There are lots of reasons why a fighter is worth watching over the coming year. Maybe they’re a compelling prospect or a recent signee to a major promotion. Maybe they’re ready to make the leap from undercard to main card, or main card to main event. Maybe they’re at a critical, sink-or-swim juncture in their careers. Maybe they’re returning to the spotlight after a long absence away.
This list attempts to combine all the reasons why a fighter might be watch-worthy and distill it all down into one master watch list for the coming year. As MMA calendars begin to fill up for 2013, these are 25 names any fan should commit to memory.