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#2. Aaron Pico - Bellator featherweight
Another Bellator prospect to keep an eye on is featherweight Aaron Pico. The 25-year-old made his debut to plenty of expectations due to his background in freestyle wrestling, pankration and boxing.
If there wasn't already enough pressure, Pico's professional debut took place at Bellator's event in Madison Square Garden. The fight didn't go Pico's way as he lost by submission in 24 seconds. Pico then moved to featherweight and put his debut behind him by earning his first win with a devastating knockout.
Pico went on to win his next three bouts by KO/TKO before hitting a rough patch in his career. The exciting prospect lost back-to-back bouts to top featherweights Henry Corrales and Adam Borics, before turning things around. Pico has continued to evolve and is now starting to find the right balance between his striking and wrestling. Currently on a 4-fight winning streak, Pico is now ranked 5th and could close in on a featherweight title shot soon.
#1. Usman Nurmagomedov - Bellator lightweight
Topping this list of Bellator prospects to keep an eye on is Usman Nurmagomedov. The younger cousin of former UFC lightweight champion Khabib 'The Eagle' Nurmagomedov has been a fighter on the rise in Bellator. Nurmagomedov hasn't shown interest in taking a gradual step up in competition. After his dominant win at Bellator 269, Nurmagomedov expressed interest in fighting ranked opponents going forward.
Nurmagomedov has been excellent so far in his young career and currently sits 7th in the lightweight rankings. The 23-year-old has a 14-0 MMA record, with three of those wins coming inside the Bellator cage. As Nurmagomedov continues to evolve as a fighter, fans may begin to see him distance himself from the division. Nurmagomedov has the tools to not only be champion, but also dominate the division for years to come.
There have been many comparisons to his cousin Khabib and rightfully so. A comparison that stands out in particular was made by their manager Ali Abdelaziz. Their longtime manager has gone on record multiple times to say Usman is a better version of Khabib. This is high praise considering Khabib is one of the greatest lightweight fighters of all time and retired at 29-0.
