With 2015 just a day old and January providing some of the biggest events in the history of the UFC, the upcoming year looks promising for fight fans.
We all know that big names like Cain Velasquez, Jon Jones and Anthony Pettis are going to continue to put forward sublime performances for years to come but who are the up-and-coming fighters who we should be keeping an eye on before 2016 arrives? Here are just five of the fighters about which we’re really excited in 2015.
1. Kelvin Gastelum (10-0) – Welterweight
Superstars abound in almost all weight classes in the UFC but since the retirement of Georges St-Pierre, a dominant figure in the welterweight division has been hard to come by.
Kelvin Gastelum will likely be the man that we are all urging to take the 170lb division by the throat, literally.
The 23-year-old Ultimate Fighter 17 winner is undefeated in his mixed martial arts career and since his victory at the TUF finale over highly-tipped Uriah Hall, he has gone on to beat title contenders such as Rick Story and Jake Ellenberger.
If the American can get the cut to 170 nailed down, which he seems to have done, then there is no reason that he cannot make a run at Robbie Lawler’s belt in 2015.
Gastelum is a grappling phenom and is rather fond of using his ground and pound to set up the opportunity to slap on a rear naked choke.
As much as we love the prospect of Rory MacDonald finally being handed his title shot or else seeing a the trilogy between Lawler and Johny Hendricks being completed this year, we’re tipping Gastelum to work his way into title contention before long.
2. Rashid Magomedov (19-1) – Lightweight
The 155lb weight class may as well relocate to Russia because the Dagestanis are straight-up dominating at lightweight.
With Khabib Nurmagomedov likely to fight for the belt in 2015 and Rustam Khabilov a mainstay in the division, Magomedov will have some familiar company as he looks to make a name for himself in the UFC’s most stacked weight class.
After TKOing Elias Silverio a fortnight ago with just three seconds left in the bout, Magomedov announced himself as a force to be reckoned with as he moved to 3-0 with the promotion.
The 30-year-old has been fighting professionally for over six years now and, if he is to make a run at the championship belt, 2015 will be a vital year for the heavy handed Russian.
3. Paul Redmond (10-4) – Lightweight
In case you didn’t already know, we at SportsJOE are huge fans of Paul “Redser” Redmond after just last week we voted his latest toe-hold among our top five favourite submissions of 2014.
The Dublin lightweight is currently plying his trade on closer shores, with Cage Warriors, but a call-up to the UFC is likely not too far away for the man who has lost just once in his last eight outings.
The 28-year-old would love to follow in the footsteps of long-time teammate Neil Seery who has two UFC fights under his belt at flyweight after the Team Ryano product got the call from Dana White last year.
The first step for Redser will be the chance to fight for the Cage Warriors gold against current lightweight champion Stevie Ray which will surely happen before the year is out.
If the UFC then comes calling, he would be the latest Irishman (after Seery, Conor McGregor and Cathal Pendred) to make the move from Cage Warriors title glory to the UFC.
We love to see an Irishman doing well for himself and we’re banking on 2015 being the year for “Redser” to make his breakthrough on the biggest stage for mixed martial arts.
4. Kiichi Kunimoto (18-5-2-1NC) – Welterweight
Kiichi Kunimoto is on a seven fight win streak and is 3-0 with the UFC since his promotional debut a year ago on Sunday.
The Japanese fighter was denied the opportunity to impress in that opening fight last January after he was awarded the victory due to illegal elbows from his opponent Luiz Dutra Jr but has gone on to impress with a pair of victories over Richard Walsh and welterweight standout Daniel Sarafian.
His potential will become all the more obvious if he can get past fellow 170lb prospect Neil Magny when they meet in February.
The former Pancrase fighter is an exciting watch with exactly half of his victories coming by way of submission and he could be just the ticket in a welterweight division that is in dire need of some fresh blood.
5. Chris Holdsworth (6-0) – Bantamweight
One of the seemingly endless bantamweight prospects coming out of Team Alpha Male, Chris Holdsworth will be eager to make a big name for himself in the coming year after injury set him back since his last outing in the octagon.
That bout was a dominant decision victory over notoriously gritty Chico Camus which forced Holdsworth’s opponent down to the flyweight division.
The 27-year-old TUF 18 winner showed off his grappling credentials during his time on the reality show, using three different chokes en route to his place in the finale (arm-triangle, guillotine and rear naked).
Holdsworth is undefeated professionally, with five of his six victories coming by way of submission and while it’s unlikely that we’ll see him touching gloves with teammate and reigning bantamweight champ TJ Dillashaw any time soon, expect the American to be making waves at 135 in 2015.
