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It’s probably safe to say that for any fighter, claiming gold in the UFC would represent the pinnacle of a career. For the most part, the promotion’s champions are recognized as the best fighters in the world.
The UFC currently has some outstanding champions that seem almost unbeatable. However, in some divisions, it’s arguable that the champion may not actually be the best fighter competing in the weight class.
This might seem crazy. After all, anyone who’s claimed gold in the octagon is clearly at the top of their game. Nevertheless, it may be the case that the best fighters just haven’t had their opportunity yet and may well do in the near future.
With that in mind, here are five UFC fighters who may be better than the current champion in their weight class.
#5. Askar Askarov – UFC flyweight contender
Following the departure of former champions Demetrious Johnson and Henry Cejudo, the UFC’s flyweight division has been ruled over by two fighters – current champ Deiveson Figueiredo and former champ Brandon Moreno.
The two men famously split bouts in both 2020 and 2021, with their first meeting being a draw. Moreno then choked out Figueiredo to claim the title in mid-2021, before the Brazilian outpointed ‘The Assassin Baby’ to regain the gold earlier this year.
Based on this, both Moreno and ‘Deus Da Guerra’ probably have a fair claim to being the top flyweight in the promotion. However, a third fighter may actually warrant that label, too. That fighter is Askar Askarov.
The native of Dagestan debuted in the UFC octagon in 2019, bringing an unbeaten 11-0 record with him. Coincidentally, that debut came against Moreno.
The fight was a back-and-forth one, with Askarov’s takedowns and grappling skills giving him an early lead on the scorecards, before Moreno produced a stirring comeback to take the bout the distance.
The result could easily have gone either way, but in the end, it was declared a split draw in what was probably a fair call from the judges. It’s arguable, though, that with more octagon experience, Askarov would’ve found a way to win.
So, could he also beat Figueiredo? Well, since that draw, he’s reeled off three wins in the octagon, one of which came against high-level contender Alexandre Pantoja, who is essentially a slightly lesser version of ‘Deus Da Guerra'.
Given that Pantoja was well beaten by ‘The Bullet’, it’s probably safe to say that Askarov would at least stand a chance of beating the current champion. Given he’s the best wrestler in the division, it’s definitely arguable that he is, in fact, the best 125lber on the planet right now, too.
#4. Carla Esparza – UFC strawweight contender
While the UFC strawweight title seemed to be in flux for a lengthy time following the end of Joanna Jedrzejczyk’s epic run as champion, 2021 seemed to finally settle things down in the division.
Thanks to her two wins over former champ Weili Zhang, Rose Namajunas seemingly established herself firmly as the best 115-pound fighter on the planet. However, could another fighter have a claim to being the best in the division? The answer is yes.
Right now, it’s safe to say that Carla Esparza is the clear-cut top contender in the division. She’s expected to face off with Namajunas for the title at some point in 2022.
However, could ‘Cookie Monster’ already have a claim to being better than the current champ? There’s an obvious reason why she might and that’s because she already holds a win over ‘Thug Rose’. She defeated her via rear-naked choke back in 2014.
It’s safe to say that since that bout, which made Esparza the division’s inaugural titleholder, both women have developed their games hugely.
Namajunas is now arguably the best boxer in the division, she’s improved her wrestling and she still possesses a venomous submission game. Esparza, meanwhile, has seen her striking come on in leaps and bounds, meaning she’s far more than the one-dimensional wrestler that she once was.
Could ‘Thug Rose’ stop the takedowns of ‘Cookie Monster’? Despite her improvements, it’s questionable. If she couldn’t, then Esparza would surely win a fight between them, meaning her skills could well put her above the champion in her division.
#3. Petr Yan – Interim UFC bantamweight champion
Arguably the most obvious example of a fighter in the UFC who might have a claim at being better than their division’s current champion is Petr Yan.
That’s because, with slightly different rules in effect inside the octagon, it’s arguable that ‘No Mercy’ would never have lost his bantamweight crown to current champion Aljamain Sterling in the first place.
The two men famously faced off last year with Yan’s title on the line. While the Russian striker appeared to be dominating his opponent and was likely on his way to a victory, he made a huge mistake that ended up costing him everything.
Yan cracked Sterling with a knee to the head in the fourth round. While the shot left ‘Funk Master’ dazed, because he was grounded at the time, the blow was illegal, resulting in Yan’s disqualification.
Since then, Sterling has had to deal with a huge amount of fans labeling him a “paper champion,” particularly as a lingering neck injury has prevented him from offering ‘No Mercy’ a rematch.
However, the fight is now set to take place in April. While there’s every chance that Sterling finds a way to pull off a win, it’s probably fair to say that Yan will come in as the favorite. That means that it’s easy to claim that his skills are superior to those possessed by his division’s current champ.
#2. Magomed Ankalaev – UFC light heavyweight contender
With respect to his skills, which are undoubtedly excellent, it’s probably fair to argue that the UFC champion that feels most vulnerable right now is current light heavyweight kingpin Glover Teixeira.
The Brazilian veteran looked excellent in his title win last year when he choked out Jan Blachowicz in the second round of their bout. More importantly, he’s currently riding a six-fight win streak that dates back to January 2019.
However, at the age of 42, it’s probably safe to say that Teixeira is past his physical prime. More importantly, he’s suffered a number of losses during his octagon career, too. That means that at any point, his reign could come crashing down.
Teixeira is set to defend his title against striker Jiri Prochazka in a couple of months. Despite ‘Denisa’ possessing excellent skills, the fighter who is arguably the best in the world at 205 pounds, without holding the title, is Magomed Ankalaev.
Not only does the Dagestani fighter possess knockout power and excellent striking skills, as he showed when he clearly outpointed Volkan Oezdemir on the feet last year, but he’s also probably the best wrestler in the weight class, too.
Regardless of who wins the fight between Teixeira and Prochazka, then, it feels unlikely that either man can overcome Ankalaev should he take his shot at the title in the near future.
Essentially, the Dagestani appears to be the most complete fighter in the UFC at 205 pounds. It’s only a matter of time before he proves it.
#1. Islam Makhachev – UFC lightweight contender
It’s arguable that no other fighter enjoyed such a breakout year in 2021 as current UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira. ‘Do Bronx’ began the year coming off a win over Tony Ferguson and then knocked out Michael Chandler to claim the vacant title before overcoming Dustin Poirier in his first defense.
With the most dangerous submission skills in the entire promotion and an ever-improving striking arsenal with proven knockout power, right now, Oliveira is on the top of his game.
However, the fighter who appears to have the skillset to defeat the Brazilian is the division’s fastest-rising prospect, Islam Makhachev.
A training partner and protégé of former champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, Makhachev is currently on a winning streak of 10 fights. He has displayed finishing skills both standing and on the ground, with both strikes and submissions.
It’s true that Oliveira has shown himself to be just as dangerous as Makhachev , even more so when you consider that he’s fought better competition than the Dagestani.
However, Makhachev may have an ace up his sleeve in the form of his powerful wrestling game. Despite Oliveira’s dangerous skills from the guard, if Makhachev could ground him and work his strong top game, then he’d have to be favored to win this fight.
He still needs to prove it, but right now it’s arguable that Islam Makhachev is the best 155lber in the world. It’s only a matter of time before he emulates his predecessor by claiming the title.
