Five UFC Rising Stars to Watch Out For
Over the last few decades, the UFC has grown and brought in new athletes that have mastered various crafts of MMA. Within the new, or relatively new athletes at the UFC, are some promising individuals who are on their way to becoming the next stars.
The growth of the UFC
The UFC sponsorship revenues reached an all-time high last year. For example, they recorded a 94% increase in terms of “international media rights deals signed”.
The year 2021 was therefore the UFC’s “best financial year ever” according to Forbes. The Ultimate Fighting Championship is predicted to grow over the next few years.
Previous well-known UFC stars include Conor McGregor, Anderson Silva and Khabib Nurmagomedov. These fighters have inspired new generations to follow in their footsteps and join the UFC.
Five of the UFC’s rising stars
Alex Pereira
Alex Pereira is a Brazilian athlete known for his kickboxing abilities. Fans can find him in the UFC’s middleweight division where he is currently ranked fourth.
He was a Glory middleweight and light heavyweight champion and is considered by many to be the best in these categories. He gave an impressive knockout last year that was considered by many industry professionals to be one of the best knockouts of 2021.
Pereira has won all of his matches since 2016 and is sure to become a star in the next few years. UFC Betting odds have him at 7/5 to beat Israel Adesanya at UFC 281, so the middleweight title could potentially be his in November.
Erin Blanchfield
Erin Blanchfield is a young and promising American mixed martial artist. Fans can find her in the UFC’s flyweight division. She is currently ranked #12 in the UFC’s women’s rankings in the flyweight category. Aged only 23 years old, she is one of the most promising UFC fighters.
She began her training by learning jiu-jitsu when she was seven years old. At the age of nine, she began to compete in kickboxing tournaments.
She has won all of her fights since 2019 and is known for her Brazilian jiu-jitsu style of fighting.
Ian Garry
This Irish rising star is being compared to the legendary Conor McGregor. As a quick reminder, Conor McGregor is a former double UFC champion who won in both the lightweight and featherweight categories.
Garry has publicly acknowledged the inspiring influence that Conor McGregor has had on him. He does not hesitate to reference or quote him after a victory.
The 24-year-old rising star competes in the welterweight division of the UFC. Ian already has some experience in the field after being named a Cage Warriors Welterweight Champion in 2021. He began his childhood sports training with boxing before turning to judo later on. Since 2019, Garry has won all of his MMA fights.
Khamzat Chimaev
Chimaev is almost a star considering his rapidly growing popularity within the UFC. The fighter was born in the Chechen Republic of Russia. He began wrestling at the tender age of 5 years old.
Some sources claim that young Khamzat won a bronze medal in the junior level of the Russian National Championships.
At the age of 18, he immigrated to Sweden with his family and obtained Swedish nationality shortly after. He is in the welterweight division of the UFC and is considered a freestyle wrestler.
Chimaev is a three-time Swedish National Champion already despite only being 28 years old. His stats, as reported by ESPN, are very promising and reflect his eagerness to hit his opponent and attempt “significant strikes”.
He has won all of his matches since 2018.
Paddy Pimblett
The British athlete who is already a fan favorite for many, can be found in the lightweight division.
Like Ian Garry, he has already won championships including the Cage Warriors Featherweight Championship. He changed from featherweight to lightweight in 2017.
He has won all of his matches since 2020 and is known for his jiu-jitsu style of fighting.
He started training to become a mixed martial artist at the age of 14 and now, at the age of 27, is on his way to become a UFC star.
Betting on these future stars
Those who see the real potential and future success of these rising stars can start placing their bets before everyone else begins to do so. UFC betting is the best way for fans to get involved and root for their favorite athlete.
In order for bets to have more chances of being successful, fans should keep a close eye on these rising talents, their progression and their physical state.
Betting on these stars is easy, quick and secure thanks to the emergence of safe and specialized online betting platforms.
Final thoughts
This article has focused on five of the UFC’s rising stars. These athletes are very promising and are showing exceptional talent, prowess and potential.
UFC fans should definitely follow these new talents. Of course, this list only includes five of the most promising young fighters currently signed at the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
There are also other rising talents and upcoming fighters who have not yet been signed by the UFC. Fans should keep an eye out for new signed talents if they want to place early bets on the next star.
