UFC 264: 5 underdogs who can surprise the world at UFC 264

UFC 264 is rapidly approaching and the huge PPV event contains some of the most anticipated matchups of the year. With a colossal trilogy fight between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier headlining the card, this is the perfect opportunity for fighters on the undercard to make a name for themselves.

Multiple fighters are being written off by the oddsmakers due to their lack of experience or recent runs of poor form. However, many of these underdogs truly have the potential to surprise everyone; such is the nature of MMA.

In the following list, we will detail five underdogs at UFC 264 who at the very least have the potential to shock the world.

#5 Omari Akhmedov - UFC middleweight

Russian middleweight Omari Akhmedov is set to face off against Brad Tavares in an early prelim fight, despite both men being ranked within the top 15. Akhmedov is currently a +135 underdog, according to UniBet. This is somewhat surprising considering Akhmedov has only one loss in his last eight fights.

He has picked up impressive wins over some of the top fighters in the UFC's 185lb division, including Ian Heinisch, Tom Breese and Tim Boetsch. Comparatively, Tavares has only one win in his last three fights. Admittedly, Tavares' losses came against two very high-level opponents in Israel Adesanya and Edmen Shahbazyan.

However, Akhmedov's wrestling prowess is some of the best in the division and should he get the fight to the mat, Tavares will be in legitimate trouble. 'The Wolverine' is equally capable of locking up a submission as he is at grinding out a three-round decision victory.

#4 Niko Price - UFC welterweight

Niko 'The Hybrid' Price is one of the most unpredictable fighters on the entire UFC roster. However, the man he is set to face off against at UFC 264 may be the only one more unpredictable than Price: Michel Pereira.

The wild fighting style of these two high-level UFC welterweights is exactly why their matchup is so exciting. However, in the past, we have seen Pereira burn himself out with his over-the-top antics. Tristan Connelly was able to weather the early storm and then capitalize on Pereira's compromised gas tank to win rounds two and three.

There is a solid chance we will see a similar scenario play out in this fight. While Price is not averse to using some unorthodox techniques, he is generally able to maintain fighting at the same pace for all three rounds. He is currently listed as a +140 underdog, and should he survive the initial onslaught from Pereira, he may well get an upset victory.

#3 Carlos Condit - UFC welterweight

Every UFC fan knows the name Carlos Condit. 'The Natural Born Killer' is one of the all-time greats, having put on some incredible displays throughout his career. He holds KO victories over the likes of Dan Hardy and Rory MacDonald as well as a unanimous decision win against Nick Diaz.

However, these wins were all before 2013. In 2014, Condit sustained a bad knee injury in his fight against Tyron Woodley. Whilst he did bounce back with a win over Thiago Alves, Condit went on to lose his next five consecutive fights, leading fans and media alike to begin questioning the long-term validity of Condit's fighting career.

But after taking two years out of the sport, Condit returned to the UFC with a dominant win over fellow veteran Court McGee. This was followed up with another decision victory over Matt Brown, who recently showed just how dangerous he can be with a brutal KO against Dhiego Lima.

Condit will compete in the featured prelim bout at UFC 264 against Max Griffin. Condit currently sits as a +150 underdog, though don't be surprised if his veteran savvy sees him eke out a win in this welterweight scrap.

#2 Kris Moutinho - UFC bantamweight

Kris Moutinho has stepped forward on only two weeks' notice to face off against one of the UFC's top prospects in Sean O'Malley. Not only is he taking the fight on short notice, but this will also be Moutinho's UFC debut.

Unsurprisingly this sees Moutinho as the biggest betting underdog on the card at +525. This is completely justified considering the circumstances, but Moutinho has a chance of truly announcing his name in a big way should he defeat O'Malley.

Moutinho is coming off back-to-back wins on the regional circuit, both by way of stoppage. O'Malley has looked impressive in the majority of his fights so far, but Marlon Vera did expose a potential weakness after utilizing low calf kicks against the prospect. If Moutinho is able to replicate Vera's performance, he will shock the world and instantly announce himself to the UFC bantamweight division.

#1 Ryan Hall - UFC featherweight

Ryan Hall could easily have been one of the top contenders in the 145lb division had repeated injuries not set his career back. Hall is on an eight-fight win streak, with BJ Penn, Gray Maynard and Darren Elkins falling prey to the BJJ ace's unorthodox skillset.

Outside of MMA, Hall is considered one of the top Jiu-Jitsu practitioners in the world and he has expertly transitioned his skills in BJJ to MMA. Hall is especially known for his imanari roll entries into the 50/50 position, where he attacks using heel hooks and leg locks. Hall has also added some dangerous strikes to his arsenal, utilizing wheel kicks to catch his opponents off guard as they await ground attacks.

At UFC 264, Hall has been matched up with rising prospect Ilia Topuria. He is currently a +180 underdog, which is likely due to Hall's inactivity as of late. But 'The Wizard' has proven that he is not a fighter to be overlooked. Topuria must stay alert to avoid getting submitted. However, Hall also carries a legitimate striking threat that may well see him getting his hand raised.