 to 39, Vettori had scored yet another one-sided decision, his second since the fight with the now undisputed world middleweight champion Israel Adesanya. The Sanchez win closed out the year for Vettori. Marvin battles tough Brit Darren Stewart in March, with a win here Vettori looks to launch himself into the divisions top 15 and that much closer to a much-wanted rematch with the Kiwi, Israel Adesanya.

19 Arman Tsarukyan: Lightweight, 14–2 (1–1 UFC)

Arman Tsarukyan walked into Yubileyny Sports Palace on April 20th, 2019 as someone even most hardcore MMA fans didn’t know anything about. All most people saw him as was an excuse for Islam Makhachev to get on the card to appear in front of his home country. Arman quickly proved those people wrong flourishing against the hyped prospect and showing how good he really was. Across 3 hard-fought rounds with Khabib Nurmagomedovs highly praised training partner, Arman proved to the fans that he was more than just Islam’s no-name opponent. Even in a loss, Arman proved to fans that he was an incredible prospect to watch for. The win earned Arman several things 1. a FOTN bonus 2. the respect of both fans and his peers and 3. a high profile second fight. Arman got his second fight a few months later when he battled home town hero and UFC veteran Olivier Aubin Mercier aka the Canadian Gangster. Even though the fight was a lot closer than most expected it to be, Arman still came home with the clear Unanimous Decision victory, a victory that gave him his first official UFC win. With the win, Arman certified himself as one of the sport's most exciting prospects and guaranteed the Georgian another big fight going into 2020.

18 Makhmud Muradov: Middleweight, 24–6 (2–0 UFC)

Makhmud Muradov was first brought to fans' attention due to him being the only MMA fighter signed to all-time great P4P Boxer Floyd Mayweather’s TMT (aka the Money Team) brand. This affiliation pays dividends with Muradovs boxing heavy approach in ring. However, after 2019 it’s no longer the only thing fans know about the Uzkekistani. Muradov began his career on a fairly mediocre 7–5 run, however since 2015 he has compiled a streak of 17–1, including 6 wins in 2019’s calendar year with 2 pitstops in the UFC to close it out. Makhmud made his UFC debut already 4 fights deep into his 2019 run, riding a 13 fight winstreak. In his debut, he proved that that streak wasn’t built on pure luck, as he was able to dominate 6 fight UFC veteran Alessio di Chirico over 15 minutes to a one-sided unanimous decision victory. Muradov quickly followed this win up with his second trip to the octagon to close out 2019 with a 6th straight win inside the calendar year, this time battling Trevor Smith. Muradov followed his impressive debut with an even more impressive sequel, beating the 11 fight UFC veteran from pillar to post and eventually getting the late finish with one of the years highlight KO wins. The future looks bright for Muradov, and with Floyd and his team behind him, only God knows the heights Muradov can reach.

17 Magomed Mustafaev: Lightweight, 15–2 (3–1 UFC)

Mustafaev made his long-anticipated UFC return in April of last year, following a nearly 3-year layoff after an unfortunate arm injury suffered in his loss to future contender Kevin Lee. Prior to this layoff and loss, Mustafaev was on a 13 fight winstreak, including 2 pitstops in the UFC which produced 2 finishes for the Dagestani. His only loss before this streak was up at middleweight back in 2011, 30 pounds over where Magomed would later make his name. As previously mentioned the unfortunate arm injury forced the prospect to sit on the sidelines for over 2 and a half years. 30 months that Mustafaev wasn’t able to go in there and show the world his skills. Mustafaev was finally able to make his return in April when he battled undefeated Kyrgyzstanian Rafael Fiziev in front of 7000 screaming Mustafaev Maniacs. It didn’t take long for Mustafaev to make an impact, as he quickly finished Fiziev with a scary spinning back kick, putting the lightweight division on notice once again. Mustafaev looks to keep the ball rolling this February when he travels to New Zealand to battle the Kiwi prospect Brad Riddell fighting out of 2019’s camp of the year, City Kickboxing. A tough test for both men, the winner of this fight will be one to watch in the ever stacked lightweight division.

16 Jack Shore: Bantamweight, 12–0 (1–0 UFC)

The Welsh don’t often get to get excited about a fighter. Jack Marshman and John Phillips both turned out to be nothing more than low-level middleweight journeymen. Brett Johns was the talk of the town for a while, following his calf slicer over former title challenger Joe Soto. However, his hype ran out faster than he ran headfirst into the barricade that was top 10, getting dominated in his last 2 fights including a beating from Pedro Munhoz that he is still yet to return from over 18 months later. However, they may have finally found someone to break through that barrier. And that man might be Jack Shore. Jack Shore walked into his UFC debut undefeated carrying a Cage Warriors world title, and he walked out carrying Nohelin Hernandez’s head. Shore absolutely dominated his opposition, a man who had taken ranked bantamweight Marlon Vera to his limits earlier in the year. Hernandez had nothing for the Welshman, landing only 9 total strikes across the 13 minutes of fight time. Shore was able to control him, and eventually get the submission victory midway through the third round, impressing the entire MMA fandom. An incredibly impressive debut for an incredibly impressive prospect, he’s certainly one to watch heading into 2020. Wales you might finally have something with this kid.

15 Brianna Van Buren: Strawweight, 9–2 (1–0 UFC)

The only women’s competitor on our list, and it’s for good reason. Brianna had an eventful 2019, competing 4 times, winning the Invicta FC strawweight championship, and making her successful UFC debut. 5 Feet of Fury first came to most fans’ attention when she was selected to compete in Invictas 1 night Phoenix Series tournament, to determine the companies new Strawweight Champion. On that fateful May night, Brianna impressed the tens of fans watching as she ran through the bracket, first submitting Manjit Kolekar. She followed that first-round win up by defeating UFC veteran Juliana Lima. In the finals of the tournament, she defeated a second UFC veteran this time choking out Kailin Curran inside 2 rounds to stake her claim on the belt. This one-night performance impressed not only fans but the UFC brass too, who quickly offered her a contract and a fight. She made her UFC debut only 2 months following the tournament, battling fellow Invicta Strawweight Champion Livia Souza. Brianna took it to Livia over the 15-minute contest, proving that she only needed 5 feet to dominate a fellow hyped prospect. Brianna was able to mix in takedowns, as well as implement her overwhelming striking game to completely shut down Souza reducing her to essentially a punching bag. After the fight was finished, Van Buren walked away with a 30–27 victory across the boards, impressing yet again. Unfortunately for fans and for Brianna herself, the bull has yet to return to the cage following these 2 impressive showings. But once she does, I have no doubt she will have the fans talking once again.

14 Hakeem Dawodu: Featherweight, 11–1–1 (4–1 UFC)

Canada’s greatest prospect since a young Rory MacDonald. Hakeem was hyped by hardcores before even making his UFC debut, a debut that could not have gone worse for the Canadian Dream. Getting submitted in 40 seconds by Danny Henry was obviously not part of the plan for Hakeem. But just like the punch that hurt him, Dawodu took the loss on the chin and continued chugging along. Hakeem made his return a few months later, outpointing tough veteran Austin Arnett to earn his first octagon victory. Hakeem followed this up with another thorough outpointing (though 1 of the judges didn’t think so) against the always fight ready Kyle Bochniak. 3 fights in, Hakeem ended his first calendar year in the UFC with 2 wins and 1 loss, not the greatest start but still respectable. Hakeem next battled the tough Japanese prospect, Yoshinori Horie, in a fight where he was tested and had to battle through adversity, Hakeem was able to eventually come out on top with a vicious head kick finish that earned the Canadian a POTN bonus. Hakeem then went on to appear on 2019s most star-studded card, UFC 244: Masvidal vs Diaz. He battled the always fantastic Tiger Schulmann pupil, Julio Arce. Both men brought their all to the fight, but Hakeem was once again able to come out on top over tough opposition. Ending his second calendar year under the UFC banner, Hakeem now holds a 4–1 UFC record with 4 straight impressive wins. He is not scheduled to fight anyone just yet, however, the way he’s looking Hakeem will surely get a ranked opponent sooner or later, and Canada might be looking at their first truly great fighter since a young Water Boy.

13 Dan Ige: Featherweight, 12–2 (4–1 UFC)

Hawaii had an eventful MMA year. Starting with Yancy Medeiros landing literally a single strike over his 10 minute battle with Gregor Gillespie, to Max Holloway battling a FOTY contender battle with the always amazing Dustin Poirier. All ending with Holloway losing his title, and Punahale Soriano producing a KOTY candidate on the years ending PPV. However, the best thing to happen to Hawaiin MMA in 2019 may have been the emergence of one Dynamite Dan Ige. Ige made his UFC debut in January 2018 after impressing Dana and co on the contender series the summer prior. He battled the always impressive Julio Arce and unfortunately was not able to walk away with the victory that night. Since then, however, he has seen himself go 4–0 in the organization, with 2 quick finishes and 2 decisions. His most impressive win being his most recent, an absolute war with former LFA Champion Kevin Aguilar where Ige almost finished The Angel of Death on multiple occasions before gaining the Unanimous Decision victory. Ige is currently scheduled to fight former top prospect and current ranked fighter Mirsad Bektic in early February. If Ige can walk away with an impressive victory that night there is no doubt that he will gain a number next to his name. Now that Holloway has lost his gold, the future of Hawaiin MMA may rest on the shoulders of Dynamite Dan.

12 Ryan Spann: Light Heavyweight, 17–5 (3–0 UFC)

If you ask a fan what the shallowest men’s division is, a lot will answer Light Heavyweight. Despite this being the opinion of many, Light Heavyweight has had its fair share of rising prospects in recent times, including Dominick Reyes, Alexander Rakic, and the short but intense hype train that was Johnny Walker. Past those 3 there are another 3 rising right now, the first of which is Superman Ryan Spann. Ryan Spann first came to fans' attention on the first season of Dana Whites Tuesday Night Contender Series, where he was knocked out in 15 seconds. After a trilogy of wins in the LFA, including winning their Light Heavyweight Title Spann was invited back to compete on the second season of the Contender Series. This time he made the most of the opportunity submitting future Professionals Fighters League world champion Emiliano Sordi in 30 seconds, a win that gave him a UFC contract. Spann traveled to Brazil for his first 2 trips to the octagon, taking on home town favorites Luis Henrique and the legendary Antônio Rogério Nogueira aka Lil Nog, both of whom he defeated decisively, disappointing the Brazilian faithful. Spann followed these two wins up with a third straight when he choked out Devin Clark in October. Getting 3 straight wins at light heavyweight almost guarantees you a big fight, which was almost given to Spann when he was briefly scheduled to fight former interim title challenger Ovince Saint Preux, however that fight never materialized and he is now scheduled to fight Paul Craig. With an impressive win here Spann will most likely get a top 15 fight. If Spann has a great 2020 like I’m predicting here, then this time next year we might be discussing him to be a potential title challenger.

11 Mark Madsen: Lightweight, 9–0 (1–0 UFC)

Mark Madsen is an undefeated MMA fighter who transitioned to the sport after winning an OLYMPIC SILVER MEDAL in Greco Roman Wrestling, and that’s all we really need to say. Olympic medalists are few and far between in MMA, over the history of MMA less than 20 medalists have ever had serious MMA careers. That means out of the tens of thousands of fighters that have ever competed, the amount of Olympic medalists can fit on a single UFC card. So anytime one appears it’s exciting for the sport. And exciting is certainly a word you can use to describe Mark Madsen. Though at 35 and after a career of wrestling, it’s hard to see Madsen having a super long Mixed Martial Arts career, but that hopefully means that the UFC sees that too and force them to push him to the top faster than they would any other prospect. And it appears the UFC does in fact see it as they pushed Madsen into the co-main event slot in his UFC debut, and Madsen shined under the pressure scoring a quick first-round stoppage. Proving the UFC right in putting him that spot, Madsen told the UFC brass and the fans that he is here to stay whether that be long term or a short burst. Either way, Madsen is one to be excited for and one to watch.

10 Bryce Mitchell: Featherweight, 12–0 (3–0 UFC)

Get him some Camo Shorts already, god damn has the man earned it or what. Bryce Mitchell entered the UFC through the penultimate season of the Ultimate Fighter, where he lost in the semi-finals to eventual winner Brad Katona. However, despite the loss, Mitchell was invited to compete on the seasons final battling the pre-tournament favorite Tyler Diamond. Mitchell limped away with a razor-thin majority decision victory, a victory which 70% of users on MMA Decisions thought he didn’t deserve. But he was given the victory nonetheless, a victory which kept him on the UFC roster. Mitchell followed this fight up with a more decisive second UFC win, a FOTN decision win over Bobby Moffett. Following the fight, Mitchell begged Reebok and the UFC to give him camo fight gear, a request that they have yet to agree too, unfortunately. In an attempt to impress both Reebok and the UFC enough to hopefully get his camo shorts, Mitchell made his third appearance in the UFC an incredibly memorable once. Mitchell took on Matt Sayles on the undercard of one of the final UFC cards of the year, Fight Night: Overeem vs Rozenstruik. Even though most people were going into the event completely overlooking the show and looking forward to the PPV the next week, or focusing their efforts discussing the main card fights, Mitchell made sure people left talking about him. In the first round, Mitchell was able to take Sayles down and control him before putting the featherweight division on notice by locking in only the second twister in UFC history, a move which would not only earn Mitchell an extra fifty thousand dollars but also the Submission of the Year award. With this win Mitchell proved he wasn’t messing around, he was going to get those camo shorts through any means necessary. Mitchell is now 3–0 in the octagon heading into 2020, and now that the entire MMA landscape knows who he is the sky is the limit for Arkansas’ favorite son.

9 Raoni Barcelos: Bantamweight, 15–1 (4–0 UFC)

The best prospect currently coming out of Brazil, Barcelos has begun his UFC career with a perfect 4–0 record, a streak that includes 3 finishes and a FOTN bonus. The 32-year-old multi-time BJJ world champion entered the UFC as the RFA champion but was also coming off of a 21-month layoff. He battled former Titan FC champion Kurt Holobaugh in an effort that ended up gaining both men the FOTN bonus. Barcelos was eventually able to channel his inner Alexander Gustaffson and connect with several solid uppercuts that sent Holobaugh flying, giving Barcelos the third-round KO victory. Dropping down to bantamweight for his next fight, Barcelos was able to show off his slick ground game when he submitted Chris Gutiérrez via second-round RNC. Following these 2 efforts, Barcelos was able to compete in front of his countrymen for the first time in over 5 years when he battled Carlos Huachin in Rio de Janeiro. Raoni once again walked away with his hand raised, getting himself a third straight stoppage under the UFC umbrella when he battered Huachin into a TKO win. These 3 straight wins got Barcelos his most high profile fight to date, a battle with fellow top prospect and member of the Nurmagomedov Clan, Said Nurmagomedov. In a close battle, Raoni was able to edge the Dagestani with his superior ground game earning himself a unanimous decision victory, and gaining a 4th straight UFC win. After a flawless 4–0 start to his UFC career the BJJ specialist cements himself as Brazil’s best prospect and has earned himself some big-name matchups in the near future.

8 Nasrat Haqparast: Lightweight, 11–2 (3–1 UFC)

TriStar’s greatest prospect since a young Rory MacDonald. Firas Zahabi sometimes gets a lot more credit than certain members of the MMA community believe he’s earned, but with Nasrat Haqparast he truly has created something special. The Afghan-German native made his first venture into the cage as a 17-year-old, a venture that would end with him walking out without his hand raised. This defeat would be his last for the next 5 years as he gathered up 8 straight T/KO victories, a streak that would get him signed to the UFC at a still nubile 22 years old. Mini Gastelum made his UFC Debut battling veteran Marcin Held in Helds own backyard, Poland. What followed was a great performance by Haqparast, a performance that was not appreciated by the judges who gave the fight to Held. Many fans considered the result a robbery as Haqparast had hurt Held badly in both the first and second rounds, but the judges appreciated the grappling of Held slightly more. Nonetheless, Nasrat had impressed in his UFC debut albeit in a loss. In his next appearance, Haqparast battled another member of this list, The Bonecrusher Marc Diakiase. Haqparast did not want a repeat of his last fight result, and he made that clear. Dominating Diakiase for all 15 minutes, resulting in scores of 30–27x2 and 30–26, with some fans even scoring it 30–24. With this win, Nasrat solidified himself as someone to keep your eye on. He followed up this performance, with another one of the spectacular quality, this time against 5 fight UFC veteran Thibault Gouti. Once again Nasrat dominated, coming incredibly close to finishing Gouti in the final minutes of the fight. Nasrat returned 10 months later, to battle wily Brazilian Joaquim Silva. In his most stunning performance to date, Nasrat dazzled and awed the audience, eventually finishing Silva in the second round with a beautiful KO. The win earned Nasrat his first POTN bonus. Nasrat battles Drew Dober this weekend at UFC 246 and it won’t be easy, Dober is one of the hardest hitters in the division and can KO any lightweight on any given night. But, at only 24 years old, with his skillset, and with the Tri-Star team behind him the sky appears to be the limit for Nasrat, and if he is able to go through Dober this weekend the same way he has been able to go through his past 3 opponents we will see Nasrat fighting top contenders sooner rather than later.

7 Nathaniel Wood: Bantamweight, 16–3 (3–0 UFC)

A prevailing member of the new age of UK MMA alongside the likes of Leon Edwards and Arnold Allen, Nathaniel Wood has compiled an impressive 3–0 start to his UFC career with all 3 wins coming via submission. Wood entered the UFC as the Cage Warriors Bantamweight Champion (the second member of our list to do so). He also entered mostly known as a striker, with 9 finishes stemming from strikes to his name, including 4 straight of that variety in the Cage Warriors cage. That streak both won him the Cage Warriors title and earned him a shot in the biggest MMA proving ground on the planet, the UFC. In his debut, he took on the hard-hitting battle-tested Brazilian Johnny Eduardo. Eduardo took it to the young Brit, stumbling him on several occasions, however, Wood was able to persevere and eventually caught the Brazilian in a D’Arce Choke, a choke which once again would make even Tony Ferguson proud. Wood would quickly follow this win up with another, this time against Andre Ewell. If Wood’s first fight was a shaky start, then the Ewell fight is where he found his footing. Dominating from bell to bell, Wood looked damn near flawless in this fight. He was able to use a combination of leg kicks, pressure, cage cutting, ground control, and overall superior MMA game to dominate the young American As the clock ticked down Wood was able to take Ewells back, sink in a vicious Rear Naked Choke and get his second straight submission victory. Wood once again turned around quickly, this time only 10 weeks. He returned in his home country to battle fellow prospect and streaking fighter, Jose Quinonez. Even though Quinonez is the one with Jiu-Jitsu tattooed across his chest Wood would be the one successfully implementing that art as he tapped out the Mexican in the second round with his second straight rear-naked choke victory. With a 3–0 start in the octagon Wood took a long hiatus and is now scheduled to battle his first ranked opponent this coming February. He takes on former 2-time title challenger John Dodon and if Wood is able to finish Dodson the same way he has been able to finish his first 3 opponents we may see Nathaniel Wood quickly evolve from the prospect into the contender.

6 Merab Dvalishvili: Bantamweight, 9–4 (2–2 UFC)

If all was right in the world, Merab Dvalishvili would be riding a 4–0 UFC streak and would be appearing even higher up this list. Unfortunately for the Georgia native, you can’t always get what you want. The Serra-Longo pupil has been on the wrong side of 2 unfortunate circumstances of the sport, the first being a bad judge's decision in his debut against Frankie Saenz and the second being an outrageous referee call against Ricky Simon. Against Saenz, Merab was able to implement his game, landing 11 takedowns and outlanding Saenz by nearly 40 strikes. Unfortunately for Merab, the judges did not see the fight his way and gave the win to Saenz. In his second trip to the octagon, Merab battled Ricky Simon, Merab was once again able to implement his superior game on his opponent for nearly 15 minutes. Unfortunately for Merab, however, Ricky Simon was able to lock in a guillotine in the closing moments of the fight, a guillotine that the referee believed choked Merab unconscious forcing him to declare Simon the winner via submission at the completed 15-minute mark of the fight. Merab once again walked away with the L that many fans believed he did not deserve. Luckily for the Georgian, the UFC gave him another shot this time against Terrion Ware. Merab for the third straight fight implemented his game, landing 205 strikes across the 15-minute distance as well as holding Ware to only 22 strikes. Luckily for Merab, the judges this time saw the fight in his favor, officially giving Merab his first octagon victory. Merab was able to continue this success with another, as he dominated the formerly undefeated TUF winner Brad Katona. Once again completely shutting down his opposition, outlanding the Canadian by 150 using his strong wrestling game. Merab is now 2–2 inside the octagon, a record that many argue should be 4–0. Across 4 UFC fights, he has landed 27 takedowns (an average of 6.75 per fight) as well as 606 total strikes (averaging 151 total strikes per fight), an impressive stat record. Merab looks to continue his domination when he battles ranked bantamweight Casey Kenney this February. With a win, Merab will gain a number next to his name, as well as more big opportunities as the time comes.

5 Sodiq Yusuff: Featherweight, 10–1 (3–0 UFC)

Andre Fili: Featherweight, 20–6 (8–5 UFC)

Okay so this placement might be cheating, but with their upcoming UFC 246 fight right around the corner, we thought it would be best to showcase both men. Fili has long been considered a good but not great featherweight fighter, having been in the UFC since 2013 building up a respectable yet not amazing company record of 8–5. Following his loss to Calvin Katter in 2017 Fili has transformed into a new and much more improved fighter, going on a 4–1 streak since then with that 1 being arguable as many fans thought he did enough to defeat Michael Johnson in their 2018 battle. This 5 fight run culminated in a first-round finish of the always impressive Brazilian Sheymon Moraes, who took Yusuff to war in their fight earlier in the year. Now, looking as good as ever Fili looks to continue this run as he battles who many consider to be the top prospect in the sport today, Sodiq Yusuff. Yusuff gained his UFC contract when he went to war with fellow member of this list, Mike Davis, on Dana Whites Contender Series. Yusuff walked away with the victory that night. Yusuff followed up this win by traveling to Australia to battle home town favorite Suman Mokhtarian. Yusuff was able to make quick work of the Australian, finishing Suman before the midway of the first round much to the chagrin of those in attendance. The win earned Yusuff a POTN bonus. Yusuff next battled fellow top prospect Sheymon Moraes to determine who would officially become the divisions “next big thing”. Though the battle was razor-thin across 12 or so minutes, a knockdown from Yusuff in the final round sealed the deal for the Nigerian. Yusuff once again returned to the octagon to battle in 2019, this time to fight Gabriel Benitez. Though Benitez brought more fight than most expected Yusuff was able to dispatch him inside of a single round. Now that both men are looking the best they have ever looked, the battle looks to be one of the more exciting on the UFC 246 card. The winner will no doubt have a tremendous 2020 and will line themself up to a big player in the stacked featherweight division.

4 Alonzo Menifield: Light Heavyweight, 9–0 (2–0 UFC)

Sayif Saud and the Fortis MMA team have produced yet another top prospect. Another Contender Series alum, Alonzo Menifield has never faced an opponent that he didn’t stop inside of the distance. Entering 2020 with a perfect 9–0 professional record, Menifield is looking to put the ever shallow Light Heavyweight division on notice, if he hasn’t already with his 2 first-round starchings of Paul Craig and Vinicius Moreira. There isn’t a lot to write about Alonzo other than he’s a jacked dude, he hit’s incredibly hard, and when he throws he usually doesn’t miss. With the fantastic Fortis MMA team behind him, there is no way of knowing the heights Alonzo can reach. All we know is that trying to stand and trade with this dude probably won’t produce the results you desire. Look out for this monster in 2020.

3 Damir Ismagulov: Lightweight, 19–1 (3–0 UFC)

Now that Petr Yan has become a certified contender, the best non-Dagestani Russian Prospect badge has been given to one Damir Ismagulov. Damir Ismagulov has quietly assembled himself a world-class record, so quietly that even some hardcore fans reading this list might not be aware of him. He’s 19–1, a former M-1 Global champion which puts him alongside the likes of top heavyweight contender Alexander Volkov. Damir rode an 11 fight winstreak into his UFC contract signing, a streak which included 7 finishes. Since then Ismagulov has been able to silently gather himself a respectable 3–0 record inside the octagon over his first 18 months signed to the promotion, dispatching of Alex Gorgees which showed his superior ground game, Joel Álvarez which showed his fantastic striking game, and Thiago Moisés which showcased his entire arsenal. Traveling all around the globe for his first three UFC appearances, Damir has been able to show fans both his well-rounded game and the potential he has to reach the top of the division to sit alongside fellow Russians Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev. Due to his silent nature, and the UFC’s effort to keep him as hidden as possible by putting him on undercards of international shows, Damir’s rise to the top looks to be a slow one. However, I have no doubt he has the skills that will force the brass to eventually recognize him as once of the divisions best sooner or later.

2 Magomed Ankalaev: Light Heavyweight, 12–1 (3–1 UFC)

Both the top Light Heavyweight prospect and the top Dagestani prospect in the UFC today, Magomed Ankalaev had fans talking prior to his UFC debut not unlike fellow member of this list Hakeem Dawodu. Ankalaev, unfortunately, suffered a similar fate to Hakeem in his debut, getting choked out by a Scot. Ankalaev dominated Paul Craig for 14 minutes and 57 seconds before a hail mary Triangle Choke forced the Dagestani to submit with a mere second remaining in the fight. This defeat was Ankalaevs first (and only thus far) and set his UFC career off to a rocky start. Ankalaev returned to the cage 6 months later in a land he was more comfortable in, Russia. This fight allowed Ankalaev to shine as he took off Marcin Prachnio’s head with a massive kick and finished him with follow up strikes. This win earned Ankalaev his first UFC win and a POTN bonus on top of that. Ankalaevs third trip to the octagon was another successful one, this time dispatching of Brazilian Klidson Abreu via Unanimous Decision to improve his UFC record to 2–1. In his latest trip to the UFC’s cage, he took on Dalcha Lungiumbulain a battle of prospects. Magomed proved who the top prospect was as he dominated Dalcha for 2 rounds before finishing him off with a vicious front kick that echoed throughout the CSKA Arena. This win earned Magomed his second POTN bonus and officially put him on the MMA map. Heading into 2020 Ankalaev is no doubt the top prospect in the light heavyweight division, and looks to follow in the footsteps of fellow successful Dagestanis Khabib Nurmagomedov and Zabit Magomedsharipov, and I have no doubt that he can reach similar heights.

1 Diego Ferreira: Lightweight, 16–2 (7–2 UFC)

Putting a fighter with 9 career appearances in the top spot of what boils down to a top prospect list may be a weird decision, but the version of Diego Ferriera that we currently have, the version that is walking into UFC 246 to battle former world champion Anthony Pettis, is not the same man who stepped into the cage to do battle with the likes of Dustin Poirier and Beneil Dariush some years ago. Diego started his UFC career with a somewhat respectable 3–2 record, and a lot less respectable 2-year suspension for PEDs. In that streak of fights, he battled and defeated the likes of TUF winner Colton Smith, and TUF finalists Olivier Aubin Mercier and Ramsey Nijem whilst losing to top fighters Dustin Poirier and Beneil Dariush. Unfortunately for Diego and for fans of the exciting Brazilian, following the OAM victory Ferreira was suspended by USADA after declaring the use of a product that listed and contained a prohibited substance and testing positive for another prohibited substance. This suspension forced him to sit out for over 2 years. But he returned to the cage a changed man. He joined forces with a team who need no introduction in this list, Fortis MMA and they helped him evolve into what we have today, one of the best “up and coming” fighters on the UFC roster. Ferreira returned to the cage in February of 2018, starching the hyped Jared Gordon inside of 2 minutes. Ferreira followed this victory up with another when he defeated Kyle Nelson by second-round TKO that December. A little over 3 months later he took on the streaking Russian Rustam Khabilov, who hadn’t suffered defeat in 4 years or 7 fights. What came next was a display of how good Ferreira had become, as he fully showcased his well-rounded game. Winning every single round, Ferreira snapped the Russians winstreak and fully established himself as one to watch in the stacked division. His latest outing saw him travel to Abu Dhabi to do battle with yet another streaking Russian, this time it was Mairbek Taisumov who found himself on the wrong side of the Brazilian. Taisumov entered the fight on a 6 fight winstreak and had garnered the reputation of being one of the sports hardest hitters, as he had produced 5 stunning KOs in that winstreak. Many expected Ferreira to just become another victim of the scary Russian, and instead what transpired was the opposite. In the first round, Ferreira ate everything Taisumov threw at him, forcing Taisumov to tire himself out which allowed Diego to fully take over across the final 10 minutes Ferreira proceeded to walk Taisumov down with zero fear leaving fans around the world stunned, and putting the entire division on immediate notice. Now on an ever-impressive 5 fight winstreak, this evolved version of the BJJ standout looks to have the abilities to run through any top lightweight talent. This weekend Ferreira gets the opportunity to prove that as he battles former Lightweight World Champion, Showtime Anthony Pettis on what is anticipated to be a massively successful card. Ferreira enters the fight a -250 favorite, indicating he is finally getting the respect that he has earned over his last few performances. If Ferreira is able to break Pettis 1w-1L curse, he’ll break through that barrier and set himself up for bigger fights and opportunities as 2020 rolls on, and no doubt leave with a number next to his name.