5 exciting up-and-comers who could break out in the UFC in 2018

#4 Tai Tuivasa

Tai Tuivasa has been labeled as the next Mark Hunt by some fans

The brother-in-law of fellow Australian prospect Tyson Pedro, Tai Tuivasa came into the UFC in late 2017 with a record of 5-0, including a win over UFC veteran James McSweeney. Standing at 6’2” but needing to cut weight to make the 265lbs Heavyweight limit, Tuivasa immediately reminded fans of another Australian Heavyweight legend in Mark Hunt, at least visually – his father is Samoan, the same as Hunt’s.

It turned out that Tuivasa was similar to Hunt in more than just looks. Debuting in the UFC against Rashad Coulter – who had taken a crazy amount of punishment in his previous fight – Tuivasa demonstrated tremendously heavy strikes, as he took Coulter apart with body shots and low kicks before turning his lights out with a flying knee – showing shocking athleticism – right before the opening round ended.

At the age of just 24, Tuivasa stands out as one of the youngest prospects in the Heavyweight division, and whether he’s quite ready for the elite level remains a total question mark. But with Heavyweight being a thin and aging division, it looks like he’ll be shoved to the top sooner rather than later. If he takes out Cyril Asker at UFC 221 expect him to be pushed into a fight with a top ten contender before the year is out.