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The ‘Greatest of all Time’ debate is something that gets thrown around quite often in the MMA world. Currently, we have a long list of names like Conor McGregor, Anderson Silva, Georges St. Pierre, Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones among others that we link with such discussions.
Irrespective of the names involved, the discussions about ‘The Greatest of All Time’ are going to continue as long as the sport exists.
A few years back, we had a different set of names for the GOAT discussions. Similarly, few years later, we will probably have an entirely different set as well. This second category will be the topic for our slider today.
We will be looking at some of the upcoming UFC fighters that can make it big in the coming years and probably end up involved in the GOAT discussions. So without further ado, here are five current UFC fighters who could be the GOAT.
#5 Brian Ortega
Brian Ortega might’ve suffered a huge loss at the hands of Max Holloway but it takes nothing away from the talent that he has.
Ortega has a professional record of 14-1 to his name as of now with his only loss coming against Holloway as mentioned earlier. One of the most talented grapplers in the UFC roster right now, Ortega has also showcased his brilliance as a striker. The same was there to be seen when he knocked out Frankie Edgar at UFC 222 with a vicious punch.
He also holds victories over Cub Swanson, Clay Guida and Diego Brandao among others. At 27 years, Ortega has plenty of years ahead of him and with the experience he has gained so far inside the Octagon, Ortega is bound to get better in the coming years.
#4 Aspen Ladd
Aspen Ladd might not be a name that rings many bells. The 23-year-old, however, will be under the spotlight a couple of months later when she faces former UFC Bantamweight champion Holly Holm at UFC 235.
A purple belt in BJJ, Ladd proved her worth in the amateur circuit before testing her skill professionally. She was 8-1 during her amateur career with six of her eight wins coming via stoppages.
Her professional career started at Invicta 11 and Ladd made an immediate impact by stopping Ana Carolina Vidal. Three years later, Ladd is now 7-0 in her career with six stoppage victories.
She defeated names like Amanda Cooper, Sijara Eubanks, and Lina Lansberg through the course of her professional career.
Her latest victory came against Tony Evinger at UFC 229. Ladd secured the win via a first-round TKO and went home with the performance of the Night bonus as well.
#3 Gregor Gillespie
Just like the case with Aspen Ladd, the name Gregor Gillespie might not ring many bells. But he is one of the hottest prospects in the Lightweight division.
Gillespie’s career started back in 2014. His early days saw him fight in Ring of Combat where he became the Lightweight championship after just four-fights.
He defended the title twice before moving to the UFC with a perfect record of 7-0 to his name.
He didn’t disappoint in the UFC as well and has five wins in the promotion so far with four stoppages. And interestingly, from his five fights in the UFC, he has three performance bonuses.
A former NCAA Division 1 All-American and National Champion wrestler, Gillespie has some serious striking skills as well which makes him an entertaining watch.
He is set to have the biggest fight of his career at UFC Fight Night 143 later this month when he fights Yancy Medeiros.
#2 Israel Adesanya
Israel Adesanya needs no introduction. He has already made his mark in the UFC with his flamboyance and skills.
He has done so well that the UFC has now booked him against one of the greatest fighters of all time in Anderson Silva.
Adesanya came into the UFC with a rich background in kickboxing. He currently holds a record of 75-5-1 in kickboxing and also has a 5-1 professional boxing record.
Though the grappling skill of Adesanya is something that needs to be tested, it barely came into question so far during his 15-fight MMA career.
The 29-year-old Adesanya currently has a perfect record of 15-0 in MMA. He has victories over Derek Brunson, Brad Tavares, Marvin Vettori, and Melvin Guillard among others.
And if he manages to get the better of Anderson Silva, then it would be the biggest win in Adesanya’s career.
#1 Zabit Magomedsharipov
The 27-year-old Zabit Magomedsharipov has all the potential to be a future UFC Featherweight champion. Zabit belongs to the elite class of Dagestani fighters that has been making waves all over the MMA world.
He started his career back in 2012 and went on to have a 4 fight winning streak before suffering his first loss. Five years, 12 fights and two weight classes later, Zabit now holds a professional record of 16-1 to his name.
It was in 2017 that Zabit made his UFC debut. He submitted Mike Santiago in the fight and won Performance of the Night on his debut itself.
Zabit’s second fight in the UFC was equally impressive as he secured a win over Sheymon Moraes via an anaconda choke. This win also earned him a performance of the night bonus.
He then defeated Kyle Bochniak and Brandon Davis at UFC 223 and UFC 228 respectively with both the fights earning praise from the MMA Community.
Zabit will now be pitted up against Jeremy Stephens at UFC 235 and it would be interesting to see if he can rise to the occasion and prove his doubters wrong.
Which are the other upcoming fighters that we should include in the list? Let us know in the comments below.
