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The UFC has one of the largest pools of talented fighters in the world. It is also one of the most active MMA promotions in the world, with a fight event taking place almost every week throughout the year. With UFC champions and top-tier fighters taking all the attention and fame, it is difficult to keep track of lower-rung athletes who are equally as entertaining.
While only some of these fighters are relatively new, they are usually on fight cards that do not enjoy as big a pull as the ones featuring the UFC's biggest stars. Nonetheless, these fighters have proven to be extremely skilled and violent inside the octagon.
Here are five insanely entertaining UFC fighters who deserve more attention:
#5. Aleksandar Rakic - UFC light heavyweight
Aleksandar Rakic joined the UFC in 2017 with an 8-1 record in his MMA career. The Austrian light heavyweight instantly showed immense potential by picking up four straight wins, two of which were knockouts. His first fight against a top-ten UFC light heavyweight ended sideways as he lost against Volkan Oezdemir via split decision.
However, 'Rocket' proved he was not just any newcomer but a potential title contender. He bounced back with another winning streak, defeating top-tier fighters Anthony Smith and Thiago Santos via knockout. As a result, Aleksandar Rakic earned the third spot in the UFC light heavyweight ranks.
Aleksandar Rakic is a highly entertaining fighter and is desperate to get a title shot. With a background in kickboxing and a 14-2 MMA record with ten stoppages, he definitely deserves more main-event fights.
He is bound to clash with No.2-ranked UFC light heavyweight Jiri Prochazka. The fight hasn't been booked yet, but the whole MMA community would agree that this is the fight to make. In a Twitter post, Rakic challenged Prochazka and said:
"My last fight was in March and here I am still waiting for a fight. We all know the fight to make. You call yourself Samurai but you want the @ufc fans to wait until 2022? I'm free and ready anytime the rest of the year!"
#4. Maycee Barber - UFC women's flyweight
Maycee Barber is one of the youngest and most promising newcomers among the UFC's women's divisions' prospects. The 23-year-old got into the promotion after impressing at Dana White's Contender Series in 2018. She was undefeated in her MMA career until she faced UFC veterans Roxanne Modafferi and Alexa Grasso.
However, 'The Future' has big plans in her MMA career, including beating Jon Jones for the record of youngest UFC champion. Maycee Barber is a natural striker and is known to overwhelm her opponents with high-volume striking.
Despite primarily having a karate base, there is more to her game. She already has a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, training under none other than Rener and Ryron Gracie. The No.13-ranked women's flyweight puts on highly entertaining fights and therefore deserves to be in the spotlight.
#3. Askar Askarov - UFC flyweight
Askar Askarov is the next big thing from Dagestan, Russia. In all certainty, he will prove to be a problem for UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno. He is an International Master of Sports of Russia in Freestyle Wrestling and a Master of Sports of Russia in Combat Sambo. Moreover, 'Bullet' is a seasoned striker with four knockout wins in his 14-0 MMA career.
While Askar Askarov has only had decision wins and a draw since making his debut in 2019, he is a highly entertaining fighter who deserves more attention. His love for action, lightning-quick hands and a plethora of grappling moves are bound to make each of his fights a blockbuster.
The No.2-ranked flyweight wants to be the next UFC champion. He has fought almost every top-five flyweight, including Brandon Moreno, who he faced in his debut and is still undefeated.
#2. Jiri Prochazka - UFC light heavyweight
Jiri Prochazka is another UFC newcomer who has taken the organization by storm. The Czech fighter is an absolute threat inside the octagon, with an inventory of violent moves coming from his unorthodox karate stance. Prochazka follows a Samurai code in life and spends his free time meditating in the forests of the Czech Republic. Add all that up together, and you have a highly entertaining fighter who needs to be headlining UFC events.
Prochazka is nicknamed 'Denisa,' a common name for girls in the Czech Republic. But don't let that define the 28-year-old. He is a knockout specialist who has faced some of the toughest MMA fighters and triumphed. The No.2-ranked UFC light heavyweight has immense experience in MMA, having fought with several MMA promotions, including Rizin FF, before joining the UFC.
In fact, Jiri Prochazka was the inaugural Rizin FF light heavyweight champion. He is 28-3-1 in his MMA career with 27 stoppages (25 KO/TKO). He is an aggressive striker whose go-to moves include spinning back elbows and flying knees. He has fought twice in the UFC since making his debut in 2020, knocking out both of his opponents - Volkan Oezdemir and Dominick Reyes.
#1. Tai Tuivasa - UFC heavyweight
With a broad smile on his face and a knack for merry-making, Tai Tuivasa might look like the Australian version of Santa Claus. However, the unranked UFC heavyweight is a savage who will put his opponents to sleep in a minute and then go on to gulp shoes full of liquor. Yes, that's him.
Tai Tuivasa made his UFC debut in 2017 after going 6-0 in Australian MMA promotions. After extending his winning streak to 9-0, he entered a rough phase and lost three fights in a row. But 'Bam Bam Shoeyvasa' is one hell of a fighter and that's what he proved when he bounced back with another three-fight winning streak. In addition, he finished all of his last three opponents in the first round.
Tai Tuivasa is a highly entertaining fighter, from the walkouts to putting his opponents' lights out. How many 263-pound fighters would you see in your life walking out on Spice Girls and then absolutely destroy their opponents? Not many. But Tuivasa brings just that to the table, and it is one of the reasons why fight fans will make him a superstar once he gets more attention.
Watch Tai Tuivasa's UFC 264 octagon interview here:
