UFC on Fox 15 was a turning point for several young fighters.
On the main card, 23-year-old Max Holloway pulled an upset by submitting Cub Swanson, just minutes after 21-year-old Paige VanZant decisioned veteran Felice Herrig and 25-year-old Beneil Dariush defeated Jim Miller. Earlier on the undercard, bantamweight super-prospect Aljamain Sterling, 25, forced a formidable opponent in Takeya Mizugaki to tap.
As the weekend and UFC 186 draws closer, the diaper dandies will again be in the MMA news, as 24-year-old Kyoji Horiguchi steps in to challenge Demetrious Johnson for the flyweight belt.
The whole thing got us to thinking. Who are the best young fighters in the UFC right now? Where’s the fresh blood? And who is way, way younger than you think they are (Kelvin Gastelum)?
A listicle is the solution. These are the 10 best active UFC fighters who are 25 years of age or younger.
These rankings are based on records, with extra weight given to recent and UFC performances, level of competition and skills displayed. Although you will see several prospects here, this is a list of fighters based on their status right now, as opposed to their ceiling for the future.