In the world of sport, not just UFC, there is an argument about when the athletes hit their prime. Some athletes hit their peak form in the early 20s, while others have to wait till their 30s.
However, none of that factor stops the viewers to idolize certain talents and see where they end up. It is the same case with boxing as MMA is blessed with some fantastic talents in the octagon under the age of 25.
It looks like the retirement of Khabib Nurmagomedov wasn’t the last time a man from the Nurmagomedov family would enter the octagon.
Usman Nurmagomedov has quickly established himself as one of the best talents in Bellator. The 24-year-old won the Bellator lightweight title last month.
Erin Blanchfield has established a reputation of being a fighter with a high ceiling. She gained a lot of combat experience even before she joined UFC. Blanchfield is currently on a four-match winning streak, including a dominant win over Molly McCann in November.
Muhammad Mokaev has enjoyed a successful start to his career in the UFC. He closed 2022 with three wins on the bounce, including his debut win over Cody Durden in March. Although he has an 8-0 record, it is a misleading stat because he went 22-0 as an amateur. Now he has Jon Jones’ record of the youngest UFC champion in his sights.
Amp Ad
Maycee Barber has established herself as one of the hottest prospects in UFC history. However, people are quick to doubt her after a pair of losses in 2020 and 2021. She is still only 24 and looking forward to having contender bouts in 2023.
Christian Lee answered his critics by defeating Ok Rae Yoon and regaining ONE lightweight title from him in August via a second-round TKO. Last month, he overcame Kiamrian Abbasov via fourth-round TKO to claim the welterweight belt.
Tatsuro Taira has already wide-eyed the entire UFC with his potential. He has started his career with a 2-0 score line and has the potential to reach double figure wins while staying undefeated.
Here are some of the other fighters that you may hear more of in 2023:
- Khasan Magomedsharipov (7-0)
- Cory McKenna (7-2)
- Yazmin Jauregui (9-0)
- Maheshate (9-1)
- Raul Rosas Jr. (6-0)
- Chase Hooper (11-3-1)
- Nick Maximov (8-2)
- Rong Zhu (19-5)