Everyone has their own way of defining a prospect — it usually involves an age limit, and in many cases, is accompanied by a cutoff with regards to the highest level they’re reached in their professional careers.
In compiling my list of the top UFC prospects heading into 2023, there were two criteria I used:
Some may quibble with the leniency of those variables, but my counter is that interim flyweight champ Brandon Moreno is the only current UFC titleholder under the age of 30, and that being in the Top 10 doesn’t necessarily make you a contender. What’s more is that it feels safe to say that we have yet to see the best from the handful of ranked competitors included in this list, and that greater upside speaks to them being closer to prospects than finished products.
Most importantly though is the fact that exercises like this are subjective, and designed to start conversations, not build consensus.
So with that established and explained, here are my selections as the top prospects in the UFC heading into 2023.
Let the discussions begin!
Blanchfield went 2-0 in 2022 to push her UFC record to 4-0, her winning streak to seven, and her record to 10-1 overall.
In June, she locked up an opportunistic high-elbow guillotine choke on cagey veteran JJ Aldrich, and in November, the 23-year-old showed out at Madison Square Garden, dominating Molly McCann and dispatching the fan favorite by kimura in the first round.
Already stationed in the Top 10, Blanchfield remains in the prospect class because she’s yet to face off with a Top 10 fighter and there is still clearly a ton of development in her future. She recently told the Morning Kombat crew that she’s facing recent title challenger Taila Santos in February, and if she wins that one, her days as a prospect will be over.
She’s always profiled as a future title contender and possible champion, but it turns out the future could arrive this year.
Mokaev was the runner-up on my personal “Rookie of the Year” ballot, trailing only Jack Della Maddalena.
One of the most highly-regarded new arrivals to the UFC in some time, the Russian-born, England-based flyweight validated the hype in 2022, posting three wins and two finishes in three appearances, forcing his way into the Top 15 in his first year on the roster.
What sets Mokaev apart from so many other prospects are his high-level wrestling, the abundance of experience he garnered as an amateur, and the fact that he’s only 22 years old. After 23 fights (and 23 wins) as an amateur, he’s unbeaten through his first 10 pro starts, and as he learns to play to his strengths and round out the rest of his game, he should find himself in the title hunt in the 125-pound weight class.
SONG YADONG
Some will want to argue against Song being considered a prospect as he’s been stationed in the bantamweight Top 15 for a couple years and headlined opposite Cory Sandhagen last time out, but here’s the thing: he just turned 25 at the start of December!
As good as he has been thus far — 19-7-1, 1 No Contest overall; 8-2-1 in the UFC — the Chinese standout is still developing as a fighter. Song is at the point where he’s facing elite competition, but hasn’t quite been able to get over the hump, though he looked solid throughout his loss to Sandhagen in September.
This is one of those instances where because he’s been in the UFC for a number of year, has a single digit next to his name, and is facing established competition, people don’t think of him as a prospect, but that isn’t the case for me.
His best days are in front of him, and until he truly reaches title contention, I still consider him a prospect.
Nurmagomedov crept into the Top 15 with wins over Brian Kelleher and Nate Maness in 2022, extending his record to 15-0 in the process.
The cousin of former lightweight champ KhabibNurmagomedov and a training partner of currently lightweight kingpin Islam Makhachev, the 26-year-old projects the same “he’ll be champion one day” vibes, but has yet to dip his toes into the deep end of the talent pool in the 135-pound weight class… and those are shark-infested waters.
He’s slated to compete against Brazilian veteran RaoniBarcelos on the first card of the year on January 14 at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, which hopefully translates into a slightly more active year for the burgeoning star.
NASSOURDINE IMAVOV
Imavov is set to headlined that opening 2023 fight card in a clash with middleweight mainstay Kelvin Gastelum. A victory wouldn’t necessarily elevate him into the Top 10, but it would further cement the streaking 26-year-old as the top young emerging threat in the 185-pound weight class.
This fight was supposed to take place in April of 2022, but was scuttled after Gastelum suffered an injury, resulting in Imavov only competing once this past year. He’s 4-1 in the UFC, 12-3 overall, and continues to show an improved understanding of how to play to his considerable strengths and impose his will on the opposition.
He’s beaten some familiar names already, but a win over Gastelum to kick off the 2023 slate would certainly carry his stock to new heights and have him on the precipice of shedding the prospect tag in favor of being considered a bona fide contender.
GRANT DAWSON
Because the lightweight ranks are so flush with familiar names at the top of the division, it’s easy to overlook a quality emerging prospect like Dawson.
It’s easy, but it would be a mistake.
The 28-year-old moved to 7-0-1 in the UFC in 2022 with a pair of third-round submission victories. In April, he tapped out Jared Gordon, and in November, he stepped up on short notice and handed former Olympic medalist Mark O. Madsen the first loss of his career, dominating him in the grappler department from start-to-finish.
Dawson was a highly-regarded prospect during his days on the regional circuit, so I’m not sure why so many folks have cooled on him during his unbeaten UFC run. He’s training with an elite squad at American Top Team, knows who he is as a fighter, and is menacing to deal with on the canvas.
There are stiff tests headed his way, but “KGD” remains one of the best prospects in the UFC heading into 2023.
RAUL ROSAS JR.
The youngest fighter to compete and register a victory in the UFC has to be included on this list.
Rosas Jr. earned his contract before turning 18 with a win on Dana White’s Contender Series. He celebrated the milestone birthday in early October, and in mid-December, “El Niño Problema” made his successful promotional debut, submitting Jay Perrin in the first round.
If you didn’t know Rosas Jr. was 18, you’d think he was in his early 20s, at least, as he’s big for the division and fights with a sound understanding of what he does well and how to get into advantageous positions. Those are two things veteran fighters and experienced competitors still struggle with at times, and it’s part of what makes the Mexican bantamweight such an intriguing figure.
He’s the latest to set his sights on Jon Jones’ record for being the youngest UFC champion in history, but unlike many of those that tried and failed before him, Rosas Jr. has more than five years to get the job done.
JACK DELLA MADDALENA
My selection as the 2022 UFC Rookie of the Year, Della Maddalena is clearly one of the top prospects on the roster.
He earned first-round stoppage wins in each of his three appearances during his rookie campaign, including consecutive wins over welterweight staple Ramazan Emeev and Danny Roberts. While those aren’t wins that resonate with casual audiences, they’re quality victories over veteran competitors, and “Della” made each one look easy.
The 26-year-old Australian has lobbied to get on the UFC 284 fight card in Perth in February, and if that wish is granted, Della Maddalena could find himself facing a ranked opponent on the main card. He’s still a few marquee wins away from graduating to contender status, but that definitely looks like a possibility for the new top prospect in the welterweight division.
Garry entered 2022 as the top prospect in the welterweight ranks, but a quiet year featuring a pair of decision wins and no appearances after July 2 has cost the Irishman his place at the top of the list for the moment.
While he still has loads of upside and a promising future, 2023 feels like an important year for Garry, who moved to 10-0 with wins over Darian Weeks and Gabriel Green at UFC 273 and UFC 276 respectively. He’s done the “work on some things against sturdy competition” thing, and now it’s time to see how he handles himself against opponents with a little more experience and a little more polish.
Development is non-lineal and can’t be rushed or forced, so as long as Garry keeps winning and continues making strides, he’ll continue to be one of the top emerging talents in the UFC.
TATSURO TAIRA
Taira touched down in the UFC in 2022, earning a pair of victories to establish himself as one of the top prospects on the roster.
After out-hustling Carlos Candelario in his promotional debut, the Japanese flyweight dominated CJ Vergara, collecting a second-round submission finish to push his record to 12-0 overall. He’s penciled in to face a third straight Dana White’s Contender Series graduate, Jesus Aguilar, in early February, and while I’d love to see him given more of a step up in competition, I appreciate the slow-roll approach the UFC is taking with Taira.
Taira turns 23 at the end of January, and as impressive as he has been thus far, there is no reason to rush him along. The flyweight division is thriving right now, Mokaev is soaking up the lion’s share of the prospect attention, and that will allow Taira to continue honing his skills in the background.
It shouldn’t surprise anyone if he and Mokaev face each other for championship gold three or four years down the line; they’re both that good.
HONORABLE MENTIONS: THE FLYWEIGHT FOUR
While they didn’t make the Top 10 above, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that four other women that join Blanchfield to make up the best stable of prospects in any division.
Casey O’Neill forced her way into the Top 10 with four straight wins to start her UFC tenure, capped by a victory over veteran Roxanne Modafferi at UFC 271. A knee injury sidelined her for the remainder of the year, but the Scottish-Australian standout should be back in full force in 2023.
Maycee Barber replaced O’Neill in a fight with Jessica Eye at UFC 276 following her injury, and promptly outworked the veteran to collect her third straight win. While she failed to break Jones’ record as the youngest champion in UFC history, Barber has shown improvements and is still just 24 years old, which means we’ve yet to see her best.
Miranda Maverick has lost to both Barber and Blanchfield, but she’s responded by earning back-to-back wins to re-establish herself as part of this elite pack of young talents rising through the ranks. A physical, athletic competitor, Maverick might have the highest upside of the bunch, and working with Eliot Marshall and the host of strong training partners she has in Colorado should continue to pay dividends.
Natalia Silva had an impressive rookie campaign in 2022, registering a pair of victories to force her way into this group. After out-hustling Jasmine Jasudavicius in her debut, the 25-year-old Brazilian scored a third-round knockout win over Tereza Bleda in her sophomore showing. She’s still green, but the raw materials are impressive and the foundation for being a long-term standout is there.
