Edmen Shahbazyan
Record: 11-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC
Age: 22
Weight class: Middleweight
Height: 6’2″
Birthplace: Glendale, Calif.
Next Fight: TBA
The top of the UFC’s 185-pound division is filled with big names such as champ Israel Adesanya, former champ Robert Whittaker, and fan-favorite Yoel Romero. But when it comes to the next generation, there aren’t a ton of fighters who stick out of the crowd. Enter [autotag]Edmen Shahbazyan[/autotag]. The Edmund Taverdyan and Ronda Rousey product has been nothing short of anomaly at 185 pounds, especially when considering his age. Entering the UFC at 20 years old, Shahbazyan has made grown men look silly. Taking a big step up in competition in his most recent outing at UFC 244, Shahbazyan seized the moment with a head-kick knockout of Brad Tavares. This kid is scary good – and he’s only 11 fights into his pro MMA career.
Tatiana Suarez
Record: 8-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC
Age: 29
Weight class: Strawweight
Height: 5’5″
Birthplace: Covina, Calif.
Next Fight: TBA
With Zhang Weili stealing both the spotlight and the UFC women’s strawweight title away from former champ Jessica Andrade, it’s possible you’ve forgotten [autotag]Tatiana Suarez[/autotag] is a talented, promising rising star at 115 pounds. The strawweight winner on season 23 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Suarez rose straight to the top of the division with wins over Viviane Pereira, Alexa Grasso, Carla Esparza, and Nina Ansaroff. With a heavy top game and multi-faceted attack, Suarez is still near the top of the division despite her absence. Once her neck issue gets cleared up, expect Suarez to threaten whoever holds the UFC’s 115-pound title belt.
Petr Yan
Record: 14-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC
Age: 26
Weight class: Bantamweight
Height: 5’7″
Birthplace: Russia
Next Fight: TBA
[autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] is the perfect mix of just about everything you want to see in a future star. He’s violent, yet finesse. He’s a brawler, yet technical. He’s not fluent in English, but has still been able to successfully promote himself to American audiences. And when it comes to the UFC bantamweight title picture, he’s right there. Yan had high-level experience in the Russian big leagues and he’s only expanded on that since signing with the UFC. Most recently, Yan dismantled a legend and UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber with relative ease. Now Yan has his sights set on Olympic medalist and UFC champ Henry Cejudo – a fight which could cement Yan’s star status should he win.
Sodiq Yusuff
Record: 10-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC
Age: 26
Weight class: Featherweight
Height: 5’9″
Birthplace: Lagos, Nigeria
Next Fight: Jan. 18 vs. Andre Fili at UFC 246 in Las Vegas
One of the most exciting prospects at 145 pounds – or heck, even in all of MMA regardless of weight class – [autotag]Sodiq Yusuff[/autotag] is appointment viewing. Part of the recent surge of African fighters into high-level MMA, Yusuff continues to gain popularity with each outing. Power, speed, and technique – Sodiq has a lot going for him. Four fights into his UFC career, Yusuff is already on the doorstep of the top 15. Should he beat Andre Fili at UFC 246, “Super” could elevate himself into the top 10. If he does, a subsequent push toward gold would be next.
Check out the honorable mentions list on the next page.