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With UFC 232 in the books, the UFC’s 2018 is now over, and so it’s time to look forward to 2019. Everyone already knows the big fights that are upcoming or are likely to happen – Dillashaw vs. Cejudo, Whittaker vs. Gastelum, Cormier vs. Lesnar – but sometimes it’s more exciting to look at some of the up-and-comers who might break out in a new year.
2018 saw the likes of Anthony Smith, Darren Till and Brian Ortega rocket up the rankings in their respective divisions – but who could reach the top in 2019? It’s almost impossible to tell in MMA, but these 5 fighters may well pull it off.
Here are 5 UFC prospects to watch in 2019.
#1 Ion Cutelaba
The only UFC fighter to hail from Moldova, Ion Cutelaba has been in the UFC since 2016 and currently holds a 3-2 record inside the Octagon, but the talented 25-year old might still represent the future of the 205lbs division. A national champion in both judo and sambo, Cutelaba also has a background in Greco-Roman wrestling, but it’s his striking he’s become known for in the UFC.
Simply put, Cutelaba hits hard. Admittedly, he’s very wild with his striking and has a tendency to wing power punches rather than look to put together crisp combinations, but usually, if he does land on his opponent it doesn’t matter. Whatever he hits, he seems to destroy – just ask Henrique da Silva and Gadzhimurad Antigulov, his most recent victims.
Thus far in his UFC career the only weakness Cutelaba has really shown has been his stamina – he simply swings too hard at times and ends up tiring himself out – but if he can close that hole in his game and become less wild – while still retaining his crazy levels of aggression – he could become a contender in 2019, particularly if he can overcome veteran Glover Teixeira in their January fight.
#2 Aspen Ladd
Women’s Bantamweight has been a division which has struggled for traction largely since Ronda Rousey’s downfall in late 2015. Sure, the title picture has remained pretty constant, with champion Amanda Nunes fending off the likes of Valentina Shevchenko and Raquel Pennington, but prospects have been hard to come by and most of the top ten have been there for some time.
That’s why Aspen Ladd is such an exciting prospect to keep an eye on. Currently ranked at #7, Ladd holds a record of 7-0 and her most recent victory came over longtime veteran Tonya Evinger at UFC 229 with a rousing first round TKO. That win shocked some, but then Ladd is more experienced than her record suggests – she also holds an 8-1 amateur record, too.
A powerful grappler with devastating ground-and-pound, the only issue Ladd has had in her career thus far has been with her weight – she missed the 135lbs mark in April, causing her fight with Leslie Smith to be cancelled – but if she can keep that in check then the sky is the limit. If she can get past Holly Holm in their prospected March fight, then a title shot could be in her future for sure.
#3 Manny Bermudez
Submission specialists are unfortunately a dying breed in MMA these days, particularly at the top level of the UFC. That’s why Bantamweight prospect Manny Bermudez is such an interesting fighter to follow; if you take into account his 3-fight amateur career, ‘The Bermudez Triangle’ has 15 victories, and an incredible 12 of them have come via tapout.
That’s been the story in his UFC career thus far, too. Albert Morales was dispatched via guillotine choke in February, and then British veteran Davey Grant found himself the latest victim of Bermudez’s famed triangle choke in July. Both fights told a similar story – Bermudez comfortable from any position on the ground, hunting for a submission until he got it.
Question marks do surround Bermudez’s striking game; he was stunned twice in the Morales fight, but then was able to drop Grant with a big right hand which led to his submission, but whether he’s got enough standing to take out the upper echelon is unknown. The success of Brian Ortega – another submission expert – at 145lbs should give him hope, though, and he’ll definitely be one to keep an eye on in 2019.
#4 Magomed Anlakaev
Dagestan has of course been a massive breeding ground for dangerous UFC fighters for some time now – witness the success of Zabit Magomedsharipov, Rustam Khabilov, Islam Makhachev and most notably Khabib Nurmagomedov as evidence. Light-Heavyweight prospect Magomed Ankalaev might well prove to be the next major contender to be produced by the Russian republic.
Ankalaev debuted in the UFC last March with some fanfare and it looked like he’d live up to his early hype as he pummelled Paul Craig for 3 straight rounds, chaining his striking, takedowns and ground-and-pound together with expertise. But then he fell victim to a Hail Mary triangle choke, and all of that hype seemed to evaporate.
That probably wasn’t fair – Ankalaev had been caught, but he’d looked tremendous prior to that, and in his next fight, he destroyed Marcin Prachnio in the first round with a head kick. As Light-Heavyweight is a relatively thin division, with one or two solid wins Ankalaev could well find himself in the top ten by the end of 2019. He’s a man to watch for sure.
#5 Weili Zhang
If you go back a few years – to 2014 to be exact – it would’ve been laughable to suggest that China would produce a UFC title contender at any point in the near future. TUF China had been a disaster, and the likes of Lipeng Zhang and Sai Wang simply didn’t look ready for UFC competition. But things have changed a lot since then – Jingliang Li has ushered in a new era of Chinese fighters, and Strawweight Weili Zhang is clearly the best of the bunch.
‘Magnum’ debuted in the UFC in 2018 with a record of 16-1, but nobody could really have expected her to do as well as she did. UFC 227 saw her matched with the diminutive but tough Danielle Taylor – a fighter who’s been a difficult opponent for anyone – and yet Zhang comfortably outpointed her for a decision. Most recently, she dispatched former top-ranked Jessica Aguilar with a first-round armbar.
Zhang looks like an extremely well-rounded fighter, with solid cardio and dangerous skills in all areas. She’s booked to face Tecia Torres in March – a fight which should prove whether she’s got the skill level to compete with the elite at 115lbs. Judging on what she’s done so far it should be interesting to see her try.
