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The UFC lightweight division is often billed as the most talented stacked division in the whole organization. With former 155lb champion Khabib Nurmagomedov retiring, followed by top ten veteran Paul Felder, there is an opportunity for a host of unranked prospects to break in and start building their names.
Whilst the upper echelons of the division feature some of the most elite fighters in the UFC, many of the unranked fighters just outside the top 15 are just waiting for the opportunity to make their mark.
Three unranked UFC lightweights who can beat the top contenders in the 155-pound division
#3 Brad Riddell
A fighter training out of the elite City Kickboxing, Brad Riddell is amongst the division's most high-level strikers. This is admittedly somewhat upsurprising considering he trains with Israel Adesanya, Dan Hooker and Alexander Volkanovski.
However, Riddell is forging his own path and is not relying on his teammates' star power to win him renown. He has three wins with no losses inside the UFC, having defeated Jamie Mullarkey, Magomed Mustafaev and Alex da Silva Coelho.
He is currently scheduled to face off against the 14th ranked Drew Dober at UFC 263. The only reason Riddell is not higher on the list is that his ground game is not of the same level as his striking. However, he is constantly improving and his defensive wrestling looks better than ever last time out.
#2 Arman Tsarukyan
Whilst Riddell may standout with his striking, Tsarukyan's grappling is enough to cause any fighter at 155lbs to be in trouble. His only loss in the UFC was an extremely competitive decision loss to Islam Makhachev, one of the highest level wrestlers in the division.
Tsarukyan immediately bounced back from his debut loss, picking up consecutive wins over Olivier Aubin-Mercier, Davi Ramos and Matt Frevola. He is now on the fringes of the top 15 but is having trouble finding a willing opponent.
#1 Rafael Fiziev
Rafael Fiziev is one of the brightest prospects in the whole UFC. The Russian Muay Thai practitioner has proven that not only does he put on exhilarating fights, but he is improving each time out.
Fiziev's performance against Mark Diakiese was a thing of beauty. He can be seen avoiding all manner of shots with almost inhuman reflexes and flexibility, whilst landing some of the hardest body kicks ever seen in the octagon.
The performance was swiftly followed up by the TKO stoppage against Renato Moicano. Moicano is an established UFC fighter with a well rounded game. However, Fiziev showed off his finishing ability, making light work of the Brazilian.
Fiziev is another on the cusp of a ranking, and may well be the man to take Paul Felder's vacated space in the near future.
