Every year we see a new batch of quality fighters breaking into the professional ranks and lighting things up. They don’t always have the consistency needed to make it in the UFC, but the ones that do have the potential to become superstars. So, who are the breakthrough stars right now and who will be winning the public over in the next few years?
Ilia Topuria
Ilia Topuria is a German-born Georgian and Spaniard. More importantly, he’s an expert in Greco-Roman wrestling with a solid 15-0 record. He began his career in Europe, where he fought at lightweight, featherweight, and bantamweight and won the MFE Featherweight Championship. He also won the Cage Warriors bantamweight championship but failed to make the weight and was ineligible for the title.
In his UFC debut, Topuria beat Youssef Zalal by decision and since 2022, he has fought four times and won Performance of the Night three times and Fight of the Night once. The man they call El Matador is a machine with an impeccable record and a very bright future. He already has a lot of eyes on him, and with so many exciting fights on his record, everyone will be waiting for his next one.
We’re not yet sure who that fight will be against, but he wants Max Holloway. If he gets his wish, it will be a huge fight. Undoubtedly the biggest of his career to date. Should he get the W in that one, he will stop being a promising fighter and start being a star.
Ramil Kamilov
Known as The Real Deal. Kamilov is a Kazakh-born fighter currently based in Canada. He is set to face fellow Canadian Tom O’Connor for the Unified lightweight championship in June and will truly announce himself on the world stage if he wins. If you’re in the mood for a hot MMA event outside of the UFC, we recommend making the trip to Alberta to watch the action live.
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Khasan Magomedsharipov
Khasan Magomedsharipov is the 23-year-old brother of Zabit Magomedsharipov, a very promising fighter who made it to the UFC, notched an 18-1 record and was then forced to retire due to health issues. Zabit is now supporting his brother and he has helped him to reach a 9-0 record.
Khasan is a featherweight currently fighting in Bellator but with aspirations to go all of the way. An accomplished junior with several local and international gold medals under his belt, Magomedsharipov is a Sanda specialist with previous wins from submissions, punches, and decisions, showing that he has a bit of everything in his locker.
He also fights out of Dagestan, a region that has produced its fair share of MMA talent over the years, including the hero of UFC 254, Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Austin Bashi
Austin Bashi is a bantamweight with an 11-0 record. He is a composed fighter who can strike and wrestle. His last 3 wins came in 2023 during the Lights Out Championship, and he finished them all via Rear-Naked Choke. He hasn’t fought for 6 months at the time of writing, so he’s unlikely to make big moves in 2024, but if he keeps getting into the cage and putting in those incredible performances, he could be set for a huge 2025.
Ramazan Gitinov
Gitinov has a record of just 4-0 as a professional, but he built that career off the back of an impressive run in the amateurs. In fact, while he lost his first fight in the amateur rankings, going down by KO, he has won every contest since, including his pro fights. Technically, that means the 27-year-old is on a 31-fight winning streak. If that doesn’t scream “prospect”, we don’t know what does.
If the name sounds familiar, you may have seen a viral clip from his last fight. It took him just 8 seconds to record a win, and he did so without throwing a single strike. His opponent, Zhanybekov, ran to the centre of the cage, connected with a kick, and injured his leg in the process. It was an easy night and an even easier payday for Gitinov, but he almost looked annoyed that he wasn’t able to show everyone what he could do.
Summary: Prospects for the Next Few Years
MMA produces a lot of exciting prospects, but the route to the big time isn’t always as straightforward as it is in other sports. MMA fighters take more risks than boxers, and you won’t find an exciting youngster being given cherry-picked fighters as they make their way to a world championship. It means that many promising fighters won’t get anywhere near the top, but that’s what makes this sport so exciting, and it’s the reason we keep tuning in week after week and event after event.
