Issue 208
August 2024
Fighters Only’s Paul Browne looks at the next wave of young, hungry lions climbing the ranks, salivating at the opportunity to be the next superstar in MMA.
For many of history’s dominant UFC champions, it was age that eventually removed them from their perch rather than opponents who conquered them. Time catches up with us all, and some UFC divisions seem in flux. The Adesanyas, Holloways, Usmans, and Volkanovskis of this world are entering the twilight of their careers. Equally, many of the year’s headlines have centered around fights between senior statesmen like McGregor and Chandler or Jones and Miocic. While it is sad to see the legends' careers draw to a close, time stands still for no man, and the fight game is evolving. The shift in the UFC’s business model toward accumulating cost-effective talent via Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) means the company has a generation of young fighters with their eyes on championship glory. But who will be next? We gaze into the crystal ball to predict who to watch.
PAYTON TALBOTT
Considering his UFC debut was less than a year ago, Talbott has quickly become one of the most talked-about prospects in MMA. Having broken into the UFC by way of a victorious appearance on DWCS, the unbeaten 25-year-old has since rampaged through the promotion’s bantamweight division, racking up a hat-trick of conclusive finishes over Nick Aguirre, Cameron Saaiman and Yannis Ghemmouri.
His 19-second decimation of Ghemmouri at UFC 303 raised eyebrows and brought him to the attention of the king of the UFC’s 135lb division, Sean O’Malley.
“He’s sick to watch,” said O’Malley while speaking on his podcast The Suga Show. “I watched him on that Contender (Series); he backflipped out of that single leg. That was sick!”
Talbott has drawn comparisons to the bantamweight champion thanks to the curly hair and the tattoos, but both fighters stand out due to their unique personalities and confidence. While O’Malley relies on visual elements to highlight his individuality, Talbott uses social media to portray his rich artistic side with more hobbies than any other fighters we’ve seen come this far.
Talbott brings elite striking to the table alongside the type of devasting power we rarely see in the lower weight classes. His ability to figure out his opponent’s timing and meet them with impactful strikes every time they attempt to throw a punch is something to behold. This trait was evident in the opening round of his fight with Saaiman, who he repeatedly tagged with stiffening counters and even dropped him with a beautiful step-in knee before finishing the job early in the second round. He is unlike anyone else in the UFC, which will either see him become a massive star or a forgotten sideshow who tried to do MMA differently from anyone else before him.
IAN MACHADO GARRY
Few fighters are better headline grabbers than Machado Garry. Having won the Cage Warriors world title in 2021, his development has been fascinating to watch, thanks to victories over Rodriguez, Magny, Neal, and Page. These may be enough to see him face one of the top contenders in the division soon. Unfortunately, his fighting abilities don’t get as much attention as his marital situation, which lit up the internet in 2023 and sparked a rivalry with Colby Covington.
While Garry remains unbeaten, the biggest stumbling block he may face could be trying to convince Dana White he is worthy of the opportunity. Close decision wins have tempered some of the excitement gained from his knockout victories. Garry is an exceptionally technical counterstriker who fought cautiously when faced with Neal's knockout power. However, the narrative surrounding Garry’s title credentials could change if he were to finish a high-profile name like Colby Covington. Following the ugly interactions the pair have shared up to this point, it’s clear nothing would please the Dubliner and fans more.
CAIO BORRALHO
The UFC’s middleweight division is amid a shake-up following a somewhat stagnant period. Adesanya dominated for years, and then Strickland’s surprise victory came. Now, Du Plessis seems to have the skills to drop anchor and welcome the next wave of challengers. Step forward, Caio Borralho. Another graduate of DWCS, the 31-year-old Brazilian, recently broke down the doors of the top 5 in impressive fashion when he beat former title challenger Jared Cannonier.
His development has been sensational since signing with the UFC over two years ago.
After overcoming his first four opponents, he was handed sterner tests against Magomedov and Paul Craig, but he breezed through the challenge and now sits at 5th in the middleweight rankings.
A disciple of Brazil’s ‘Fighting Nerds’ team, he is not your average fighter. He tutored students in math and chemistry when he was 15 years old and studied industrial chemistry at university before ultimately dropping out to pursue a fight career.
He brings a similarly cerebral approach to the Octagon, and despite being a decorated judoka and having a black belt in jiu jitsu, he lets his fists do most of the winning. Mainly fighting as a southpaw, he has a remarkable ability to use feints to draw reactions from his opponents, and his lightning speed has played a large part in all of his victories. With a handful of former champions sitting between Borralho and the current middleweight champion, it looks likely that we are about to see if the promising Brazilian has what it takes to beat the best the division has to offer.
BO NICKAL
Not many fighters have drawn as much fanfare during their opening six professional fights as Bo Nickal. The former Pennsylvania State wrestling phenom arrived on the DWCS set two years ago with just a single pro-MMA fight to his name. He strangled and submitted his first two opponents, then enjoyed two first-round finishes in his first two UFC fights. He took a little longer to get a second-round win at UFC 300 but immediately signaled to the crowd that he wasn’t pleased with his performance. In the aftermath, Dana White clarified that the company values Nickal’s potential.
“We believe in the kid,” said the UFC president. “We think that he’s gonna be a stud, and we think that he’s gonna be a star. He’s handling this pressure really, really well, you know what I mean? He’s got the type of pressure on him that after he wins against the guy who has fifteen fights and he has five, he finishes him and then says, ‘Thumbs down.’ I said, ‘Kid, you gotta stop putting kind of that pressure on yourself. You just come out and do what you do, just keep winning, you look great!” Nickal's journey is just beginning, but with the UFC's faith behind him and his relentless drive, he's poised to transform that pressure into greatness, one win at a time.
ERIN BLANCHFIELD
Erin Blanchfield came into the UFC in 2001 with a reputation as a grappling phenom. ‘Cold Blooded’ looked impressive fighting in the CFFC and Invicta and carried that form into the Octagon, winning her first six UFC bouts. At 25 years old, she is seen (along with fellow surging prospect Maycee Barber) as the future of women’s mixed martial arts. A decision loss to Manon Fiorot paused her title charge, but time may be on Blanchfield’s side. The 125lb title is on the line when Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko meet for the third consecutive time at UFC 306. Should Shevchenko emerge victorious, the pair will be deadlocked at one win apiece (and one draw) and may potentially face each other yet again, leaving the chasing pack in the flyweight division to pick each other off and consolidate that #1 contender position. Blanchfield is slated to fight former strawweight champion Rose Namajunas in November, and a victory there (and possibly one more after that) could see her challenging for UFC gold at the right time in career development.
THE FIGHT FOR THE FUTURE
As time erodes the physical capacities of some of our favorite champions and the end of their reigns draws ever closer, the next wave of potential superstars is clawing toward the top of the UFC’s divisions. Only the small few ever realize their potential and bridge the gap between being a hot prospect and becoming a UFC champion. For those who do, the climb is brutal, but the reward is eternal - immortality in the annals of UFC history.
