The world of MMA is a place filled with continuing chapters being written about fighters rising and falling from the top of the mountain. But let’s talk about the victories for now and who all have a bright future in this promotion, especially in the coming year. As UFC fans gear up for another blockbuster year, gossip about the possible combatants who are soaring high, and will likely move on to the next level has set the community abuzz.

There is always a new breed of fighters constantly rising the ranks to dominate in the Octagon. So, could we be glimpsing the start of a new era for some contemporary and iconic figures in the sport? Let’s find out!

Movsar Evloev

Undefeated in 19 fights and with his sights set on running for the UFC featherweight title, Movsar Evloev just wants his fight resume to do the talking. The Russian phenom trains out of the American Top Team in Florida. He’s faced some of the most prominent names of his UFC career to date – Dan Ige, Diego Lopes, Arnold Allen, and most recently, the former bantamweight champ. He took on Aljamain Sterling at UFC 310 and won the fight to extend his undefeated record to 19 wins in his bag.

Why can Evloev take over in 2025 and become a new star of UFC? Flashback to the year 2018 – Evloev was a relative newbie with a pro 10-0 record. During the pre-fight presser, Rafael Dias pulled off a not-so-smart stunt (reminiscent of Conor McGregor) and grabbed the undefeated champ’s belt in a show of swagger. However, Evloev was not fazed by it and only had one response to it- fighting and showing his prowess.

How did he reply to the disrespect? – by delivering a deadly KO that sent Dias crashing to the canvas. The commentators lost their minds, yelling, “What is the referee doing?”  The outcome? – A moment that was worth going down in the UFC history.

Why is this 2018 performance important? This is because this past performance is a glimpse of what he can bring to the Octagon in the future. The Russian #4-ranked phenom in the UFC featherweight division is sitting with pride and a 19-0 record right now. So are you ready for what he is about to unleash in 2025?

Joaquin Buckley

‘New Mansa’ took a vow in the final UFC 2024 Tampa event. Joaquin Buckley took on the former interim UFC welterweight titleholder Colby Covington and completely out-classed him in the fight. The headliner in Tampa was a doctor’s stoppage with Covington bleeding profusely from his eyelid while Buckley got his hand raised.

Buckley decided to keep things short and sweet during his appearance in the Tampa post-fight press conference. To put it simply- the welterweight fighter is hunting for UFC gold in 2025. “My first main event was a big success,” Buckley spoke to MMA Junkie backstage at the Amalie Arena. “I feel like the whole card was very successful, getting a lot of knockouts. I feel like my fights shouldn’t have been stopped. It is what it is. You’ve got to protect the fighters. I feel like 2025 is my year and we are taking over. With this being said, this is on a six-fight winning streak. I’ve got eight knockouts within the UFC.”

He also mentioned how he was confident that he had done what was needed to secure a position for the title fight conversation. He is also willing to take on Belal Muhammad or Shavkat Rakhmonov without any stress or inhibition. At the end of the day, ‘New Mansa’ is vying for the throne. Buckley also has a good enough reason to feel positive about the new year because he is already riding on a 6 fight-winning streak and is a well-rounded opponent. So, will he be able to set his legacy in 2025?

Renato Moicano

The 20-5-1 lightweight Renato Moicano already has 3 wins in 2024, so he is ending the year on a high note. He is an exciting fighter and an entertaining personality and fans are expecting another win from him at UFC 311 against Beneil Dariush. The fighter hailing from Brazil has expressed his interest in fighting as the top lightweight contender and eventually sitting on the throne in 2025.

Moicano dominated his fights this year and the most impressive thing of all he did was fight against Benoit Saint-Denis in September while battling a serious injury. This stunt was even noticed by Dana White as he revealed his thoughts on this well-kept secret which could have posed a threat to Moicano.

According to Dana White, if the ring-side doctor had witnessed what had happened and gone to Moicano’s corner – they would have noticed the fighter’s shoulder injury. This might have prompted them to raise Benoit Saint-Denis as the winner. “Yeah, I mean, it was incredible. What he was able to do with that injury, yeah. And sitting in the corner was never even a concern. It’s not even like they were, you know… Yeah. And they’re lucky. Because if Saint-Denis looked like that and the doctor went to the other side, fight’s off.” With the best break in the organization, the ATT fighter will show more of his potential in 2025.

Natália Silva

She is only 27 years old but already has a 12-fight active win streak. Natália Miranda Cristina da Silva aka “The Danger Natalia” thinks that she has already proved herself worthy of higher-level competition in her division at UFC Fight Night 242. Silva (6-0 in the UFC) stayed unbeaten inside the Octagon during her fight against Jessica Andrade (7-11 in the UFC) in a women’s flyweight bout at the UFC Apex.

This bout was a striking extravaganza and a pure display of Silva’s strength especially because she entered with a grave heart after the devastating news of the demise of her sister four months ago. Even when life gave her this level of sorrow, she managed to win.

But this is just the start for her because she has achieved a significant milestone by earning her red belt in Taekwondo from instructor Rames Luiz. Now she is ready to take on 2025, so get ready for ‘Danger Natalia’.

Michael Morales 

With an undefeated record of 17-0, the Ecuadorian prospect picked up one of his biggest wins against Neil Magny in the first round to take his UFC record to 5-0. This win is significant because he is not a title contender but a very tricky gatekeeper who is used to turning back the challenge of tricky opponents.

Michael Morales appears to have all the ingredients needed to rise to the top. He throws powerful punches and has amazing cardio with a killer instinct. He has a high fight IQ and is ranked #12 right now. He might need some more fights before a potential title shot and might rise higher in late 2025 or early 2026.

So with all these amazing fighters having such incredible resumes, are you ready to see some action-packed fights in 2025? Who do you think will make it to a title fight next year? Let us know in the comments down below.