Who is the next big thing in UFC

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MMA is a hardcore sport and not for the faint-hearted. As fight nights come and go, we see many new and upcoming fighters taking the octagon. Some are one-hit wonders, some give a versatile performance, and some are worth following.

Reading will guide you on who is the best at UFC and highlight the odds and betting strategies. As new fighters take the stage to glorify UFC further, we cannot wait to see what is next up Dana White’s expensive sleeve. In the meantime, as we review the upcoming UFC fights and get ready to win big, we have summoned up some of the most promising fighters. We just know a star when we see it. We said the same thing during the early days of Khabib’s tenure, and the legend went ahead to dominate UFC in a big way. 

One star is too low to highlight

As new fight nights arise, we order our pizza and get ready in front of TVs. Who will dominate the fight? Who will deliver the best KO of the evening? And, who will force other fighters into submission?  

Truth be told, UFC holds many new, promising and upcoming fighters, with us finding it hard just to mention one. Since we want to spoil you for choice, and since there are many to choose from, here is our rundown of the fighters to watch in the hopes of securing winning bets. 

Chris Barnett 

When people look at heavyweight fighters, they believe they are looking at a lack of drive, discipline in sport and possibly the fighter being reckless. The same cannot be said about Chris Barnett. The gentle giant is known to be an excellent land off the ring, yet a brutal fighter in the octagon. 

Few people know Barnett is a superpower. He comes with a history of Taekwando, which he is willing to use in his UFC fights. Barnett is a heavyweight; his moves and punches are regarded as strikes coming from lower divisions. 

If you want to place your bets on a UFC heavyweight, Chris Barnett is your guy!

Mariya Agapova

Whilst many see mixed martial arts and other combat sports as a man’s job, women have given a lot to sports lately. From basketball to boxing, women have taken their rightful place in sport: at the very pinnacle.

Dana White is a boxing hater keen on promoting UFC, especially for the women’s divisions. Whilst suffering losses in the UFC octagon, Kazhak Agapova bounced back and secured wins, with colossal first-round stoppages in her flyweight category. 

Her UFC debut came in 2020 when she squared off with Hannah Cifers. The latter submitted in the first round of the bout, with the Khazak celebrating her victory to many spectators. Following that, Agapova lost 6-1 to Tracy Cortez during Dana White’s Contender Series in 2019. After such a loss, Agapova decided to return to the drawing board with the young athlete continuing to fight back and dominate her weight division.  

With a total of 13 matches, Agapoza landed ten wins and unfortunately suffered three losses; having said that, let us all remember that the fighter is still a 25-year-old, with another ten years of fighting in her future. Dare we say that Mariya Agapova is one to watch in UFC? Hands down, yes!

Israel Adesanya 

Usually, when we talk about any given sport, a name appears when you mention the discipline. Let’s try this. Boxing – Muhammed Ali, Basketball – Micheal Jordan, Football – Pele and MMA – Israel Adesanya.

The Nigerian-born fighter started his combat sports career fighting kickboxing, with Adesanya finding fame and glory in Dana White’s UFC Octagon. In December 2017, Adesanya signed a contract with UFC and made his octagon debut against Rob Wilkinson at UFC 221. He defeated his opponent, claiming UFC, with the fight earning him the Performance of the Night Bonus title. 

Adesanya continued his UFC dominating with ranking many accomplishments in the process. He currently enjoys the UFC Middleweight champion title whilst also boosting the longest average fight time in UFC middleweight history and second-longest winning streak in UFC middleweight history with 11 consecutive wins. 

Israel Adesanya is one to watch if you like to watch and even place bets on UFC. He is not just the GOAT; he is the record-breaker.  

Israel Adesanya is UFC!

Erin Blanchfield

Now and then, a fighter walks into the UFC octagon, and we watch in awe as they combat their way to glory.  Erin Blanchfield is one of those fighters.

The 25-year-old American native kicked off her UFC career in September 2021 during UFC Fight Night: Smith vs Spann. Blanchfield, winning unanimously, stopped Sarah Alpar during the 3rd round. Other bouts followed, with the American knocking out her opponents one after the other. Blanchfield’s only loss was to Tracy Cortez at Invicta PF 34 in 2019. Three years have passed since that loss, with Blanchfield having found her groove back and earning her a six-winning streak after that.

If you follow female combat sports, you know very well that women are joining to leave a legacy and inspire new fighters to rise. Erin Blanchfield is and will also be remembered as the woman who inspired many to get into mixed martial arts. She is young and fearless, and her invincible spirit translates into her walking toward being the greatest of all time (GOAT). Mark our words. 

With McGregor coming back from injury, will he be the next big thing in UFC? Or will he be outclassed once again? In the meantime, if you are looking for inspiration and hoping to score a bet at your favourite sports betting site, the above-listed athletes would be a safe bet.