Mixed martial arts is an unforgiving sport; it takes a long time to get to the top but only moments to tumble back to the bottom.
But even in this harsh, unapologetic landscape that freely stomps the aspirations of talented, dedicated fighters without afterthought, there are some that are able to survive.
Those who consistently win big fights, accomplish lofty goals and let their presence be known to an audience that transcends the inner circles of MMA fans and those who defy MMA’s heavy gravity and suspend themselves above the rest are the stars of the sport.
Yet, even stars are not timeless: There are always those coming, always those fading away.
Here, we’ll take an optimistic view of the categorization and look at one fighter in each weight class that has the tools to achieve and maintain MMA stardom in the near future.