play0:51Ilia Topuria celebrates KO finish to win lightweight titleIlia Topuria defeats Charles Oliveira via knockout in the first round to win the UFC lightweight title.
play2:02Jack Della Maddalena impresses to become new UFC welterweight champJack Della Maddalena stuns Belal Muhammad in the main event of UFC 315 to become the new welterweight champion.
play0:50Michael Morales punishes Gilbert Burns with flurry of punches for main-event winMichael Morales grabs the huge win in the main event of UFC Fight Night, beating veteran Gilbert Burns for the victory.
play0:53Ian Machado Garry impresses with dominant win over Carlos PratesIan Machado Garry grabs another impressive win under his belt, with a unanimous-decision victory over Carlos Prates in the main event of UFC Fight Night.
play0:55Arman Tsarukyan submits Dan Hooker in the 2nd roundArman Tsarukyan puts Dan Hooker in an arm triangle and gets the tap out in the main event of UFC Fight Night.
play0:42Erin Blanchfield submits Tracy Cortez for massive winErin Blanchfield becomes the first woman to submit Tracy Cortez at UFC 322.
play1:19Brendan Allen wins main event after RDR’s corner throws in towelBrendan Allen wins a huge main event over Reinier de Ridder after de Ridder’s corner stops the fight in between rounds.
play1:26Fiziev, Bahamondes fight to bloody finish in co-mainRafael Fiziev and Ignacio Bahamondes give the fans their money’s worth in Baku in the co-main of UFC Fight Night.
play0:39Gabriel Bonfim wins 4th straight UFC fight with KOGabriel Bonfim wins the main event of UFC Fight Night with a beautiful knockout of Randy Brown.
play0:52DC stunned by Quillan Salkilld’s brutal head-kick KOQuillan Salkilld drops Nasrat Haqparast with a vicious leg kick for a first-round knockout.
play1:02Baisangur Susurkaev sends opponent to mat with epic KOBaisangur Susurkaev sends opponent to mat with epic KO
Ilia Topuria celebrates KO finish to win lightweight titleIlia Topuria defeats Charles Oliveira via knockout in the first round to win the UFC lightweight title.
Ilia Topuria defeats Charles Oliveira via knockout in the first round to win the UFC lightweight title.
Jack Della Maddalena impresses to become new UFC welterweight champJack Della Maddalena stuns Belal Muhammad in the main event of UFC 315 to become the new welterweight champion.
Jack Della Maddalena stuns Belal Muhammad in the main event of UFC 315 to become the new welterweight champion.
Michael Morales punishes Gilbert Burns with flurry of punches for main-event winMichael Morales grabs the huge win in the main event of UFC Fight Night, beating veteran Gilbert Burns for the victory.
Michael Morales grabs the huge win in the main event of UFC Fight Night, beating veteran Gilbert Burns for the victory.
Ian Machado Garry impresses with dominant win over Carlos PratesIan Machado Garry grabs another impressive win under his belt, with a unanimous-decision victory over Carlos Prates in the main event of UFC Fight Night.
Ian Machado Garry grabs another impressive win under his belt, with a unanimous-decision victory over Carlos Prates in the main event of UFC Fight Night.
Arman Tsarukyan submits Dan Hooker in the 2nd roundArman Tsarukyan puts Dan Hooker in an arm triangle and gets the tap out in the main event of UFC Fight Night.
Arman Tsarukyan puts Dan Hooker in an arm triangle and gets the tap out in the main event of UFC Fight Night.
Erin Blanchfield submits Tracy Cortez for massive winErin Blanchfield becomes the first woman to submit Tracy Cortez at UFC 322.
Brendan Allen wins main event after RDR’s corner throws in towelBrendan Allen wins a huge main event over Reinier de Ridder after de Ridder’s corner stops the fight in between rounds.
Brendan Allen wins a huge main event over Reinier de Ridder after de Ridder’s corner stops the fight in between rounds.
Benoit Saint-Denis’ victory via rear-naked choke drives French crowd wildBenoit Saint-Denis’ victory via rear-naked choke drives French crowd wild
Fiziev, Bahamondes fight to bloody finish in co-mainRafael Fiziev and Ignacio Bahamondes give the fans their money’s worth in Baku in the co-main of UFC Fight Night.
Rafael Fiziev and Ignacio Bahamondes give the fans their money’s worth in Baku in the co-main of UFC Fight Night.
Gabriel Bonfim wins 4th straight UFC fight with KOGabriel Bonfim wins the main event of UFC Fight Night with a beautiful knockout of Randy Brown.
DC stunned by Quillan Salkilld’s brutal head-kick KOQuillan Salkilld drops Nasrat Haqparast with a vicious leg kick for a first-round knockout.
Baisangur Susurkaev sends opponent to mat with epic KOBaisangur Susurkaev sends opponent to mat with epic KO
play1:08Benoit Saint-Denis’ victory via rear-naked choke drives French crowd wildBenoit Saint-Denis’ victory via rear-naked choke drives French crowd wild
For nearly a decade, ESPN has compiled annual lists of the best young MMA fighters in the world. That tradition continues — but with a twist. Whereas for seven years we ranked the top 25 fighters under age 25, this year the list expanded to 30 fighters with eligibility extending to anyone under 30.
The rationale for the shift: In past years, many prospects aged out of eligibility even while still climbing the ranks. Expanding the rankings to 30 better reflects the landscape of prospects making their way to the big stage — and even staking their claim to it.
That is not to say that young, emerging fighters are guaranteed a continual rise. The Nos. 1 and 2 fighters in the 2024 rankings made our list again this year, but they’re well down the list. The expansion of our list to age 30 also allowed for the inclusion of a reigning UFC champion, a former titlist, a PFL champ and several who have competed for a belt.
This year’s list features four fighters who will be in action at UFC 323 in Las Vegas on Saturday (10 p.m. ET on ESPN PPV; prelims beginning at 6 p.m. on ESPN+), including 24-year-old Joshua Van, who will take on men’s flyweight title-holder Alexandre Pantoja in the main event.
Our panel — Brett Okamoto, Andreas Hale, Dre Waters, Jeff Wagenheim, Marcus Vanderberg and Alecia Hamm — selected fighters based on achievement and potential. Okamoto and Wagenheim provide breakdowns of the top 30 under 30.
Ilia Topuria celebrates KO finish to win lightweight title
It’s not a stretch to say Van checks every box when it comes to building a potential new star. He’s a charismatic, confident (but not overly arrogant), high-action fighter who competes frequently and always throws down. He shares many similarities with a young Max Holloway. Van could close out 2025 with a UFC championship, which would put him in the running for Fighter of the Year. — Okamoto
Jack Della Maddalena impresses to become new UFC welterweight champ
Michael Morales punishes Gilbert Burns with flurry of punches for main-event win
He’s undefeated and on a roll, with first-round knockouts in his past three fights. Last month’s meeting with Sean Brady was expected to test Morales’ mettle, but he barely broke a sweat in finishing the highest-ranked opponent he’s seen. Morales is a fast, aggressive and pinpoint striker, and that skill set is bolstered by strong defensive wrestling that keeps fights in his standup wheelhouse. Whoever gets Morales next is going to have an unforgiving puzzle to solve. — Wagenheim
Ian Machado Garry impresses with dominant win over Carlos Prates
Arman Tsarukyan submits Dan Hooker in the 2nd round
Erin Blanchfield submits Tracy Cortez for massive win
Erin Blanchfield becomes the first woman to submit Tracy Cortez at UFC 322.
Brendan Allen wins main event after RDR’s corner throws in towel
The Fighting Nerds finally hit a few road bumps in 2025, as Ruffy, Jean Silva, Caio Borralho and Carlos Prates all suffered losses within a short amount of time. And yet, it feels as if the sport is expecting a massive comeback out of the team from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Ruffy remains a cornerstone of the team and will get every opportunity to re-establish himself in 2026. Next year will be a big one for The Fighting Nerds, one way or another, and Ruffy will be a big part of that. — Okamoto
Benoit Saint-Denis’ victory via rear-naked choke drives French crowd wild
Benoit Saint-Denis’ victory via rear-naked choke drives French crowd wild
Fiziev, Bahamondes fight to bloody finish in co-main
Bahamondes saw a three-fight winning streak come to an end over the summer, losing a decision to Rafael Fiziev in his first time facing top-10 competition. Bahamondes previously had shown himself capable of hot streaks, building himself back up after setbacks. Can he do it again? His 2026 will be a defining time, determining whether Bahamondes can take the next step toward the top echelon. — Wagenheim
Gabriel Bonfim wins the main event of UFC Fight Night with a beautiful knockout of Randy Brown.
DC stunned by Quillan Salkilld’s brutal head-kick KO
Quillan Salkilld drops Nasrat Haqparast with a vicious leg kick for a first-round knockout.
Salkilld has been in the UFC only since February but is already 3-0 — a gaudy 3-0 at that. He has earned a pair of performance of the night bonuses, including for a 19-second knockout of Anshul Jubli in his debut. Salkilld’s other bonus came in his most recent win, a first-round head-kick knockout of a streaking Nasrat Haqparast in the feature prelim of UFC 321 in October. That one secured his status as a prospect to watch. — Wagenheim
Baisangur Susurkaev sends opponent to mat with epic KO
Baisangur Susurkaev sends opponent to mat with epic KO
Lucindo was scheduled to be in action this weekend at UFC 323 but is dealing with a temporary suspension for a failed drug test. However, her team is confident the positive test came from a tainted supplement. If that’s the case, she won’t be out for an extended period. Whenever she comes back, she’s in a terrific spot. She’s already ranked No. 9 in the ESPN strawweight rankings. If she can get back to work relatively quickly, she’s a candidate to break out in 2026. — Okamoto
Potential: 10/10. Momentum: 10/10. Star power: 10/10. At any given time in MMA, there is always a short list of names that everything revolves around. Names that drive the sport’s schedule and the fans’ interest. Topuria is one of those names. At just 28 years old, Topuria has already established himself as one of the greats in MMA, winning the UFC featherweight and lightweight championships. The feat is even more impressive when you consider that his three title fights were against UFC all-timers Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira, respectively. Following the last of those wins, Topuria occupied the No. 1 spot in ESPN’s pound-for-pound rankings for 20 consecutive weeks. When the UFC matchmakers sit down to plan anything, Topuria is one of the most important players in that conversation. Even news of him taking a personal break from fighting in early 2026 does nothing to lessen Topuria’s star power. — Okamoto