The UFC’s compilation video game has been on point of late, and this time the promotion is looking ahead.
The UFC has put together a list of “fighters who could dominate in 2025.” What does that mean, exactly? “The top fighters in the UFC are always evolving, with new contenders emerging all the time. This video examines fighters with the potential to become stars and championship contenders in the next few years.”
In other words, the UFC thinks there’s a good chance these are the ones who will be competing for Fighter of the Year on everyone’s lists come December – not long after many of them were Breakout Fighter of the Year candidates.
Check them out in the video above, and check out their curriculum vitae below.
Magomed Ankalaev
Division: Light heavyweight
Record: 20-1-1 MMA, 11-1-1 UFC
Past 5: 4-0-1
Key wins: Aleksandar Rakic, Johnny Walker, Anthony Smith, Thiago Santos, Volkan Oezdemir
Notes: Challenges light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira for the title in the UFC 313 main event March 8.
Payton Talbott
Division: Bantamweight
Record: 9-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC
Past 5: 4-1
Notes: Admittedly, Talbott’s inclusion isn’t great timing. At UFC 311, he suffered one of the biggest upsets in promotion history when he was outworked by Raoni Barcelos.
Joaquin Buckley
Division: Middleweight
Record: 21-6 MMA, 11-4 UFC
Past 5: 5-0
Key wins: Colby Covington, Stephen Thompson, Vicente Luque
Jean Silva
Division: Lightweight
Record: 14-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC
Past 5: 5-0
Key wins: Dew Dober, Charles Jourdain
Zhang Mingyang
Division: Light heavyweight
Record: 18-6 MMA, 2-0 UFC
Past 5: 5-0
Key wins: Ozzy Diaz, Brendson Ribeiro
Carlos Prates
Division: Welterweight
Record: 21-6 MMA, 4-0 UFC
Past 5: 5-0
Key wins: Neil Magny, Jingliang Li, Trevin Giles
Erin Blanchfield
Division: Women’s flyweight
Record: 13-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC
Past 5: 4-1
Key wins: Rose Namajunas, Taila Santos, Jessica Andrade, Molly McCann, Miranda Maverick
Tatsuro Taira
Division: Flyweight
Record: 16-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC
Past 5: 4-1
Key wins: Alex Perez, Carlos Hernandez
Ignacio Bahamondes
Division: Lightweight
Record: 16-5 MMA, 5-2 UFC
Past 5: 4-1
Key wins: Manuel Torres, Christos Giagos
Bryan Battle
Division: Welterweight
Record: 12-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC
Past 5: 4-1
Key wins: Randy Brown, Kevin Jousset, Gabe Green, Takashi Soto
Michael Morales
Division: Welterweight
Record: 17-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC
Past 5: 5-0
Key wins: Neil Magny, Jake Matthews, Max Griffin, Trevin Giles
Carlos Ulberg
Division: Light heavyweight
Record: 11-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC
Past 5: 5-0
Key wins: Volkan Oezdemir, Alonzo Menifield, Da Woon Jung, Ihor Potieria
Yadong Song
Division: Bantamweight
Record: 21-8-1 MMA, 10-3-1 UFC
Past 5: 3-2
Key wins: Chris Gutierrez, Ricky Simon, Marlon Vera
Daniel Zellhuber
Division: Lightweight
Record: 15-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC
Past 5: 3-2
Key wins: Francisco Prado, Christo Giagos, Lando Vannata, Lucas Almeida
Oban Elliott
Division: Welterweight
Record: 12-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC
Past 5: 5-0
Key wins: Bassil H afez, Preston Parsons
Natalia Silva
Division: Women’s flyweight
Record: 18-5-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC
Past 5: 5-0
Key wins: Jessica Andrade, Viviane Araujo, Andrea Lee, Jasmine Jasudavicius
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Does UFC’s list of ‘fighters who could dominate in 2025’ have any future champs on it?
