5 unranked UFC fighters who'll break into the rankings in the near future

The UFC has around 700 fighters on its roster. These fighters are spread out over 12 weight classes, and each weight class has a champion atop the ladder, with 15 ranked fighters under him/her (except for the women's featherweight division).

Upon joining the promotion, the fighters have to string together a couple of wins before fighting someone ranked in the top 15 of any division. From there, should they emerge victorious, they will have a chance to climb the rankings and potentially compete for the title in their weight class.

Typically, the promotion expects a fighter to earn his/her place in the rankings before taking on the best in their division.

Sometimes, the UFC pushes the fighters they strongly believe in rapidly up the rankings. Matchmakers occasionally believe that a particular fighter is more marketable, talented or entertaining than the other unranked fighters in their division. A recent example of this is Khamzat Chimaev.

With 2021 drawing to a close, we thought we’d look at five unranked UFC fighters who’ll most likely break into the top 15 of their respective divisions at some point in 2022.

Honorable mentions include Khaos Williams, Chayanne Vlismas, Mark Madsen and Mateosz Gamrot.

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#5. Adrian Yanez (15-3 overall, 4-0 in the UFC)

Adrian Yanez burst onto the scene with a successful outing in season 4 of Dana White’s Contender Series. The Texas-born bantamweight made a resounding statement with a 39-second TKO victory over Brady Huang and subsequently earned a contract with the UFC for his near-perfect performance.

Since joining the promotion, the American has been on a tear. His first three fights in the UFC earned him three ‘Performance of the Night’ bonuses. KO/TKO victories over Victor Rodriguez, Gustavo Lopez and Randy Costa saw him earn a reputation for being a tough fighter with crisp striking. UFC commentator Michael Bisping even dubbed Yanez a ‘Mini Masvidal’.

With his impeccable boxing and relentless pressure, Yanez’s style is very similar to that of one of the biggest stars in the sport, Jorge Masvidal. He even sports a similarly styled beard to 'Gamebred’ hence Bisping's comparisons between the two.

His impressive performances saw him take on rising English star Davey Grant at UFC Fight Night: Vieira vs. Tate. The duo bagged ‘Fight of the Night’ honors for their incredible bout and Yanez called for a ranked opponent after securing a split-decision victory.

The 28-year-old has a long way to go in his career, but the early signs are extremely promising. Additionally, his all-action style and propensity to deliver highlight-reel knockouts could see him break into the top 15 of the UFC bantamweight rankings in 2022.

#4. Umar Nurmagomedov (13-0 overall, 1-0 in the UFC)

The next entry on our list could potentially be the future of the UFC bantamweight division. Umar Nurmagomedov signed with the UFC in 2020 and made his promotional debut at UFC Fight Night: Chiesa vs. Magny on Fight Island, Abu Dhabi. He defeated Sergey Morozov in his UFC debut via second-round submission.

You might have guessed who this talented fighter trains with already. Umar Nurmagomedov is the cousin of Khabib Nurmagomedov, the former UFC lightweight champion and No.1-ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

The Eagles MMA product, under the tutelage of Khabib Nurmagomedov and renowned American Kickboxing Academy head coach Javier Mendez, is part of a new generation of Dagestani fighters. This new wave looks set to take over the sport in the coming years.

His teammates Islam Makhachev, Zubaira Tukhugov and Abubakar Nurmagomedov have been plying their trade in the UFC for quite some time now. Their experience will be nothing but beneficial to his growth in the promotion.

The undefeated Russian is looking to follow in the footsteps of his decorated cousin, who will be guiding his career in the world’s premier MMA organization. He is set to take on undefeated Welsh star Jack Shore when the UFC returns to England in March next year.

Nurmagomedov could potentially break into the top 15 of the UFC bantamweight rankings if he stays active in 2022. Khabib Nurmagomedov has instilled a championship mentality into his team of fighters. Additionally, ‘The Eagle’ has a very good relationship with UFC president Dana White and will undoubtedly be pushing for his cousin to ascend the rankings.

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#3. Ilia Topuria (11-0 overall, 3-0 in the UFC)

Ilia Topuria may not be a very well-known fighter, but he will be in the near future. The Georgian has flown under the radar so far in his UFC career and those in the know are well aware that this well-rounded fighter is a future title contender.

Topuria joined the UFC in 2020 and made his promotional debut at UFC Fight Night: Moraes vs. Sandhagen. A comfortable unanimous decision victory over Yousseff Zalal provided glimpses of his potential. It was his next two fights, however, that saw his stock rise tremendously.

His first-round KO victory over Damon Jackson at UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Vettori was his first statement win in the promotion.

The Georgian featherweight took on fan favorite Ryan Hall in his next bout and thoroughly outclassed the Brazilian jiu-jitsu phenom, knocking him out in the first round. Hall was one of the most avoided fighters on the roster for quite a while, making Topuria’s victory all the more impressive.

Topuria will have a chance to break into the top 15 of the UFC featherweight rankings as early as January next year. He is set to take on No.13-ranked Movsar Evloev at UFC 270, which is set to go down at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

A win over the undefeated Russian will see Topuria move into the upper echelons of one of the most stacked divisions in the UFC. Who knows? He could be in the top 5 by the end of the year should he remain active.

#2. Sean O’Malley (14-1 overall, 6-1 in the UFC)

Unlike the other fighters on this list, UFC star Sean O’Malley has fully embraced the fact that he is unranked. While most fighters aspire to climb the rankings and take on the highest-ranked opponents, O’Malley has taken a different approach to his career so far.

The self-proclaimed ‘unranked champ’ has stated on numerous occasions that he doesn’t really care about the rankings. In an appearance on the No Jumper podcast, O’Malley had this to say:

“For me, I have a contract to fight a certain amount of fights, and I’m gonna get paid a certain amount of money whether I fight Louis Smolka, the dude I was supposed to fight, or I fight Petr Yan, the No. 1 bantamweight in the UFC. I get paid the same."

Watch O'Malley's full interview on the No Jumper podcast below:

Sean O’Malley got the UFC brass and Dana White’s attention with a stunning one-punch KO victory against Alfred Khashakyan on Dana White’s Contender Series. His unorthodox style, all-action approach and impenetrable confidence has made him a huge star ever since.

Watch O'Malley's performance on Dana White's Contender Series below:

KO/TKO victories over Jose Alberto Quinonez, Eddie Wineland, Thomas Almeida, Kris Moutinho and Raulian Paiva have seen O’Malley emerge as one of the most entertaining fighters in the UFC.

Sean O'Malley's skills are undeniable. With just a few more fights left on his current contract with the UFC, he is expected to sign a more lucrative deal sometime in 2022. The new deal should ultimately give him the motivation to take on higher-ranked and higher-caliber opponents.

2022 could be a massive year for 'The Sugar Show'.

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#1. Alex Pereira (4-1 overall, 1-0 in the UFC)

Alex Pereira is one of the most decorated and accomplished kickboxers in the world. The Brazilian is undoubtedly an exciting addition to the UFC's middleweight division.

Pereira has gained a reputation for possessing an incredible amount of power and has produced some vicious knockouts in the kickboxing ring. Furthermore, he remains the only man to have knocked out the reigning UFC middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya.

Pereira began competing in MMA in 2015 and accrued a 3-1 record before being signed by the UFC.

He made his promotional debut at UFC 268: Usman vs. Covington 2 in New York City, where he took on Andreas Michailidis. ‘Po Atan’ displayed his defensive abilities on the mat in the first round and knocked Michailidis out with a sensational flying knee in the second.

Following Pereira’s victory, analysts and fans started to fantasize about a potential match-up between the flashy Brazilian and Israel Adesanya.

Stylistically, it would be a sight to behold, as two elite strikers squaring off with no intention of shooting for a takedown will definitely produce fireworks. There is an extremely engaging storyline as well, with Adesanya most likely looking to avenge his KO loss to Pereira in kickboxing.

In a video posted to his YouTube channel FREESTYLEBENDER, Israel Adesanya gave his take on Pereira’s victory. He said:

“Good job, Pereira. That was nice. One thing I notice is everyone always holds on to that win he has over me like it’s the be all end all. I hope he does well. I hope he does well through the ranks. In the next four fights, I hope to see him."

Watch Adesanya’s reaction to Pereira's knockout below:

At 34, there are doubts regarding how long Pereira can continue to compete at the highest level. Expect the UFC to fast-track the Brazilian up the rankings as soon as possible.

With Adesanya currently lapping the fighters in the middleweight division, we could see Pereira not only enter the rankings, but potentially take on 'The Last Stylebender' in 2022.