5 active UFC fighters who are must-watch television

#4. Justin Gaethje

Justin Gaethje's exploits in the UFC over the years have made him a must-watch for fans. A rare specimen of composure and aggression in one, Gaethje has emerged as a great ambassador for MMA. Even Khabib Nurmagomedov hailed him as one of the most powerful strikers he has faced in his career.

Known for his vicious striking abilities, Gaethje has ensured quite a few slugfests in the octagon - especially the ones against Michael Chandler and Tony Ferguson.

Barring his loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov, Gaethje has enjoyed a phenomenal run over the last three years - winning four out of his last five bouts.

His win against Michael Chandler at UFC 268 was his first fight that went to the judges' decision. It was declared the 'Fight of the Night', as both fighters refused to quit despite absorbing vicious blows from each other.

In the highly anticipated matchup against Tony Ferguson at UFC 249, Gaethje landed 72% strikes on target before earning a TKO victory in the fifth round.

Despite losing to 'The Eagle' at UFC 254, Gaethje was able to outstrike the former UFC lightweight champion.

Reflecting on Gaethje's technique on his YouTube channel, former UFC veteran Chael Sonnen said:

“Everything he [Justin Gaethje] throws is designed to put you out. He does not come out with a real jab heavy game. He is looking for crosses, hooks, and uppercuts. Those are finishing punches. Jabs, are to let you find out where the opponent is, it is a tool for measure.”

Even UFC commentator Joe Rogan threw light on the aggressive nature of Justin Gaethje's game on his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, calling him a 'monster' and a 'terrifying individual'.

“Justin Gaethje’s a monster. He’s a monster. He’s a terrifying individual. He is, I mean, in a sport that’s violent, it’s an inherently violent sport, he stands out, as the most violent."

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#3. Israel Adesanya

Since bursting onto the MMA scene in 2018, Israel Adesanya has shot up the roster to become one of the most popular fighters in the UFC. His prolific run saw him become the new UFC middleweight champion at UFC 236 - just 14 months following his UFC debut.

'The Last Stylebender' ran through the entire middleweight division before suffering the first loss of his career at UFC 259 - when he chose to move up a weight class to compete for the light-heavyweight title against Jan Blachowicz. Coming from a kickboxing background, Adesanya possesses the ability to tame his opponents using his effective striking and cerebral distance management.

Both Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa - two of his toughest opponents - failed to get past the second round and were knocked out by Adesanya's vicious counter-hooks - arguably two of the best finishes of his career.

Apart from his skills inside the octagon, he's also adept at promoting fights. The pre-fight press conference of UFC 253 saw the trash talk between Adesanya and Costa set the ball rolling for an epic showdown inside the octagon.