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The world of UFC can be an unpredictable one. While someone like Jorge Masvidal has taken nearly a decade to achieve stardom, others like Conor McGregor enjoyed a meteoric rise.
The UFC has a lot of fighters who are just one fight shy of achieving mainstream success. On that note, let's have a look at five such active UFC fighters who are close to attaining stardom:
#5 Derrick Lewis
Derrick Lewis has been fighting in the UFC since 2014. He has racked up wins against the likes of Aleksei Oleinik, Curtis Blaydes, and current UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.
Considering the charisma 'The Black Beast' brings, Lewis is yet to receive the respect someone currently ranked number two in the UFC's heavyweight division should receive.
With talks of Ngannou possibly defending his title against Jon Jones but negotiations stalling, Lewis has conveyed to the UFC that he is more than willing to be the next opponent against the champion.
If Derrick Lewis beats Francis Ngannou once again, he would become the champion and take up his rival's throne. In addition to his popular sense of humor, the heavyweight belt will do wonders for Lewis' stardom.
#4 Islam Makhachev
With Khabib Nurmagomedov now retired and taking on more of a coaching role, the former UFC lightweight champion has accumulated a significant fanbase.
In his absence, there is the up-and-coming Dagestani prodigy Islam Makhachev fans can look forward to. He is ranked ninth in the UFC lightweight division and is set to face Thiago Moises, who is ranked number fourteen.
Much like his mentor, Makhachev has been avoided by fighters like Rafael dos Anjos and Paul Felder before he retired. But much like Khabib Nurmagomedov, it is perhaps only a matter of time before the Dagestani climbs to the top of the division.
Also Read: Daniel Cormier reveals who he thinks is the best lightweight in the UFC
#3 Sean O'Malley
Sean O'Malley is yet to fight a ranked contender in the UFC bantamweight division. After a loss to Marlon Vera last year, 'Sugar' came back to defeat Thomas Almeida in March at UFC 260. In the process, O'Malley added yet another highlight-reel knockout to his blossoming career.
For 'Suga Sean' to take that big leap he seems destined to, he does need that big fight. O'Malley is scheduled to fight Louis Smolka at UFC 264 next.
But the young up-and-comer needs a highlight knockout against his rival Marlon Vera in a rematch or fight against fellow Arizonan and future Hall of Famer Dominick Cruz.
Also Read: Will beating Louis Smolka earn Sean O'Malley a spot in the bantamweight rankings?
#2 Yair Rodriguez
Usually, for a fighter who has not fought in nearly two years, he is not expected to be in any discussion about being the next star in the promotion. But, luckily for Yair Rodriguez, he has the opportunity to do so.
Brandon Moreno just won the UFC flyweight championship and became the first-ever Mexican-born UFC champion. Mexico is known for its rich history of boxers, and several fighters of Mexican descent have been champions and stars. The next fighter on the cusp of doing that is Yair 'El Pantera' Rodriguez.
Yair Rodriguez is the number three-ranked featherweight. He has an exciting style and high-level striking skills that would endear himself to any MMA faithful. With his fight against the featherweight legend postponed to a later date, Rodriguez beating Holloway would bolster his claim as the next big contender for the winner of the Volkonovski vs. Ortega fight at UFC 266.
#1 Leon Edwards
Leon 'Rocky' Edwards is riding a 10-fight unbeaten streak, having just beaten UFC superstar Nate Diaz at UFC 263. That was the fight Edwards absolutely needed to win, as he had a lot of eyes on him against a popular fighter like Diaz.
Mainstream attention has always eluded Edwards throughout his career despite him beating the likes of Nate Diaz, Rafael dos Anjos, Donald Cerrone, and Vicente Luque, among others. Edwards is more than deserving of a title shot in a rematch against Kamaru Usman, but Usman will likely face the number one-ranked Colby Covington in a rematch.
Should Usman vs. Covington 2 come to fruition, the next logical fight for 'Rocky' would be a grudge match against Jorge Masvidal.
Leon Edwards would seek revenge for the "3 piece and a soda" incident at UFC London in March 2019. Masvidal, on the other hand, would look to assert his dominance over Edwards in a sanctioned UFC bout.
Should Edwards win this fight, he would hold victories against Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz, arguably two of the biggest stars in the UFC.
Do you agree with this list? Sound off in the comment section and give us your thoughts on who you believe is on the cusp of stardom.
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