Tag: Christian Edwards

20 fighters who could become stars in the 2020s

A new decade is upon us, and these 20 fighters could take a step to greatness within it.

Well, another decade of mixed martial arts action is in the books.

The 2010s featured the emergence of superstars such as Jon Jones, Conor McGregor, and Ronda Rousey. For the first time in UFC history, a simultaneous double champion was crowned in McGregor. And then it happened again (Daniel Cormier, and again (Amanda Nunes, and again (Henry Cejudo).

The next decade is almost guaranteed to provide us with the next generation of UFC, Bellator, and PFL champions. But who are the likely candidates to become future stars?

From hot UFC and Bellator prospects, to fighters on the regional scene, to athletes yet to compete in MMA, the up-and-comer harvest is plentiful. Who could be the next McGregor? The next Israel Adesanya? The next Zhang Weili?

Let’s take a look into MMA Junkie’s crystal ball and see who could cross the threshold into stardom over the span of the next decade.

Two parameters were set for this list:

  1. Fighters must be younger than age 30.
  2. Fighters have yet to hold a major organization’s title.

Fighters who fit the criteria but have seemingly already achieved stardom were not considered.

Without further ado …

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Maycee Barber

Record: 8-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC
Age: 21
Weight class: Flyweight
Height: 5’5″
Birthplace: Greeley, Colo.
Next Fight: Jan. 18 vs. Roxanne Modafferi at UFC 246 in Las Vegas

Nicknamed “The Future,” [autotag]Maycee Barber[/autotag] is just that. The strawweight has proven her worth in a short period of time, competing for LFA and on Dana White’s Contender Series prior to her UFC debut. Three fights into her promotional tenure, Barber sports a 100 percent finishing rate. In her most recent outing in October, Barber blitzed and TKO’d fellow top prospect Gillian Robertson. The win moved Barber one step closer to her publicly set goal of becoming the youngest UFC champion ever. She’ll look to continue her climb when she takes on her highest-ranked opponent to date, Roxanne Modafferi, at UFC 246 on Jan. 18.

Paulo Costa

Record: 13-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC
Age: 28
Weight class: Middleweight
Height: 6’1″
Birthplace: Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Next Fight: TBA

It almost seems like a misprint that [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] can qualify for this list – but he does. It’s easy to forget his age and relatively brief UFC tenure when looking at his accomplishments. A physical specimen, the Brazilian middleweight Costa has quickly risen through the ranks en route to title contention. Costa went the distance for the first time in his career in August. In doing so, he defeated his most notable opponent to date, two-time title challenger Yoel Romero. The victory presumably has set Costa up for a title shot against champion Israel Adesanya. However, a shoulder injury has delayed “Borrachinha’s” return – but the rivalry with Adesanya is continuing to build in the meantime.

Mike Davis

Record: 8-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC
Age: 27
Weight class: Lightweight
Height: 6’0″
Birthplace: South Cairo, N.Y.
Next Fight: TBA

With an 80 percent winning percentage, [autotag]Mike Davis[/autotag] doesn’t have a bad record by any means. But still, it isn’t representative of the skills he possesses. The Florida-based lightweight has only lost two top-tier talents in Sodiq Yusuff and Gilbert Burns. With crisp boxing and a strong ground game, Davis is a scary matchup for any member of the UFC’s 155-pound division. Just imagine how good he could become. The man hasn’t even hit the dozen-fight mark of his pro MMA career. In his most recent bout, Davis administered one of the year’s biggest beatdowns, pummeling Thomas Gifford at UFC on ESPN+ 19 in October.

Ciryl Gane

Record: 6-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC
Age: 29
Weight class: Heavyweight
Height: 6’5″
Birthplace: France
Next Fight: TBA

It’s been a long time since MMA has seen a heavyweight prospect with the upside of [autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag]. Working under esteemed MMA coach Fernand Lopez, France’s Gane has served as a main training partner for Francis Ngannou. Now, it’s his time. Possessing many of the same skills as Ngannou, Gane also brings some differences to the table. His athleticism and quickness is unusual for a heavyweight. Possessing a strong kickboxing background, Gane has shown he’s evolved past being a one-dimensional competitor. In two out of his three UFC outings, Gane has won by submission.

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Christian Edwards humbled to see vicious Bellator 233 knockout go viral

Christian Edwards hasn’t fully wrapped his head around the virality of his vicious Bellator 233 head kick.

It’s common practice for 21-year-olds celebrate their birthday by taking shots. Bellator light heavyweight [autotag]Christian Edwards[/autotag], however, elected to commemorate his by handing out a huge one.

In his second professional bout at Friday’s Bellator 233, Edwards (2-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA), who turned 21 on Nov. 5, sent shockwaves through the MMA world when he head-kicked  Cesar Bennett into the shadow realm just 16 seconds into the opening round.

No follow-up shots were necessary, as an unconscious Bennett turned stiff upon impact. His head crashed against the canvas as he toppled backwards.

The knockout appeared everywhere from WorldStar HipHop to SportsCenter and beyond. With one swift punt to the jaw, Edwards achieved internet virality.

Four days later, Edwards still hasn’t fully grasped the scope of his highlight-reel finish. However, the JacksonWink product fully appreciates all of the support he’s received. The recognition is a representation of his hard work and how far he’s come to get to where he is.

“It’s a pretty humbling feeling,” Edwards told MMA Junkie on Tuesday. “I didn’t really come from much. I grew up struggling a little bit. So it’s nice to actually be recognized for something for a chance. It’s nice. I like it a lot and I think I can get used to this.”

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In his two pro fights, both of which have taken place in Bellator, Edwards has racked up finish victories in a combined 70 seconds. Regardless of whether it’s a quick finish or a hard-fought decision, Edwards’ main goal is to win. That said, Edwards admitted quick stoppages add value to his name.

“I definitely think (they) increase my value as a fighter. Now that I’m 2-0. Both first-round finishes. Both in less than a minute. I think it increases my value as a fighter.”

Edwards hopes Bellator will feel comfortable with allowing him to branch outside of competing strictly in his home state of Oklahoma going forward. With more events for him to potentially compete on, Edwards feels confident the frequency of his fights will increase, too.

“I guess I’d be okay with one more fight in Oklahoma because that is my home state and I love it,” Edwards said. “But after one more, I want to fight somewhere else. I want to travel the world a little bit. Maybe fight wherever they have cards coming up – maybe Hawaii.”

“Ideally, me as a fighter, I want to fight at least three or four times a year,” Edwards continued. “We’ll see what the future holds, but hopefully that’s in the not-so-distant future. We’ll see.”

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