The definition of a prospect in professional mixed martial arts can have a broad meaning, and in today’s article, we will cover all of them. Newly signed fighters, current rising stars, and any active professional who boasts a chance of great success in 2024 will be found in our top prospect list.
A new year is fully under in the UFC with UFC 298, UFC 299, and UFC 300 just around the corner, and with a large collection of prosperous talent looking to make a name or extend their current dominance, join us today as we break down the top prospects you should keep an eye on in your UFC wagers for 2024.
Return next week for Part 2.
1 Diego Lopes
It should come as no surprise that a Brazilian competitor made the list, and for 2024, it’s hard to argue against the potential of Diego Lopes topping Brazil’s selection of up-and-coming talent.
We wouldn’t usually consider a fighter with 29 pro-MMA bouts as a prospect. Still, with only three UFC contests on his record, Lopes has already evolved into a household name due to his elite skills and savage nature when he enters the octagon in under twelve months.
On May 6, 2023, Lopes stepped up on short notice to make his UFC debut versus a top-ranked and dangerous opponent in Movsar Evloev. Despite losing, he gave the unbeaten Russian a Fight of the Night contender toward a unanimous decision loss.
After receiving a lot of respect in the aforementioned debut loss, he truly proved his worth when storming through his next two opponents, Gavin Tucker and Pat Sabatini, via first-round stoppages.
Aged just 29 with an impressive 23-6-0 record, what makes Lopes so special is his approach to fighting. Whether it’s a standing battle or a grappling war, he’s willing to engage and consistently looks to end his opponents.
2 Michael Morales
We haven’t seen him compete as much as we’d like since his UFC debut in 2021, but Michael Morales is a problem at 170 pounds.
At the tender age of 24, representing Ecuador, Morales is the second-youngest welterweight fighter on the roster, and he’s maintained an undefeated record (16-0-0, 4-0 UFC) emphatically. Four fights deep into his UFC career, he dominated the lower level of opposition before claiming back-to-back victories over two roster veterans, Max Griffin and Jake Matthews.
Due to the rising talent residing in the welterweight division, such as Shavkat Rakhmonov and Ian Garry, Morales is flying under the radar. However, based on his performances to date, his ceiling is incredibly high, and I predict we’ll be hearing a lot more from the Ecuadorian in 2024, who’s close to breaking into the top-15 rankings of his division.
3 Benoit Saint-Denis
“The God of War,” a scary nickname, huh? Unfortunately, he looked more like a disciple of Jesus when making his UFC debut in 2021, as an experienced vet in Elizeu Zaleski handed the French newcomer his first professional loss via dominant unanimous decision.
This result, however, was obviously a glitch in the system and could probably be blamed on debutant jitters or too much too soon because Saint-Denis proved why he’s a God of war in 2022 and 2023.
Five consecutive wins, three knockouts, and two submissions later, the 13-1-0 fighter is heading to UFC 299 in the co-main event with the opportunity of a lifetime to fight Dustin Poirier.
Of all the prospects on today’s list, Saint-Denis is the closest to achieving title challenger status. A win over Poirier will shoot him straight into the shark-infested waters of the top 10 lightweight rankings, and given his aggressive nature and well-versed abilities, don’t be surprised when he fits in with the likes of Justin Gaethje, Charles Oliveira, and Islam Makhachev just perfectly.
4 Tatsuro Taira
He doesn’t need to bathe in the Fountain in Youth because, aged just 24 years old, Tatsuro Taira is rapidly building a legacy in pro-MMA that’s put the flyweight division on notice.
Fourteen professional mixed martial contests and 14 wins, need I say more? Yes, actually, in one year and 9 months as a UFC flyweight roster member, this Japanese youngster has won five consecutive bouts with two submissions, one TKO, and two unanimous decisions. He’s yet to fight the upper echelon of the 125-pound weight class, but his dominance outside the top rankings has been remarkable… nobody has come close!
He’s quiet and respectable with a calming nature, as many East Asian fighters can be; however, once the octagon door slams shut, these exact same traits transition into his fighting style, as he calmly destroys the opposition with a patient, yet dominant game plan behind an evident high level of fight intelligence.
I cannot wait to see what’s next for Taira, who’s one ranking position out of the top 15. The competition level is only going to get tougher. Still, I expect he’ll be involved in multiple Fight of the Night contenders in the future, especially with the likes of fellow flyweight prospects such as Muhammad Mokaev and Joshua Van as potential opponents.
5 Bo Nickal
You won’t find another fighter in all of MMA with just five professional fights on their record that possess the hype of Colorado’s own, Bo Nickal.
Scheduled to fight Cody Brundage at the historic UFC 300 event in April, no other fighter scheduled for this monumental fight card has less than 15 professional contests on their record, proving how much faith Dana White and co. have in Nickal’s abilities and star potential.
So, why the hype?
It all starts on the wrestling mats. Most MMA fans can recognize that freestyle wrestling is one of the strongest base martial arts to enter the sport with, and Nickal is a beast in this aspect. He joined the UFC with the recognition of being a three-time National champion, and his dominance in this department was put on display when he choked out Jamie Pickett in his promotional debut last year.
Fans were even more impressed when Nickal proved his striking capabilities against Val Woodburn, whom he stopped in 38 seconds via TKO. He’s ranked #38 and undoubtedly has a long way to reach the elite of the middleweight division, but I anticipate that 2024 will be a breakout year for the 5-0 fighter, starting at UFC 300!
