1. Khabib Nurmagomedov (22-0)
If Conor McGregor is the kind of talent who has the potential to energize the masses for better or worse, the top pick on this list is a purist’s fighter and a hardcore fan’s dream. Nurmagomedov has exploded onto the scene with 22 consecutive victories to start his career, including six in the UFC, and does not seem likely to lose another fight in the near future.
He was already a high-level sambo competitor by the age of 18 and turned pro as a mixed martial artist a week before his 20th birthday. The basic outlines of his game have been clear since then: Nurmagomedov might be the most talented wrestle-grappler we have ever seen, with a deep background in sambo, judo and freestyle wrestling to go along with his adult training in wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and the other component skills of MMA. He tosses around skilled wrestlers as if they have never stepped on a mat before and controls exceptional jiu-jitsu black belts from top position with shocking ease. His range striking is more of a question mark, but he has never yet failed to find a way to win.
As good as he is in the cage, Nurmagomedov also understands the importance of self-promotion. Although he has been sidelined with a knee injury for the last several months, he has made consistent use of his strong social media presence -- if you are not following him on Twitter and Instagram, you should fix that ASAP -- to remind the world that he is still here, much as McGregor did in 2013. He has trash talked UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis and everyone associated with him at every opportunity. In his own words: “Anthony Pettis is a pretty boy. He’s a playboy. He’s very beautiful and he’s good to market, but the real champion is Khabib Nurmagomedov. Everybody knows. I sent him the message on Twitter. I see he’s scared.” That kind of ability to cut a promo and rile up his opponents can only serve him well in the future, and like his countryman, Gennady Golovkin, his strong accent and hint of the exotic make him all the more intriguing.
Not only is Nurmagomedov a fantastic fighter and burgeoning trash-talker, he is also a representative of and pipeline into the aforementioned North Caucasus region. He still spends a great deal of time at home in Dagestan and has brought his ultra-talented friend and training partner, Islam Makhachev, with him into the UFC. His younger brother, Abubakar Nurmagomedov, is likewise a talented prospect and a probable future signee. “The Eagle” is already a star in Dagestan and has done an exceptional amount to grow the profile of both the UFC and MMA in this talent-rich region.
It is a matter of when, not if, Nurmagomedov gets his shot at the lightweight belt, and with his aura of invincibility, enigmatic foreign ways -- his sheepskin hat, the papakha, being the most obvious example -- and undeniable skills, the Dagestani is as safe a bet as any to turn into a legitimate star.
OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Warlley Alves, Aljamain Sterling, Rose Namajunas, Max Holloway